Are you curious about how translation actually works? If so you may be interested in Penguin’s publication of the book ‘Is That a Fish in Your Ear?’ by David Bellos, an English-born translator and biographer who currently teaches French, Italian and comparative literature at Princeton University in the United States.

Today, translation is essential to cope with the diversity of languages we are exposed to. Without translation there would be no world news and you couldn’t enjoy reading international literature in your own language. If you are more practical than romantic, think also about manuals for car repairs or the ones that prove to be indispensable in putting together your flat pack furniture.

What’s the difference between translating unpolished natural speech, and translating Madame Bovary? How do you translate a joke? What’s the difference between a native tongue and a learned one? Can you translate between any pair of languages, or only between some? What really goes on when world leaders speak at the UN? Can machines ever replace human translators, and if not, why? Bellos clings to the view that even the most difficult and complicated things can be explained in plain and comprehensible prose.