: Re: Untranslated passages in translated works I constantly find in translations of classic works untranslated passages. In English translations of Russian novels I find dialogue or narrative in French

@Shanna875

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I can't claim that all untranslated passages are this, but one reason certain Latin passages were left untranslated in the 19th century was because their English translations would have been considered obscene. If you look at a Victorian translation of the first century BCE Roman poet Catullus, you will see many examples of this. It was the privilege of erudite Latinists to understand clever and funny if bawdy poetry that could not, say, be discussed in mixed company.

Somewhat later, TS Eliot, an American/British poet, unapologetically published several poems in untranslated French. My French ends at bon jour, but from what Google Translate tells me, those poems are quite randy as well.

There may be other reasons passages of both prose and poetry are left untranslated, but prurience has certainly been one reason. Though in America, TV and film continue to be censored by someone who pretends to know better than I what I should and should not see, printed material these days seems fairly liberal in content, so if you look for a more recent translation of a text not fully translated in an older edition, you might find all the missing parts on full display and in full bloom. Happy reading!

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