mage4mage

I couldn't get through this. the translated poems were beyond dry. there was absolutely no attempt to retain any flow or rhythm or any imagery. this is going to be one of the collections I use as an example of why it's important to be good at writing prose if you plan to translate prose.

translation is more than just directly translating words. you need to try your best to translate the the existence of meter, the imagery, the metaphors, the between-the-lines messages, the emotions. translation without any thought beyond the words at first glance just leaves you with a lifeless husk of the writer's work.

also why do English translators of Chinese continue to insist on using Wades Giles when hanyu pinyin is a billion times more accurate and easier to read? and stop with the literally translating names of people...

the information in the preface and the notes in the annotation , and the fact it's a bilingual book that included the original poems to compare the translations with, which is something I feel strongly about and wish people would do more, are the only reasons I'm not giving it one star.