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“Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes. So then where does that leave us? How can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?”
― Babel
― Babel
“Humans and monsters both understand stories about magic and marvel and myth are made interesting by their stemming from trauma and violence and blood. How can one grow without pain?”
― Chlorine
― Chlorine
“Words tell stories. Specifically, the history of those words - how they came into use, and how their meaning morphed into what they mean today - tell us just as much about a people, if not more, than any other kind of historical artefact.”
― Babel
― Babel
“On the day of my first period, I was more dead doe than human woman. Was womanhood always so violent, raw?”
― Chlorine
― Chlorine
“He went back to his first morning in Oxford: climbing a sunny hill with Ramy, picnic basket in hand. Elderflower cordial. Warm brioche, sharp cheese, a chocolate tart for dessert. The air that day smelled like a promise, all of Oxford shone like an illumination, and he was falling in love.
'It's so odd,' Robin said. Back then they'd already passed the point of honesty; they spoke to one another unfiltered, unafraid of the consequences. 'It's like I've known you forever.'
'Me too,' Ramy said.
'And that makes no sense,' said Robin, drunk already, though there was no alcohol in the cordial. 'Because I've known you for less than a day, and yet...'
'I think,' said Ramy, 'its' because when I speak, you listen.'
'Because you are fascinating.'
'Because you're a good translator.' Ramy leaned back on his elbows. 'That's just what translation is, I think. That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”
― Babel
'It's so odd,' Robin said. Back then they'd already passed the point of honesty; they spoke to one another unfiltered, unafraid of the consequences. 'It's like I've known you forever.'
'Me too,' Ramy said.
'And that makes no sense,' said Robin, drunk already, though there was no alcohol in the cordial. 'Because I've known you for less than a day, and yet...'
'I think,' said Ramy, 'its' because when I speak, you listen.'
'Because you are fascinating.'
'Because you're a good translator.' Ramy leaned back on his elbows. 'That's just what translation is, I think. That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”
― Babel
alexis’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at alexis’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
1,803 books
|
2,081 friends
370 books
|
92 friends
601 books
|
15 friends
30 books
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2 friends
110 books
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15 friends
27 books
|
4 friends
53 books
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2 friends
89 books
|
1 friend
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