Last week we talked about solidarity and the role of literature in erasing borders. This week here at Cybirdy we have been focussing on translation as one way we are seeking to expand our literary world. A borderless global society is predicated on the ability to exchange information and ideas. In the words of revered literary critic and essayist George Steiner,
‘Every language is a world. Without translation we could inhabit parishes bordering on silence.’
The dialogue between cultures that translation allows requires more than just choosing words though, to communicate meaning from one language to another also requires a thorough understanding of the origins of a text, to get under the skin of the language, to the essence of the writer’s creative expression. Translators must be empathetic to an author’s idiolect to get to the heart of what they are really trying to express.
As we break down the barriers between cultures and cross-pollination spreads between readers, writers and thinkers, it is time to overcome the silence and read the world with Cybirdy.
At Cybirdy we aspire to the pursuit of celebrated Penguin Classics translator E.V. Rieu’s methodology
‘To make the text explain itself, remembering always that it is not erudition we want to teach but appreciation.’
Our profoundly literary mission is to champion the form by curating a collection of relevant, timeless English or French classics from XIX and early XX century, making them accessible to new audiences. Our translations are unabridged, preserving the style and tone of the original text.
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