--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The translator, we should know, is a…" description: "\"“The translator, we should know, is a writer too. As a matter of fact, he could be called the ideal writer because all he has to do is write; plot, the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/gregory-rabassa-41041_matter-of-fact_the-translator-we-should-know-is-a-write_1531523.jpg" --- # The translator, we should know, is a writer too. As a… ![“The translator, we should know, is a writer too. As a matter of fact, he could be called the ideal writer because all he has to do is write; plot, theme, characters, and all other essentials have already been provided, so he can just sit down and write his ass off. (p. 8)” quote by Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/gregory-rabassa-41041_matter-of-fact_the-translator-we-should-know-is-a-write_1531523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/gregory-rabassa-41041_matter-of-fact_the-translator-we-should-know-is-a-write_1531523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/gregory-rabassa-41041_matter-of-fact_the-translator-we-should-know-is-a-write_1531523.jpg) > ““The translator, we should know, is a writer too. As a matter of fact, he could be called the ideal writer because all he has to do is write; plot, theme, characters, and all other essentials have already been provided, so he can just sit down and write his ass off. (p. 8)”” [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A translator’s role is to recreate the original work, using the writer’s provided elements as a foundation. **In simple terms:** Translators rewrite using existing story. Key Takeaway Focus on faithful recreation. Themes translation writing creativity Mood thoughtful respectful Type literary practical When to use this quote - publishing - language learning - literary analysis Key Concepts literary theory authorship Questions to Reflect On - How does a translator balance fidelity and fluency? - What responsibilities does a translator hold? A Different Perspective Original nuance may be lost in translation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The ideal form for a poem, essay, or fiction, is that which the ideal writer would evolve spontaneously. One in whom the powers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/the-ideal-form-for-a-poem-essay-or-fiction-is-that-which-the-ideal/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“So the poor translator must not just go back and forth between two languages, but if he is worthy of his calling must shift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/so-the-poor-translator-must-not-just-go-back-and-forth-between-two/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [I have always maintained that translation is essentially the closest reading one can possibly give a text. The translator cannot ignore "lesser" words, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/i-have-always-maintained-that-translation-is-essentially-the-closest/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [A translator is essentially a reader and we all read differently, except that a translator's reading remains in unchanging print](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/a-translator-is-essentially-a-reader-and-we-all-read-differently/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [I'm not so sure that I can teach people how to, you know, write dialogue or create plot or anything like that. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/i-m-not-so-sure-that-i-can-teach-people-how-to-you-know-write/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“You know that you are a writer if you are imaginative. You know that you are a writer if you are curious. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka-katie-dicamillo/you-know-that-you-are-a-writer-if-you-are-imaginative-you-know-that/) Jon Scieszka Katie DiCamillo > [Stories have a richness that goes way beyond fact. My writing knows more than I know. What a writer must do is listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/stories-have-a-richness-that-goes-way-beyond-fact-my-writing-knows/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“The old nut goes, 'Write what you know,' but often a writer is clearer about what he doesn't know and must learn about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-bell/the-old-nut-goes-write-what-you-know-but-often-a-writer-is-clearer/) [Susan Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-bell/) > [“Um um um um um. This business of—this business about marketing yourself, there’s nothing wrong with that. Unless we’re allowed to think that that’s—that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/um-um-um-um-um-this-business-of-this-business-about-marketing/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [We know much of a writer by his style. An open and imperious disposition is shown in short sentences, direct and energetic. A secretive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/we-know-much-of-a-writer-by-his-style-an-open-and-imperious/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [You know, as a writer, I'm more of a listener than a writer, cuz if I hear something I will write it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/you-know-as-a-writer-i-m-more-of-a-listener-than-a-writer-cuz-if-i/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [The worst thing for a writer is to know another writer, and worse than that, to know a number of other writers. Like flies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-worst-thing-for-a-writer-is-to-know-another-writer-and-worse-than/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Of course I wanted to know. I was a writer. I wanted to know everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/of-course-i-wanted-to-know-i-was-a-writer-i-wanted-to-know-everything/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [First person narrative is a very effective tool but you have to know as a writer how to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/first-person-narrative-is-a-very-effective-tool-but-you-have-to-know/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“You know you're a writer when the words don't stop!