--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The difference between a translation and…" description: "\"“The difference between a translation and an original is not of the same order as the difference between powdered and steamed coffee.”\" — David Bellos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png" --- # The difference between a translation and an original is… ![“The difference between a translation and an original is not of the same order as the difference between powdered and steamed coffee.” quote by David Bellos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png) > ““The difference between a translation and an original is not of the same order as the difference between powdered and steamed coffee.”” David Bellos ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Translation is a distinct creative act, not merely a mechanical conversion, unlike the subtle differences between coffee preparations. **In simple terms:** Translation differs from original work. Key Takeaway Respect translation as its own art. Themes language creativity interpretation Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - literary criticism - language learning - publishing - cross‑cultural communication Key Concepts translation theory authorship Questions to Reflect On - How does translation shape meaning? - When does a translation become a new work? A Different Perspective Translation may still be constrained by source material. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Translation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translation/) ## Related quotes > [Translation is not original creation - that is what one must remember. 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It's really bizarre for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-longo/the-translation-process-becomes-a-highly-subjective-thing-turning/) [Robert Longo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-longo/) > [If a translation doesn't have obvious writing problems, it may seem quite all right at first glance. We readers, after all, quickly adapt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/if-a-translation-doesn-t-have-obvious-writing-problems-it-may-seem/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > ['The Sound of Things Falling' may be a page turner, but it's also a deep meditation on fate and death. Even in translation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-sound-of-things-falling-may-be-a-page-turner-but-it-s-also-a-deep/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [“ANNALS OF LANGUAGE WORD MAGIC How much really gets lost in translation? BY ADAM GOPNIK Once, in a restaurant in Italy with my family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/annals-of-language-word-magic-how-much-really-gets-lost-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Translation is the other side of a tapestry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-sciascia/translation-is-the-other-side-of-a-tapestry/) [Leonardo Sciascia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-sciascia/) > [The translation called good has original value as a work of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedetto-croce/the-translation-called-good-has-original-value-as-a-work-of-art/) [Benedetto Croce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedetto-croce/) > [“My goal is to act as a faithful interpreter, preserving as much of the original's nuances of meaning as possible without embellishment or omission.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-goal-is-to-act-as-a-faithful-interpreter-preserving-as-much-of-the/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [ “\[reading a work in translation\] is like viewing a piece of Flemish tapestry on the wrong side.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cervantes/reading-a-work-in-translation-is-like-viewing-a-piece-of-flemish/) [Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cervantes/) > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [If you've got some to say to Ric Flair, you come say it to me, and I'll make the translation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-piper/if-you-ve-got-some-to-say-to-ric-flair-you-come-say-it-to-me-and-i-ll/) [Roddy Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-piper/) ## More by David Bellos > [Translating is a respectable, valuable, creative and worthwhile use of a human brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/translating-is-a-respectable-valuable-creative-and-worthwhile-use-of/) David Bellos > [In painting as in prose, a good eye is not enough to tell you whether what you see is real or fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/in-painting-as-in-prose-a-good-eye-is-not-enough-to-tell-you-whether/) David Bellos > [The practice of translation rests on two presuppositions. The first is that we are all different: we speak different tongues, and see the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/the-practice-of-translation-rests-on-two-presuppositions-the-first-is/) David Bellos Explore all 4 David Bellos quotes ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. 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Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The difference between a translation and an original is not of the same order as the difference between powdered and steamed coffee.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Bellos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/the-difference-between-a-translation-and-an-original-is-not-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creativity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/the-difference-between-a-translation-and-an-original-is-not-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/david-bellos-73830_creativity_the-difference-between-a-translation-and_258259.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The difference between a translation and an original is not of the same order as the difference between…” — David Bellos", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Bellos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bellos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The difference between a translation and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/the-difference-between-a-translation-and-an-original-is-not-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/the-difference-between-a-translation-and-an-original-is-not-of-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```