Seidensticker Reflection - Aaron

    I think the author's view about whether translation can improve the original writing and choosing between certain words relates a lot to what we discussed last few weeks. Translation can never be perfect due to the differences between languages - such as the nuance or specific words. These specific expressions always seem to get lost in translation even in languages similar to each other. We talked about how translators don't improve or correct errors made by the original author but to make it sound similar in a different language and convey the original tone - like Seidensticker emphasizes - but he then says that sometimes it's better for translated works to sound better when doing a quick read, which was a little contradictory to me. Such an example is in Kawabata's Izu Dancer, where the omission of the subject introduces ambiguity in the text that encourages reflection. In the translation, the addition of the subject was incorrect, but - not only applicable to this text - also takes away room for the reader's thoughts. Sometimes the words used (or not used) are for the reader to think about and ponder upon, which I think is a fantastic element of writing in general.