Translators are often challenged in their line of work with content that requires specific knowledge of an industry or the culture surrounding a target language. However, nothing is perhaps moredifficult than translating literature. Many great novels, short stories, plays and poems throughout history have been translated from Russian, Greek, Spanish and Arabic for people to enjoy around the world. These works need to stand up to scrutiny and debate, and they have been translated by the best translators available to perform the job.

Literature presents a unique set of challenges through the use of figurative language and many more elements that require an expert level of knowledge from those seeking to translate it. Some of the most challenging factors include:

Creativity:

Translators need to be creative as an extension of the creative works they are translating. Creative translations involve combining the meaning, rhythm, syntax and mood from one piece accurately and effectively into a target language.

Cultural Issues:

Translators are required to understand cultural references and handle metaphors and similes, some of which do not have direct translations to English. Working around literal meanings and interpreting allusions in more creative prose, such as poetry, can present translators with some difficult dilemmas.

Style:

Interpreting narrative styles and grammatical factors such as gender along with syntax and punctuation are technical issues which can arise. Unique and quirky prose in one language, such as Arabic, can require significant changes to be understood in the right context in English. One author can be much more challenging than another, so style is a variable factor that cannot be predicted.

These are just a few of the challenges that can be faced in translating literature, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. Each piece of work can present a unique set of demands, whether it’s the author’s style or the genre itself. One thing that is clear from analyzing this topic is that an expert level of knowledge is undoubtedly required to handle literary translations successfully.