The Literary Saloon points out the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize for works translated into English. The Saloon advocates such work, encouraging readers to broaden themselves with literature written outside the U.S., and has some of this prize’s shortlist under review. I think I’ll have to make room for Suite Francaise.
As an interesting parallel, The Saloon also quotes from Alberto Fuguet of Chile who says translated works can be pretty ugly, and for works translated from the original to another language then to Spanish? Forget it!
I’m fond of a saying that comes either from the French or the Italians (I forget which): “A translation is like a wife. If she is beautiful, she probably is not faithful. If she is faithful, she probably is not beautiful.”