Your Translation Sucks
I know it’s a little bit rude and blunt, but sometimes I’ve just got to say what I’ve got to say. The famous David Hawkes translation The Story of the Stone really sucks.
It’s not awful, of course. There are parts that are brilliant, and parts that are at least bearable. But sections like the one we’ve been reading in chapter 16 require care and sensitivity to translate correctly. And, frankly, I don’t think David Hawkes did a very good job.
