Anthony Burgess was an English writer. He became famous when his novel A Clockwork Orange was adapted into a film. He was also a composer, a linguist and a translator.

“Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.”

Indeed, if translation was only a matter of words, translators would not be needed: a dictionary would be enough!

It is the role of the translator to convey all that a language encompasses, including and maybe foremost the culture that is an integral part of the language to be translated.

His quote is not without reminding Noam Chomsky’s quotation about language.

Do you agree with Anthony Burgess? What else is translation for you, besides words? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