21 OCTOBER 1922, Page 45

FROM THE SPANISH OF—.*

Tins book opens with an excellent introduction on the art and science of translating. We can only wish, for the sake of clarity and accuracy, that Mr. Williams knew more about the psychology of words and word symbolism in a technical way. He gets at many of the real difficulties of translation, but he does not quite go to the bottom of the matter ; nor, though he appreciates the force of the associational value of words, their emotional content and their tone value, does he discuss these problems very deeply or very widely. His precepts arc sound, however, and his examples from prose and poetry arc well chosen. He gives Spanish on one page and English opposite. He has also added to each selection a note upon the author. Only a few of the translations are by himself ; the rest are the versions of well-known translators, including Smollett, Shelley, Southey, Longfellow, Edward FitzGerald, and others. The book will be more valuable to students than to the general reader, for the selections are short.