Reading the preface is equivalent to reading the book, and the embarrassing thing is actually the preface

2022-01-12 10:56:32

Most of the books we open are in order, either in order, in an orderly manner, in an order to others, or in a generational order. They precede the body of a book, and some even before the table of contents, and have the function of introducing the reader to the book's origins, contents, meanings, and publication notes.

The preface is an indispensable part of the book, regardless of the language in which the book is written.

However, when a book is translated into another language, the translated version will usually add a preface that is not in the original version. The author may be a translator or another author. By this time, a book had become a translation into another language.

The preface to the translation gives us the illusion that reading the preface reads the whole book, and reading the preface is equivalent to reading a book. Through the preface, we got the basic content and ideas of the book, as if we had found a shortcut to reading. The book reviewer's video column "Luodong Time" discusses the preface to the translation in this issue. Today, the preface to the humanities and social sciences translation is in a more awkward position. They, as part of a book, have been replacing our understanding of the body of a book.

I wonder how you read the preface to the book? Do you ignore it, or do you read the main text and then look at the preface?

The following is the video content of this issue.

"Although we naturally have different understandings of a book, and the preface of the translation is also an understanding of the preface, we are not equal to the preface because it has become part of the book, and this is not the original book."

More video content can be searched for @Luodong time on Weibo and Station B

Timeline for this issue