---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Common European thought is the fruit of…"
description: "\"Common European thought is the fruit of the immense toil of translators. Without translators, Europe would not exist; translators are more important th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg"
---

#  Common European thought is the fruit of the immense toil…

![“Common European thought is the fruit of the immense toil of translators. Without translators, Europe would not exist; translators are more important than members of the European Parliament.” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg)

> “Common European thought is the fruit of the immense toil of translators. Without translators, Europe would not exist; translators are more important than members of the European Parliament.”

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Translators shape cultural unity by bridging languages, making European identity possible.

**In simple terms:** Translators enable Europe’s shared culture.

Key Takeaway

Value translation work.

Themes

culture language identity politics

Mood

appreciative reflective

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

- literary criticism
- political analysis
- education
- publishing
- international diplomacy

Key Concepts

translation cultural exchange interdependence

Questions to Reflect On

- How does translation influence national identity?
- What challenges do translators face in preserving nuance?

A Different Perspective

Translation alone cannot resolve political conflicts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Parliament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliament/) [Toil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toil/) [Translators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translators/)

## Related quotes

> [Among peoples who are geographically grouped together like the peoples of Europe there must exist a sort of federal link. It is this link…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristide-briand/among-peoples-who-are-geographically-grouped-together-like-the/)

[Aristide Briand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristide-briand/)

> [The Scientific Revolution, that remarkable transformation of European thought that occurred between approximately 1550 and 1700, brought with it an ascendancy of the experimental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/the-scientific-revolution-that-remarkable-transformation-of-european/)

[Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/)

> [We need a common European tax policy that closes these tax loopholes. We need a common European social policy that prevents social dumping. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/we-need-a-common-european-tax-policy-that-closes-these-tax-loopholes/)

[Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/)

> [Having common European standards has not only boosted prosperity here and across the continent, it is undoubtedly the best way of managing the challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/having-common-european-standards-has-not-only-boosted-prosperity-here/)

[Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/)

> [The E.U. has moved to combat global terrorism by instituting common European arrest and evidence warrants and creating a joint situation center to pool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bruton/the-e-u-has-moved-to-combat-global-terrorism-by-instituting-common/)

[John Bruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bruton/)

> [As a European I always thought movie stars and Hollywood were amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuliana-rancic/as-a-european-i-always-thought-movie-stars-and-hollywood-were-amazing/)

[Giuliana Rancic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuliana-rancic/)

> [In European thought in general, as contrasted with American, vigor, life and originality have a kind of easy, professional utterance. American -- on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/in-european-thought-in-general-as-contrasted-with-american-vigor-life/)

[Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/)

> [In modern European thought a tragedy is occurring in that the original bonds uniting the affirmative attitude towards the world with ethics are, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/in-modern-european-thought-a-tragedy-is-occurring-in-that-the/)

[Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/)

> [The verdict of the Greek people renders the troika a thing of the past for our common European framework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-tsipras/the-verdict-of-the-greek-people-renders-the-troika-a-thing-of-the/)

[Alexis Tsipras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-tsipras/)

> [“entailing difficult technical philosophical terms are so different from those of European thought, that they can hardly ever be accurately translated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/surendranath-dasgupta/entailing-difficult-technical-philosophical-terms-are-so-different/)

Surendranath Dasgupta

> [Our interests are indeed common European interests, and the only way to serve them is by common means. That is why all Europeans, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federica-mogherini/our-interests-are-indeed-common-european-interests-and-the-only-way/)

[Federica Mogherini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federica-mogherini/)

> [We’re only here for a short while. And I think it’s such a lucky accident, having been born, that we’re almost obliged to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strand/we-re-only-here-for-a-short-while-and-i-think-it-s-such-a-lucky/)

[Mark Strand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strand/)

> [Translators who choose to work on canonized writers can usually lean on an extensive critical apparatus around either the author or the book in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-naffis-sahely/translators-who-choose-to-work-on-canonized-writers-can-usually-lean/)

[Andre Naffis-Sahely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-naffis-sahely/)

> [Commemoration of Pandita Mary Ramabai, Translator of the Scriptures, 1922 A memory of yesterday's pleasures, a fear of tomorrow's dangers, a straw under my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/commemoration-of-pandita-mary-ramabai-translator-of-the-scriptures/)

[John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/)

> [One of my favorite poets, Neruda, writes close to the bone. Though I know only a little Spanish, I like to compare the Spanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diament/one-of-my-favorite-poets-neruda-writes-close-to-the-bone-though-i/)

[Anita Diament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diament/)

## More by Milan Kundera

> [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

[Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

## More Common quotes

> [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/)

[Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/)

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/)

[Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/)

[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/)

[Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/)

> [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/)

[Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/)

> [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

Browse all 7,866 Common quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Common European thought is the fruit of the immense toil of translators. Without translators, Europe would not exist; translators are more important than members of the European Parliament.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Milan Kundera"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of-the-immense-toil-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Common"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of-the-immense-toil-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/milan-kundera-120_common_common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of_505503.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Common European thought is the fruit of the immense toil of translators. Without translators, Europe would…” — Milan Kundera",
                "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": "Milan Kundera",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Common European thought is the fruit...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of-the-immense-toil-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/common-european-thought-is-the-fruit-of-the-immense-toil-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
