Someone once said that translation is its own form of art, and the principle behind this statement can be easily demonstrated. To do this, we will use the famous words that Louis XIV may or may not — most likely not — have said:
L’etat? L’etat ce moi.
Directly translated, these four words come into the English language as:
The state? The state is me.
More regularly, however, one will see the quote rendered in English this way:
The state? I am the state.
This more regular form is, of course, far better to the English eye, tongue, and mind, and it does a far better job of conveying the meaning behind the original French quip on absolute monarchy. One, then, is faced with the fact that, in this case, the more removed from direct translation the closer to accurate meaning, and thus is the example that showcases the rule. What the translator most needs to translate is meaning, and he must have then, too, a little daring.
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