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Gregory Rabassa

Gregory Rabassa Quotes

Translator

Gregory Rabassa, born on March 9, 1922 in Argentina, was an accomplished translator. His translations spanned a wide range of genres, from classical literature to modern novels, and he is particularly renowned for his translations of works by Gabriel García Márquez. Rabassa's translations are known for their fidelity to the original and their literary value, significantly contributing to the international dissemination of Latin American literature.

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Famous Gregory Rabassa Quotes

“Teaching translation is more of an editing job. You act as editor. But you can have fun with it.”

Jobs Fun Teaching Having Fun Editors Editing Translations

Author:Gregory Rabassa

“One of my favorite tricks was taking a page and having the first student translate it from English into whatever language he or she was working on, and the next one would translate it back into English and then into the foreign language, and we'd go around the room and compare the two English versions at the end, and it would be amazing how much survived.”

Firsts Two Ends Would Be Next Language Rooms Students Pages My Favorite Tricks Versions Compare Translate Survived The Next One Foreign Language

Author:Gregory Rabassa

“When you hear Portuguese, if you're listening fleetingly, it's as if you're hearing Russian, which never happens with Spanish. Because the Portuguese and the Russians share the open vowels and the dark "L," the "owL" sound.”

Ifs Happens Sound Dark Share Listening Hearing Owl Portuguese Vowels

Author:Gregory Rabassa

“A translation can never equal the original; it can approach it, and its quality can only be judged as to accuracy by how close it gets.”

Language Quality Equal Approach Originals Judged Translations Accuracy

Author:Gregory Rabassa

“A translator is essentially a reader and we all read differently, except that a translator's reading remains in unchanging print”

Reading Language Reader Remains Print Translations Unchanging Translators

Book:If This Be Treason: Translation and Its Dyscontents

Source: If This Be Treason: Translation and Its Dyscontents

“I have always maintained that translation is essentially the closest reading one can possibly give a text. The translator cannot ignore "lesser" words, but must consider every jot and tittle.”

Giving Reading Language Closest Translations Translators

Author:Gregory Rabassa

“Translation is a disturbing craft because there is precious little certainty about what we are doing, which makes it so difficult in this age of fervent belief and ideology, this age or greed and screed.”

Littles Age Belief Language Difficult Greed Ideology Crafts Certainty Disturbing Translations Fervent

Author:Gregory Rabassa

“Every act of communication is an act of translation.”

Communication Translations

Author:Gregory Rabassa

About the Author

Born: March 9, 1922
Died: June 14, 2016
Known for: Translator
Quotes: 8

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