Book · 1975 · Translating and interpreting
After Babel
- mentions
- 6
- people
- 3
- podcasts
- 2
- episodes
- 6
- recommendations
- 2
George Steiner the essayist and writer has written a very an extraordinary book called After Babel reference to the tower babel in different languages where he argues that all language is translation.
What they say about it
- Discusses translation and language“which is about translation”3
- References the Tower of Babel“tower of babel”2
The best things said about it
George Steiner's After Babel, which is about translation and the whole the whole process of taking something from one situation, in this case one language, into another language, what you can carry across.
He's another book called After Babel where he talked about the tower of babel where he defends he defends multiplicity of languages.
There's a wonderful book by George Steiner called After Babel where he talks he gives he opens the book with a bunch of he opens with Shakespeare I think and he says um can you understand this?
George Steiner, the essayist author from the last half of the 19th of the 20th century. Best thing writer has a book called After Babel, which talks about translation and basically says that when you read a poem from the 1500s, you can't understand it.
I am reading After Babel by George Steiner.
Why people recommend it
After Babel by George Steiner is a profound critical study of language, meaning, and translation that argues all human communication and acts of interpretation fundamentally function as acts of translation. David Robertson mentioned the text on Conversations with Tyler, noting that he assigns the book to students to teach them the intricacies of transferring concepts from one framework to another. Russ Roberts and Patrick House frequently discussed the work on EconTalk, exploring Steiner's defense of the Tower of Babel narrative and his provocative assertion that reading poetry or literature from past centuries inherently requires translation due to how dynamically language shifts over time. Roberts noted that the book opens with a fascinating meditation on Shakespeare and the evolution of everyday vocabulary. Across several episodes, the podcast host and his guests returned to Steiner's thesis to examine how human consciousness and culture rely heavily on the continuous transformation of shared symbols. The book is frequently recommended by intellectuals seeking to understand the barriers and bridges created by human speech, highlighting the inherent complexities of bridging diverse linguistic and cultural realities through the difficult art of accurate and empathetic translation across time.
Every mention
Russ Roberts but he's another book called after babel where he talked about the tower of babel where he defends he defen… 4
“And there's a wonderful book by George Steiner called After Babel where he talks he gives he opens the book with a bunch of he opens with Shakespeare I think and he says um can you understand this?”
“but he's another book called after babel where he talked about the tower of babel where he defends he defends multiplicity of languages which is a crazy idea”
“i am reading after babel by george steiner”
“i can't i can't help but add that george steiner the essayist and writer has written a very an extraordinary book called after babel reference to the tower babel in different languages where he argues that all language is translation”
David Robertson I assume that they have a favorite orchestration book, but for the class I make them read um all of I'm afr… 1
“I assume that they have a favorite orchestration book, but for the class I make them read um all of I'm afraid um George Steiner's After Babel, which is about translation and the whole the whole process of taking something from one situation, in this case one language, into another language, what you can carry across and what gets uh”
Patrick House It's uh George Steiner, the essayist author from the last half of the 19th of the 20th century. Best thing… 1
“It's uh George Steiner, the essayist author from the last half of the 19th of the 20th century. Best thing writer has a book called After Babel, which talks about translation and basically says that when you read a poem from the 1500s, you can't understand it.”