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Disclaimer: I have asked this question on both French and English Stack Exchange sites, and they both recommended that I ask it here instead. I hope it is on-topic, and apologize if it is not.

I can read in English and in French, enjoy reading literature in both languages, and am delighted to be able to read both Le Réel et son double and A History of Violence in their respective languages.

However, if I want to read Der Zauberberg, Идиот, Cien años de soledad or Il Barone rampante, well I have to resort to a translation, reading neither German, Russian, Spanish nor Italian (among others).

How do I assess the value of English and French translations when I have access to both translations?

Knowing that I do not have the background nor the time to read the two editions and compare them, consult PhD thesis on these authors, and the like. What criteria can help me in making a decision on which edition to look for?

A possible rule of thumb could be made of a mix of criteria likes

  1. Pick French translations for Latin languages, English translations for Nordic language.

  2. The more recent the translation, the better.

  3. Read the reviews (if you have time).

bobble
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    I think this is on-topic here, congratulations on finding the right site in the end :-) – Rand al'Thor Dec 14 '21 at 08:48
  • @Randal'Thor ;-) Such an achievement! Thanks a lot, your comment actually made me laugh out loud. – Clément Dec 14 '21 at 13:44
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    Another rule I use: avoid bridge translations that is a translation in language A which was translated from a version in language B, which is itself a translation from the original work in language C. This happens in particular with Japanese literature. – Daneel Olivaw Dec 14 '21 at 17:41
  • btw, assuming both translations are good and you are equally proficient in both languages (fr/en), isn't it better to choose French for German and Russian because of nouns having a gender and formal/informal way to address people in these languages? – Andra Dec 14 '21 at 19:40
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    You could read reviews, not only for the quality of the translation but for the type of translation. Some translations will take a particular approach, e.g. using archaic language for an old book, while others may take the opposite, e.g. aiming to modernise; some will be more literary (attempting to get the feel of a literary text) and others closer to the original; some may even take considerable liberties. (I don't think "read reviews" deserves to be an answer though.) – Stuart F Dec 16 '21 at 10:52

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