comments:
thunderintess posted on r/explainlikeimfive1d
Two very common methods of translation are to either: A) Translate for meaning rather than for exact words, so that modern readers have an easier time understanding the story. B) Translate word-for-word, even if you lose meaning for modern readers. (I'm not a translator, but that's my understanding of the basis for most translations.) An easy place to see how this works is with song lyrics. When you translate a foreign-language song to your language, is it more important that every line still rhymes in your language (Style A) or is it more important that the words are accurate (Style B)? I personally like Robert Fagles' translation.