My first experience of Shakespeare in translation was memorable but not for the preferred reasons. My initial disquiet came when I realised the title translates as "A Summer Night's Dream", losing immediately all the associations with the specific festival of Midsummer and the revels associated with the summer solstice. I was familiar enough with the play to have no trouble following events on stage, even if I could only understand maybe 75% of what was being said, and I soon realised that when you strip Shakespeare of its rhythm and the uniquely rich Elizabethan English language in which he was immersed and transformed into a potent instrument you take the heart and soul out of the piece. It was rather like watching an enthusiastic cover band mangle your favorite music. even granting the best of intentions on their part, it simply wasn't a patch on the "real thing". But then again, all translation is betrayal, isnt it.
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