The Living and Dead Word

A classic work by Nora Gal on translation and editing, on the beauty of language, its accuracy and expressiveness.

First published in 1972, the book has become a reference for several generations of specialists working with texts. In it, the famous... Soviet translator Nora Gal demonstrates successful and unsuccessful examples of working with language, revealing the unjustified use of speech clichés, bureaucratic jargon, borrowings, and other typical mistakes made by translators and editors. Analyzing famous translations of works into separate fragments, she meticulously addresses the defects of the text and outlines the general principles of "living" and expressive language. At the core of these principles lies a careful attitude towards language and fidelity to the best examples of Russian speech.