If This Be Treason: Translation and its Dyscontents

I first learned of Gregory Rabassa's work when I was looking for a translation of "Cien años de soledad" to buy as a gift years ago. As soon as I read the first lines I knew he had gotten it, he really had gotten it. I skipped ahead to other passages, curious to see if he had translated certain things right (as a translator, I just couldn't help it, it's in the genes) and he had, quite right and very creatively. So it was with great anticipation that I bought his memoir, "If This Be Treason: Translation and Its Dyscontents" to discover his own writing and to see if he would share his trade secrets. Well, I was happy to learn that he struggled with the same issues that other translators from Spanish have struggled with and happy to see how he resolved them. I hope he finds the time to share more of the specifics in future writings. His approach to translating the title and the first lines of book is inspiring and, in my view, guarantees that human translators will be in business for years to come. No computer can possibly "think again", as he recommends, once the words in a simple declarative statement have been rendered into another language, to see if they -individually and collectively- convey the same sense, feeling, meaning, intent, purpose, and message of the original in the specific context they appear. By translating Cortázar, García Márquez, and other giants of Latin American fiction, Rabassa has given English language readers a real treasure, and by telling us now how he went about it, he has enriched our translator's toolbox as well. Rabassa's memoir covers a lot of ground and I can understand he might have been tired towards the end. I enjoyed this book, learned a lot from it, and I highly recommend it.

I got the book very quickly and the cover and everything are in great shape. Thanks! Can't wait to start reading it!

Gregiory Rabassa's 2005 Memoir highlights the intense commitment thoughtful literary translators bring to their work of expanding understanding throughout the world.

Rabassa's anecdotes make this text so much easier to take as opposed to those that are more oriented towards theory (and sometimes theoretical posturing). I am so lucky to have worked with one of his students in Literary Translation and all that he's had to share has been well received. He is indeed a great man.

If you are into translation and literature, this book is a gem, a joy to read. It is a senior master's view of the translator's art. Many interesting vignettes. A good read.

This was a gift to a friend who is still raving about it!

I suppose this could be used as an example... of contextual emptiness and lighthearted self-absorption.

Arrived on time, exactly as described, clean.

Reflections on translating as a profession from a very experienced translator. Interesting insight into the person behind the (often) anonymous translator.

It took very long time to arrive.. I've ordered 5 items, 3 came after 2 weeks, 1 10 days later and 1 more within another week. So I ended up having my books 1 month after the purchase. It would have been ok if somebody notified me about the delay, but it wasn't the case. All the rest was good. Books are brand new and have good quality for the price. Overall is fine as long as you are not in a hurry.

Ottimo