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-middleton/you-know-you-re-a-writer-when-the-words-don-t-stop/) Joyce Middleton ## More by Gregory Rabassa > [A translator is essentially a reader and we all read differently, except that a translator's reading remains in unchanging print](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/a-translator-is-essentially-a-reader-and-we-all-read-differently/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [Teaching translation is more of an editing job. You act as editor. But you can have fun with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/teaching-translation-is-more-of-an-editing-job-you-act-as-editor-but/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [A translation can never equal the original; it can approach it, and its quality can only be judged as to accuracy by how close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/a-translation-can-never-equal-the-original-it-can-approach-it-and-its/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [Translation is a disturbing craft because there is precious little certainty about what we are doing, which makes it so difficult in this age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/translation-is-a-disturbing-craft-because-there-is-precious-little/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [I have always maintained that translation is essentially the closest reading one can possibly give a text. The translator cannot ignore "lesser" words, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/i-have-always-maintained-that-translation-is-essentially-the-closest/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [“So the poor translator must not just go back and forth between two languages, but if he is worthy of his calling must shift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/so-the-poor-translator-must-not-just-go-back-and-forth-between-two/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [When you hear Portuguese, if you're listening fleetingly, it's as if you're hearing Russian, which never happens with Spanish. Because the Portuguese and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/when-you-hear-portuguese-if-you-re-listening-fleetingly-it-s-as-if/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [Every act of communication is an act of translation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/every-act-of-communication-is-an-act-of-translation/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) > [One of my favorite tricks was taking a page and having the first student translate it from English into whatever language he or she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-rabassa/one-of-my-favorite-tricks-was-taking-a-page-and-having-the-first/) [Gregory Rabassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) [Explore all 10 Gregory Rabassa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-rabassa/) ## More Matter of fact quotes > [Experiences in order to be educative must lead out into an expanding world of subject matter, a subject matter of facts or information and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/experiences-in-order-to-be-educative-must-lead-out-into-an-expanding/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession-of-long-black-nights-and/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Just live that life. It doesn't matter whether it is life or hell, life of the hungry ghost, life of the animal, it's okay;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taizan-maezumi/just-live-that-life-it-doesn-t-matter-whether-it-is-life-or-hell-life/) [Taizan Maezumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taizan-maezumi/) > [As a matter of fact, compromise is what oppression feeds on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/as-a-matter-of-fact-compromise-is-what-oppression-feeds-on/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) > [As a matter of fact, even when I finished law school, I had no notion of public service then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dinkins/as-a-matter-of-fact-even-when-i-finished-law-school-i-had-no-notion/) [David Dinkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dinkins/) > [What? Had a dry spell of killing people lately? (Susan) As a matter of fact, yes. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/when-the-oppressed-downtrodden-outraged-exhort-one-another-with-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Usually I just let my songs do the talking. As a matter of fact I have long had an aversion to celebrities endorsing politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/usually-i-just-let-my-songs-do-the-talking-as-a-matter-of-fact-i-have/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [Our liquidity is fine. As a matter of fact, it's better than fine. It's strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lay/our-liquidity-is-fine-as-a-matter-of-fact-it-s-better-than-fine-it-s/) [Kenneth Lay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lay/) > [As a matter of fact, forgiveness is not something you feel like doing, it's really a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bob-duggar/as-a-matter-of-fact-forgiveness-is-not-something-you-feel-like-doing/) [Jim Bob Duggar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bob-duggar/) Browse all 643 Matter of fact quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The translator, we should know, is a writer too. As a matter of fact, he could be called the ideal writer because all he has to do is write; plot, theme, characters, and all other essentials have already been provided, so he can just sit down and write his ass off. 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