Curator’s Note:John Dryden's 1680 Preface to Ovid's Epistles laid out three types of translation: metaphrase (word-for-word), paraphrase (sense-for-sense), and imitation (loose adaptation). His argument for the middle path of paraphrase, along with his practical observations on the translator's work, made this an early and clear discussion of translation in English. This transcription begins where Dryden transitions from discussing Ovid's life and work to articulating his translation theory.…
The recent appearance of Miss Sybil Thorndike as Medea at the Holborn Empire is an event which has a bearing upon three subjects of considerable interest: the drama, the present standing of Greek literature, and the importance of good contemporary translation. On the occasion on which I was present the performance was certainly a success; the audience was large, it was attentive, and its applause was long.…
Curator’s Note:This is a radical abridgment of Matthew Arnold’s 1861 lectures, On Translating Homer. I have retained only about 10% of the original text, focusing on some of his key insights into the practice of translation. I have worked primarily through excision rather than alteration.I have also eliminated Arnold’s specific critiques of other translators.…
Curator’s Note:Dante Gabriel Rossetti's 1861 preface to The Early Italian Poets offers a thoughtful meditation on translation. His central principle—'that a good poem shall not be turned into a bad one'—and his distinction between literality and fidelity speak directly to enduring challenges in the translator's art.…
