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Quote by Amos Oz

“The very same book, even if it is translated very accurately, let's say from Hebrew into English or from English into Hebrew, becomes a different book because language is a musical instrument.”

Quote by Amos Oz

Author

Amos Oz, born on May 4, 1939, is a renowned Israeli writer. His works are known for their profound insights into human nature and unique narrative style. He has won numerous literary awards, including the Israel Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature. more

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“I know that a translation of a work of literature is like playing a violin concerto on the piano. You can do this. You can do this very successfully on one strict condition: never try to force the piano to produce the sounds of the violin. This will be grotesque.”

Knows Trying Literature Force Sound Can Do Conditions Produce Piano Strict Translations Violin Grotesque

Author:Amos Oz

“Different musical instruments provide for different music.”

Different Instruments Musical Musical Instruments Different Music

Author:Amos Oz

“There are certain concepts, which exist in english, and are unthinkable, untranslatable into Hebrew and vice versa.”

Certain Concepts Vices Vice Versa Hebrew Unthinkable

Author:Amos Oz

“Hebrew has a system of tenses, which is, in a big way, different from the English system of tenses, probably different than any European system of tenses, which means a different sense of reality, which means a different concept of time.”

Way Mean Different Bigs Reality Concepts Hebrew Concept Of Time

Author:Amos Oz

“Things can be translated, but they become different.”

Author:Amos Oz

“Hebrew is deeply inspired by other languages.”

Language Inspired Hebrew

Author:Amos Oz

“Not now, for the last three thousand years, Hebrew has been penetrated and fertilized by ancient Semitic languages - by Aramaic, by Greek, by Latin, by Arabic, by Yiddish, by Latino, by German, by Russian, by English, I could go on and on. It's very much like English.”

Years Has Beens Lasts Three Language Goes On Thousand Ancient Greek Latin Thousand Years Latino Hebrew Yiddish

Author:Amos Oz

“The English language took in many many fertilizations, many many genes, from other languages, from foreign languages - Latin, French, Nordic languages, German, Scandinavian languages.”

Language Latin Genes English Language Foreign Language Scandinavians Nordic Fertilization

Author:Amos Oz

“Every language has influences and is an influence.”

Language Influence

Author:Amos Oz

“My musical instrument is Hebrew and, to me, this is the most important fact about my writing.”

Writing Important Facts Instruments Musical Hebrew Musical Instruments

Author:Amos Oz