alt Hacker NewsBorges is totally recommended, of course, but after reading him in the original language I think his English translations lack the poetry and music of his writings. For once I am happy Spanish is my first language.
Replies
Izikiel43 • yesterday at 4:11 AM
I had the same issue with Stephen King, reading it in English after reading Spanish translations is a different world.
➕ show 1 reply
theshaper • last Wednesday at 10:07 PM
Hey! Opino lo mismo!
(I agree!)
The last few months I've been picking up Spanish language editions of Borges's short stories and poems from used book stores. Two decades ago during school I took two years of Spanish, so reading native Borges would be way beyond my comprehension.
With AI tools, though, I can "read" Borges in his native language: with my phone + OCR + translate I have an English language companion. Or, using the voice interface I can try narrating the Spanish text and ask clarifying questions whenever I'm confused.
An author like Borges makes it well worth the extra effort. And, his puzzles often involve language, so the extra layer of mental translation can mirror the work itself, e.g. in his poem La luna [1]. (though, I envy your native Spanish)
1. https://www.gaceta.unam.mx/la-luna-un-poema-de-borges/