Getting Lost in Books
Whether you usually read fiction or historical novels, whether you prefer your Kindle to a paperback, whether you like to have a quick glance at the last page of a novel or you hate skipping ahead, you probably love reading. After all, translators, interpreters and, generally, linguists live for (and make a living out of) words. This week, I compiled a brief bibliography for translators and interpreters, dividing it into a couple of categories (theory, practical information, fiction, and journals). Some of these books have been suggested as part of my MA reading list, while I simply came across others online or thanks to recommendations from friends or colleagues. While the list is not exhaustive, the titles below have helped me throughout my studies and at the beginning of my career, helping me get an overview of the industry and of the field of Translation Studies. Which books would you include on your personal to-read list?
Books on interpreting and translation theory/methodology
Translation, Power, Subversion - Roman Alvarez & María del Carmen África Vidal (eds). Multilingual Matters.
Routledge encyclopedia of Translation Studies - Mona Baker (ed). Routledge.
The Practices of Literary Translation : Constraints and Creativity - Jean Boase-Beier & Michael Holman (eds). St. Jerome.
Handbook of Translation Studies - Yves Gambier & Luc van Doorslaer (eds). John Benjamins.
Notetaking for Consecutive Interpreting: A Short Course - Andrew Gillies. Routledge.
Conference Interpreting: A Student's Practice Book - Andrew Gillies. Routledge.
Poetry Translating as Expert Action : Processes, Priorities and Networks - Francis Jones. John Benjamins.
The Routledge Handbook of Translation Studies - Carmen Millán & Francesca Bartrina (eds). Routledge.
Audiovisual Translation: Theories, Methods and Issues - Luis Pérez-González. Routledge.
The Interpreting Studies Reader - Franz Pöchhacker & Miriam Shlesinger (eds). Routledge.
Translation and Empire : Postcolonial Theories Explained - Douglas Robinson. St. Jerome.
Gender in Translation : Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission - Sherry Simon. Routledge.
The Translator's Invisibility : a History of Translation - Lawrence Venuti. Routledge.
Research Methods in Interpreting: A Practical Resource - Sandra Hale. Bloomsbury Academic.
Bridging The Gap: Empirical Research in Simultaneous Interpretation - Sylvie Lambert & Barbara Moser Mercer
Quality in Interpreting: Widening the Scope, Vol. 1 - Olalla García Becerra, E. Macarena Pradas Macías, Rafael Barranco
Practical information and tips for translators/ interpreters/ freelancers
Becoming a Translator: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Translation - Douglas Robinson. Routledge.
The Prosperous Translator - Chris Durban.
How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator - Corinne McKay. Two Rat Press.
The Book of Standing Out: Travels through the Inner World of Freelance Translation - Andrew Morris
The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation - Judy & Dagmar Jenner
Fiction (characters who are translators/interpreters/linguists) and books about languages
Girl in Translation - Jean Kwok. Riverhead Books. A story about a Chinese immigrant to the US and her day-to-day (and linguistic) struggles.
Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World - Nicholas Ostler. Harper Collins.
Lingo: A Language Spotter’s Guide to Europe - Gaston Dorren (translated by Alison Edwards). Profile Books Ltd.
The Mission Song - John Le Carre. Sceptre. The main character of this espionage story is a Congolese interpreter.
Travesuras de la niña mala - Mario Vargas Llosa. Debolsillo. The narrator is an interpreter.
The Tin Princess (A Sally Lockhart Mystery) - Philip Pullman. Scholastic. One of the main characters in this book is an interpreter, working for the queen of the Kingdom of Razkavia: one of my personal favorites.
Dire quasi la stessa cosa - Umberto Eco. Bompiani.
Corazón tan blanco - Javier Marías. Debolsillo. The narrator, as well as his wife, are interpreters.
Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World - Nataly Kelly & Jost Zetzsche. Tarcher Perigee.
Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything - David Bellos. Penguin.
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World - Ella Frances Sanders. Ten Speed Press.
Journals
Babel: revue internationale de la traduction. / International Journal of Translation.
Meta. Journal des traducteurs.
Target. International Journal of Translation Studies.
The Translator: Studies in Intercultural Communication.
Interpreting: International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting
The Critical Link: Interpreters In The Community
What is on your must-read list? Which books would you recommend, either for people starting out in the industry or for translators and interpreters who want to brush up on their knowledge of a specific field? Or better yet, which book would you take with you on a desert island?
