Translation criticism

Translation criticism is like trying to clean your room. Your mom tells you how to clean it and you do it the way she told you. But then your dad comes in and says you did it wrong and tells you how to do it differently. You might not understand why your dad thinks your way is wrong, but he has his own ideas and reasons for doing it the way he suggests.

In the same way, when someone translates a book or a poem from one language to another, there are different ways to do it. Some people might like one way better than another, just like your dad might prefer a different way of cleaning your room. These people are called translation critics. They read the translated text and think about how it could have been done differently, or if anything is missing or changed from the original.

Translation critics might ask questions like: Does the translation capture the meaning of the original text? Are there any cultural references that might be missed in the new language? Was the translator faithful and accurate to the original author's language and style? They might also compare different translations of the same text to see which one they like better.

Translation criticism can help people understand and appreciate literature from different cultures, and it can also help translators improve their work. Just like how your dad's suggestions might help you clean your room better next time.