If this be magic the unlikely art of Shakespeare in translation
"Shakespeare may have breathed the air of sixteenth-century England, but today, all the world is his stage. Every year, millions of people, from Bogotá to Borneo, read Hamlet for the first time, thanks to the tireless efforts of translators. Drawing on the work of the very best of them, Hahn dives...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Alfred A. Knopf,
2026.
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| Edition: | First U.S. hardcover edition. |
| Subjects: | |
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| Summary: | "Shakespeare may have breathed the air of sixteenth-century England, but today, all the world is his stage. Every year, millions of people, from Bogotá to Borneo, read Hamlet for the first time, thanks to the tireless efforts of translators. Drawing on the work of the very best of them, Hahn dives into the brilliant and startling ways the great playwright is reinvented and yet sounds, somehow, like himself -- in Chinese, Dutch, Turkish, and nearly fifty other languages. From word order, puns, and punctuation to metaphor, accent, and song, Shakespeare's variety of genius presents an endless set of conundrums, among them: How does Romeo and Juliet's first encounter unfold if their dialogue cannot form a rhyming sonnet, as it does in the original? How can you assemble wordplay around the letter I and its sound if its meanings are not shared in other languages? These are just two out of millions of issues facing translators tasked with bringing Shakespeare to non-English languages, non-Shakespearean eras and cultures. Translators must cut and add beats, maintain rhymes, adapt names and locations, and preserve meaning while not unilaterally prioritizing it, all while knowing that for each word, line, or scene they construct, another option is yet to be discovered. Traveling the world, Hahn speaks to translators and others engaging with Shakespeare's work, sharing stories of his own. Hahn, whose great-grandfather produced one of Brazil's earliest Shakespeare translations, emerges as a wise and enthusiastic guide, teacher, and sleuth. If This Be Magic does not require knowledge of any other language or more than a passing acquaintance with the Bard's canon, but it draws out fascinating insights on both. As nerdy as they come (there is a chapter on commas), supremely readable, and funny throughout, this is a book for everyone and a fitting tribute to the Globe's Bard" -- |
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| Item Description: | "Originally published in hardcover in Great Britain by Canongate Books Ltd. in 2026" --Title page verso. "A Borzoi book." -- title page verso. |
| Physical Description: | 406 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: | 9780593801666 0593801660 |
| Author Notes: |
