Often, you find that several different translations of a certain work are considered correct even though they may be quite different.  This is true of the Ancient Greek poet Sappho who was known for her love poetry.  In one translation, one of her poems goes, “once I look at you for a moment, I can’t/ speak any longer,/but my tongue breaks down, and then all at once a/subtle fire races inside my skin…”  In another translation, the same poem goes, “So/When I see you, for a moment,/My voice goes,/My tongue freezes.  Fire/Delicate fire, in the flesh.”

Differences in Phrasing, Punctuation and Line Breaks

There are subtle differences between these two translations.  In the first one, the translator writes, “my tongue breaks down” while in the second, the same line is rendered, “my tongue freezes.”  “Subtle fire” becomes “delicate fire” in the second translation.

Of course, one might say that these differences are not great and overall mean the same thing.  However, when you read the entire poem and combine the difference in phrasing along with the differences in punctuation and the different line breaks, you do feel as though you could be reading an entirely different poem.

The Personality of the Writer vs. the Personality of the Translator

At some point or the other, the original Sappho—her feelings and voice—does shine through in both versions.  But added to these is another layer—the personality of the translator.  Since the original punctuation of the poem may not be known, it is up to the translator to decide whether to translate in long sentences or short ones.  Professionals providing translation services make these kinds of decisions everyday based on their reading of a certain text.

The Flexibility of Translation

So although translation may seem, on the outside, to be a very cut and dried process, it is actually a flexible, fluctuating one where the translator must make snap decisions every step of the way.  In order for these decisions to be accurate, the translator must have a lot of experience and an excellent knowledge of both the languages concerned.

Connotations and Denotations

Not only do you need to understand the meanings of words, you also need to be aware that these meanings change over time.  So the connotation of a word might be quite different from the denotation.  Using the word “delicate” instead of “subtle” might make all the difference to a translation and change the meaning of the text.

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AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-10-12T14:00:37.778Z):

When translating a document, a translator has the option of going with a more literal translation or one that more accurately expresses what a certain person is trying to say.  For example, the verb “comprendre” in French can be translated as “to comprehend” which seems more literal because the two words are so close in spelling.  However, it can also be translated as “to understand” because this is the verb which is more commonly used in English, as opposed to “comprehend.”

Understanding vs. Comprehending

Although the two words mean more or less the same thing, “understanding” can apply to something simple.  One can understand what it means to solve a puzzle or read a book.  Comprehending something has a more comprehensive quality about it and is used when you’re referring to something a bit difficult to understand.  You could comprehend the meaning of Plato’s definition of the perfect state in his seminal work, theRepublic.  But it sounds a little odd if you were to say that you comprehend how to make a peanut butter sandwich.

Earlier Conventions Emphasized Meaning

So what exactly should a translator do when faced with a verb like “comprendre”?  Should s/he translate it as “comprehend” or “understand”?  The convention in the translating world used to be the usage of whatever is more commonly used in the destination language.  Since “understand” is more commonly used in English, the translator would generally translate “comprendre” as “to understand.”  Nowadays, however, the conventions are changing and people have started realizing that you can maintain the flow and beauty of the source language if you translate more literally.

Recent Translations Take Into Account Beauty and Flow

Consider the following sentence taken from Marcel Proust’s A La Recherche du Temps Perdu: “je n’avais pas cessé en dormant de faire des réflexions sur ce que je venais de lire, mais ces réflexions avaient pris un tour un peu particulier.”  In an earlier translation, the translator avoided using a more complex word like “reflection” to translate “réflexion” and instead went with the word “thought,” saying, “I had gone on thinking while I was asleep, about what I had just been reading, but these thoughts had taken a rather peculiar turn.”

In a more recent translation, Lydia Davis decided to stick with something closer to the original, saying, “I had not ceased while sleeping to form reflections on what I had just read, but these reflections had taken a rather peculiar turn.”  Davis chooses to retain the word “reflection” for “réflexion” and this maintains the beauty of the French language even in translation.

Of course, a translator must always consider exact meanings, but where possible, it’s a good idea to maintain this kind of beauty of the language too.  Contact us for professional translations that will take both, accuracy of meaning and beauty of language into account.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-10-12T14:00:30.728Z):

Some of the first translations into the English language were done by Chaucer who adapted works written by Giovanni Boccaccio while writing A Knight’s Tale and Troilus and Criseyde.  He also started a translation of Roman de la Rose, a French work, and the oevre of Boethius, which was in Latin.  Obviously, he was a very well read man to be able to translate and adapt these works.

Chaucer was born to a merchant, but his parents were doing so well that it wasn’t necessary for him to become a merchant too.  Instead, he became a page to the Countess of Ullster and began a diplomatic career which took him to many places.  He became a well-respected man in this field, and he could have chosen to just endorse the power held by the aristocracy in his day (he was born in the early 1340s).

However, Chaucer was determined to look beyond the life that he had the privilege to lead, and he decided to do this via translation and other literary works.  At this time, the official language of the state was French, and the official language of the church was Latin.  Rather than only writing in these two languages as many writers of his day chose to do, Chaucer decided to write in and translate into English which was considered beneath the upper classes.  English was a language only spoken by the common people.  By translating into English, Chaucer recognized the beauty of this vernacular language and was one of many responsible for making it as widely spoken as it is today.

The example of Chaucer shows how a translator can really change the world.  By taking tales that were only accessible to those who spoke French, Italian and Latin and translating them into English, Chaucer gave people the opportunity to learn about things from far off lands and to become more cosmopolitan.  Through his travels, he carried knowledge from one place to another and this is the very definition of translation which means “to carry across” in the original Latin.

Translators help to make the world a smaller place and bring about communication between groups who couldn’t have communicated before.  And hopefully, the result of this communication is better understanding and greater harmony.

Contact us for translation services that will get across what you’re trying to say in the language of your choice.

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