translation

A 1923 studio portrait of the In zikh ("Introspectivist") poetry group.

Jennifer Kronovet studied Yiddish so she could communicate with the dead

In 2000, American poet Jennifer Kronovet began taking Yiddish classes for just one reason: to translate Yiddish poetry into English.

Jennifer Kronovet studied Yiddish so she could communicate with the dead
Bad Doberan, Germany is the home of Zappanale, an annual summer festival inspired by the life and work of Frank Zappa.

In the former East Germany, Frank Zappa lives on as a beacon of freedom

In the former East Germany, Frank Zappa lives on as a beacon of freedom
A protester holds up a sign at an anti-Trump demonstration in Washington DC.

The Putinization of Donald Trump

The Putinization of Donald Trump

How Shakespeare Came Alive for Me — and Stays Alive Today

How Shakespeare Came Alive for Me — and Stays Alive Today
Larry Hagman at JR in Dallas, watched around the world.

Talking Texas in Iran

Talking Texas in Iran
Many Kenyans, like this man, do not speak English-- but they may speak several African languages.

To make a real difference in some of Africa's poorest countries, we should train more translators

"Africans are incredible linguists," says Lori Thicke, founder of Translators Without Borders, which enlists Africans to translate everything from medication instructions to election materials into some of Africa's 1,000+ languages.

To make a real difference in some of Africa's poorest countries, we should train more translators
Translator extraordinaire Ayub Nuri on the right, along with reporter Aaron Schachter and their driver Abdulrazzaq Zanjeel at a street cafe in Baghdad in 2003.

Fixers are a foreign reporter's best friend — and often their lifeline

Spoiler alert: A behind the scenes look at foreign correspondents that you may not want to know! A good interpreter, or "fixer," can make the difference not only between a good story and a bad one, but between life and death.

Fixers are a foreign reporter's best friend — and often their lifeline
Google Translate turns "quid pro quo" into "What happens in Vegas!"

It's possible to translate the untranslatable — if you have enough time

Some words, we often say, just can't be translated into another language. Michael Wood, one of the editors of the "Dictionary of Untranslatables," says that's just not true — you can translate anything. But even "untranslatable" itself is a word with many meanings.

It's possible to translate the untranslatable — if you have enough time
The interpreters' booth at the Nuremberg trials. From left to right: Capt. Macintosh, British Army, translates from French into English; Miss Margot Bortlin, translates from German into English; Lt. Ernest Peter Uiberall, Monitor.

How the Nuremberg Trials changed interpretation forever

We take simultaneous interpretation for granted today, watching world leaders at the UN and other organizations listen to speeches being translated in real time. But there was a time not too long ago when even the thought of someone instantly translating speech was impossible.

How the Nuremberg Trials changed interpretation forever
Illustration from a 1905 edition of "Grimms' Fairy Tales. The dwarfs warn Snow White not to accept anything from strangers. (Illustration: Franz Jüttner )

We love fairy tales — maybe we'd love them more if they were translated right

If you think you know the story of Snow White, or Hansel and Gretel or any of the Grimm brothers' fairy tales, think again. You probably know the cleaned-up, Disney versions. Author Adam Gidwitz returns to the blood and gore of the original stories in his retelling of them, while adding his own contemporary comments to help ease the tension for kids.

We love fairy tales — maybe we'd love them more if they were translated right

Translating Judy Blume

Translating Judy Blume

Gregory Rabassa on Translation

Gregory Rabassa on Translation