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.Next in importance to a faithful transfusion of the sense andmeaning of an author, is an assimilation of the style and manner ofwriting in the translation to that of the original.This requisite of agood translation, though but secondary in importance, is moredifficult to be attained than the former; for the qualities requisitefor justly discerning and happily imitating the various characters ofstyle and manner, are much more rare than the ability of simplyunderstanding an author s sense.A good translator must be able todiscover at once the true character of his author s style.He mustascertain with precision to what class it belongs; whether to that ofthe grave, the elevated, the easy, the lively, the florid andornamented, or the simple and unaffected; and these characteristicqualities he must have the capacity of rendering equallyconspicuous in the translation as in the original.If a translator failsin this discernment, and wants this capacity, let him be ever sothoroughly master of the sense of his author, he will present himthrough a distorting medium, or exhibit him often in a garb that isunsuitable to his character.But a translator may discern the general character of his author sstyle, and yet fail remarkably in the imitation of it.Unless he ispossessed of the most correct taste, he will be in continual dangerof presenting an exaggerated picture or a caricature of hisoriginal.The distinction between good and bad writing is oftenof so very slender a nature, and the shadowing of difference soextremely delicate, that a very nice perception alone can at alltimes define its limit.Thus, in the hands of some translators,who have the discernment to perceive the general character oftheir author s style, but want this correctness of taste, the gravestyle of the original becomes heavy and formal in the translation;the elevated swells into bombast, the lively froths up into thepetulant, and the simple and naif degenerates into the childishand insipid.From all the preceding observations respecting the imitation ofstyle, we may derive this precept, that a Translator ought always tofigure to himself, in what manner the original author would have Longer statements 131expressed himself, if he had written in the language of thetranslation.This precept leads to the examination, and probably to the decision, ofa question which has admitted of some dispute, Whether a poem can bewell translated into prose?There are certain species of poetry, of which the chief merit consists inthe sweetness and melody of the versification.Of these it is evident, thatthe very essence must perish in translating them into prose.But a great deal of the beauty of every regular poem consists in themelody of its numbers.Sensible of this truth, many of the prosetranslators of poetry have attempted to give a sort of measure totheir prose, which removes it from the nature of ordinary language.If this measure is uniform, and its return regular, the composition isno longer prose, but blank verse.If it is not uniform, and does notregularly return upon the ear, the composition will be moreunharmonious, than if the measure had been entirely neglected.Ofthis, Mr.Macpherson s translation of the Iliad is a strong example.But it is not only by the measure that poetry is distinguishablefrom prose.It is by the character of its thoughts and sentiments,and by the nature of that language in which they are clothed.Aboldness of figures, a luxuriancy of imagery, a frequent use ofmetaphors, a quickness of transition, a liberty of digressing; allthese are not only allowable in poetry, but to many species of it,essential.But they are quite unsuitable to the character of prose.When seen in a prose translation, they appear preposterous and outof place, because they are never found in an original prose composition.The difficulty of translating poetry into prose, is different in its degree,according to the nature or species of the poem.Didactic poetry, of whichthe principal merit consists in the detail of a regular system, or in rationalprecepts which flow from each other in a connected train of thought,will evidently suffer least by being transfused into prose.But everydidactic poet judiciously enriches his work with such ornaments as arenot strictly attached to his subject.In a prose translation of such a poem,all that is strictly systematic or receptive may be transfused with propriety;all the rest, which belongs to embellishment, will be found impertinentand out of place. 132 Translation/History/CultureBut there are certain species of poetry, of the merits of which it will befound impossible to convey the smallest idea in a prose translation.Suchis Lyric poetry, where a greater degree of irregularity of thought, and amore unrestrained exuberance of fancy, is allowable than in any otherspecies of composition.To attempt, therefore, a translation of a lyricpoem into prose, is the most absurd of all undertakings; for those verycharacters of the original which are essential to it, and which constituteits highest beauties, if transferred to a prose translation, becomeunpardonable blemishes.The excursive range of the sentiments, andthe play of fancy, which we admire in the original, degenerate in thetranslation into mere raving and impertinence.We may certainly, from the foregoing observations, conclude, that it isimpossible to do complete justice to any species of poetical compositionin a prose translation; in other words, that none but a poet can translatea poet.It remains now that we consider the third general law of translation.In order that the merit of the original work may be so completelytransfused as to produce its full effect, it is necessary, not only that thetranslation should contain a perfect transcript of the sentiments of theoriginal, and present likewise a resemblance of its style and manner;but, that the translation should have all the ease of originalcomposition.When we consider those restraints within which a translatorfinds himself necessarily confined, with regard to the sentimentsand manner of his original, it will soon appear that this lastrequisite includes the most difficult part of his task.To one whowalks in trammels, it is not easy to exhibit an air of grace andfreedom.It is difficult, even for a capital painter, to preserve in acopy of a picture all the ease and spirit of the original; yet thepainter employs precisely the same colours, and has no other carethan faithfully to imitate the touch and manner of the picture thatis before him.If the original is easy and graceful, the copy willhave the same qualities, in proportion as the imitation is just andperfect.The translator s task is very different: he uses not the samecolours with the original, but is required to give his picture thesame force and effect.He is not allowed to copy the touches of theoriginal, yet is required, by touches of his own, to produce a perfectresemblance.The more he studies a scrupulous imitation, the lesshis copy will reflect the ease and spirit of the original.How then Longer statements 133shall a translator accomplish this difficult union of ease withfidelity? To use a bold expression, he must adopt the very soul ofhis author, which must speak through his own organs
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