Which of the following does the author recommend to readers who depend on translations?
Purists say that a translated poem is a different poem, and that readers who cannot read the original have not truly read it. There is truth in this: rhythm, sound and allusion are tied to a language, and no translation can carry them all. But the argument, if pressed, would mean that most of the world's literature is inaccessible to most readers, and that English readers had never read the Bible, the Greeks or the Russian novel. A translation is not the original, but it is not nothing. It is a reading by a skilled person, and, like any reading, it can be good or bad. The right response to the loss is not to refuse translations but to read several, to be aware of what may be missing, and, where possible, to learn enough of the language to hear the difference.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: E. Reading more than one translation and staying aware of what may be missing
- Step 1: The final sentence recommends reading several, being aware of what may be missing and learning some of the language if possible.
- Step 2: The only choice consistent with this is "Reading more than one translation and staying aware of what may be missing".
Answer
Reading more than one translation and staying aware of what may be missing.
Why not the others: The author recommends several translations, not only the oldest, does not advise avoiding foreign poetry, warns against trusting one translation completely and does not use length as a test.
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