Translation Theory and Practice Reassembling the Tower

"Fred Will has been translating since the early fifties, writing about translation since the early seventies -- and he packs the fruit of both labors into the brilliant jumble of boxes that comprise this book. . . . he gives us three rambling passages from Micromegas exploring the practical and theoretical problems of translating into English from Manx and various American and Mexican Indian languages. At the same time he runs us through complex philosophical ruminations that constantly push at the boundaries of normative thinking about translation without ever slipping out of his own brand of translation morality -- "good" translation in the deepest and broadest sense of the word. Throughout these personal, poetic, and philosophical meanderings runs Will's restless intelligence and sensitivity along with an enormous willingness to take stylistic and emotional risks. . . . a deeply felt and thoroughly thought-out amateurism, which often beats the pros at their own game because it draws on such deep wells of experience and personal integrity." -- Philosophy and Literature