--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My metaphor for translation has always…" description: "\"My metaphor for translation has always been that translation is really a performance art. You take the original and try to perform it, really, in a dif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/ken-liu-4222_always_my-metaphor-for-translation-has-always-b_1840334.jpg" --- # My metaphor for translation has always been that… ![“My metaphor for translation has always been that translation is really a performance art. You take the original and try to perform it, really, in a different medium. Part of that is about interpretation and what you think the author's voice really is.” quote by Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/ken-liu-4222_always_my-metaphor-for-translation-has-always-b_1840334.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/ken-liu-4222_always_my-metaphor-for-translation-has-always-b_1840334.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/ken-liu-4222_always_my-metaphor-for-translation-has-always-b_1840334.jpg) > “My metaphor for translation has always been that translation is really a performance art. You take the original and try to perform it, really, in a different medium. Part of that is about interpretation and what you think the author's voice really is.” [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) ## 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 likened to performance, requiring reinterpretation in a new medium while preserving the author's voice. **In simple terms:** Translation is performance art, adapting voice to new medium. Key Takeaway Treat translation as a creative performance. Themes translation interpretation creativity Mood reflective inspired Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - literary translation - film dubbing - stage adaptation - software localization Key Concepts Performance theory voice fidelity Questions to Reflect On - How do you preserve authorial intent while adapting? - When does adaptation become a new work? A Different Perspective Balancing fidelity and artistic freedom can dilute original meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Translation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translation/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [The issue is not what you may be facing, rather your interpretation of it. Always think in a positive light to create a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/the-issue-is-not-what-you-may-be-facing-rather-your-interpretation-of/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [A translation is no translation, he said, unless it will give you the music of a poem along with the words of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-millington-synge/a-translation-is-no-translation-he-said-unless-it-will-give-you-the/) [John Millington Synge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-millington-synge/) > [A translation is no translation unless it will give you the music of a poem along with the words of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-millington-synge/a-translation-is-no-translation-unless-it-will-give-you-the-music-of/) [John Millington Synge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-millington-synge/) > [“A translator, caught in the space between two tongues. Such people tend to come a little bit unglued from the task of trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-mauli-shapiro/a-translator-caught-in-the-space-between-two-tongues-such-people-tend/) Elena Mauli Shapiro > [There is the intent of the writer and the interpretation by the artist. What the writer intended and what the artist interprets is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/there-is-the-intent-of-the-writer-and-the-interpretation-by-the/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [My translation work has been pretty separate from my fiction, as it was basically an accidental side project that turned into a separate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-translation-work-has-been-pretty-separate-from-my-fiction-as-it/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“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/) > [Translation is an act of recreation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/translation-is-an-act-of-recreation/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [Most of us do not, in fact, read another language, and so when we read a translation, we have no way of knowing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/most-of-us-do-not-in-fact-read-another-language-and-so-when-we-read-a/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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 > [ “\[reading a work in translation\] 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/) > [“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/) > [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 Ken Liu > [I don't believe in reducing a style and a voice down to a set of descriptions, so I've never done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-don-t-believe-in-reducing-a-style-and-a-voice-down-to-a-set-of/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“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/) > [“It’s hard to hear the music behind the words when their meanings get in the way,” she told me once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/it-s-hard-to-hear-the-music-behind-the-words-when-their-meanings-get/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [The 'silk' in silkpunk refers not to a source of power, but to an entirely different, expressive technology language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/the-silk-in-silkpunk-refers-not-to-a-source-of-power-but-to-an/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“A memory is a re-creation, precious because it is both more and less than the original.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/a-memory-is-a-re-creation-precious-because-it-is-both-more-and-less/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [Almost all of my stories can be understood to be elaborations on our drive to remake the world and our adjustments to the result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/almost-all-of-my-stories-can-be-understood-to-be-elaborations-on-our/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“Dad and I went on walking, our shadows touching.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/dad-and-i-went-on-walking-our-shadows-touching/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“I can only wish that someday you’ll also be pestered by a student as persistent to learn what you do not wish to teach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-can-only-wish-that-someday-you-ll-also-be-pestered-by-a-student-as/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I think male authors who want to try to tackle these issues of representation of women can generally do a better job if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/i-think-male-authors-who-want-to-try-to-tackle-these-issues-of/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“Surveillance is surveillance. I can never understand why some people think it matters whether it's the government doing it to you or a company.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/surveillance-is-surveillance-i-can-never-understand-why-some-people/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [Whenever you talk about Chinese dragons, emperors, palaces, concubines - they conjure up a whole colonial argle-bargle that has nothing to do with historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/whenever-you-talk-about-chinese-dragons-emperors-palaces-concubines/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [We have never had a society that was truly just. Some groups have always benefited at the expense of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/we-have-never-had-a-society-that-was-truly-just-some-groups-have/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [“By custom, we wield the sword and wear the armor, but who among you does not know a mother, sister, daughter, friend, who exceeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/by-custom-we-wield-the-sword-and-wear-the-armor-but-who-among-you/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [My wife, Lisa, and I both grew up on wuxia - Chinese historical romances. They're kind of analogous to Western epics. They're based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/my-wife-lisa-and-i-both-grew-up-on-wuxia-chinese-historical-romances/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) [Explore all 114 Ken Liu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My metaphor for translation has always been that translation is really a performance art. 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