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A list featuring translators/interpreters as PROTAGONISTS :)
Please help build this list for fellow translators/interpreters, or anyone who is interested in the craft!
There's a running cliche about how translators shadow the original without having their own voices, and are pretty much invisible. This is a small project that aims to help make the invisible a little more visible.
[Edited 2018: Thank you so much to all who have contributed! I've not checked back in years, and am thrilled to see how this list has grown. I look forward to reading them all!]
Please help build this list for fellow translators/interpreters, or anyone who is interested in the craft!
There's a running cliche about how translators shadow the original without having their own voices, and are pretty much invisible. This is a small project that aims to help make the invisible a little more visible.
[Edited 2018: Thank you so much to all who have contributed! I've not checked back in years, and am thrilled to see how this list has grown. I look forward to reading them all!]
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 1 |
|
Bel Canto
by
3.94 avg rating — 316,763 ratings
score: 495,
and
5 people voted
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| 2 |
|
An Unnecessary Woman
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3.82 avg rating — 13,864 ratings
score: 400,
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4 people voted
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| 3 |
|
I Am China
by
3.72 avg rating — 1,104 ratings
score: 290,
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3 people voted
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| 3 |
|
Shōgun (Asian Saga, #1)
by
4.41 avg rating — 209,575 ratings
score: 290,
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3 people voted
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| 5 |
|
Intimacies
by
Katie Kitamura (Goodreads Author)
3.64 avg rating — 40,239 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
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| 5 |
|
The Translator's Bride
by
João Reis (Goodreads Author)
4.05 avg rating — 494 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
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| 5 |
|
Revolution: 80 Days
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4.62 avg rating — 8 ratings
score: 200,
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2 people voted
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| 8 |
|
The Missing Shade of Blue
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3.68 avg rating — 212 ratings
score: 199,
and
2 people voted
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| 9 |
|
The Translator
by
Nina Schuyler (Goodreads Author)
3.63 avg rating — 1,186 ratings
score: 196,
and
2 people voted
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| 10 |
|
The Interpreter
by
3.30 avg rating — 155 ratings
score: 194,
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2 people voted
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| 10 |
|
Pinball, 1973 (The Rat, #2)
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3.51 avg rating — 21,615 ratings
score: 194,
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2 people voted
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| 12 |
|
Tatiana (Arkady Renko, #8)
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3.79 avg rating — 5,657 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Spring Tides
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3.58 avg rating — 844 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Legacy Of Silence
by
Flo Fitzpatrick (Goodreads Author)
3.32 avg rating — 22 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Lost in Translation
by
Edward Willett (Goodreads Author)
3.71 avg rating — 63 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Babel-17
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3.72 avg rating — 19,754 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Forever Betrayed (Forever Bluegrass, #3)
by
Kathleen Brooks (Goodreads Author)
4.62 avg rating — 1,805 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Entre Deux Voix - Journal d'une jeune interprète de conférence
by
Jenny Sigot Müller (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 12 |
|
The Translator
by
Leila Aboulela (Goodreads Author)
3.57 avg rating — 2,328 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words
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3.90 avg rating — 3,433 ratings
score: 100,
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1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
Les Rêveurs définitifs
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3.05 avg rating — 41 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 12 |
|
La traducción
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3.25 avg rating — 489 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 23 |
|
Dining Out Around the Solar System (Dining Out Around The Solar System, #1)
by
Clare O'Beara (Goodreads Author)
4.13 avg rating — 76 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 23 |
|
Daniel Stein, Interpreter
by
4.20 avg rating — 2,292 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 23 |
|
Gray Shadows
by
Julia Gousseva (Goodreads Author)
3.94 avg rating — 100 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 23 |
|
La caverna de las ideas
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3.98 avg rating — 3,232 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 23 |
|
The Godmother
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3.73 avg rating — 5,423 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 23 |
|
Acrobate de l'instant - L'interprétation de conférence sur le fil
by
Jenny Sigot Müller (Goodreads Author)
4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 23 |
|
Translation State
by
Ann Leckie (Goodreads Author)
4.05 avg rating — 16,346 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
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| 30 |
|
The Earthquake Bird
by
3.39 avg rating — 2,035 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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| 30 |
|
Pursued by the Rich Rancher
by
Catherine Mann (Goodreads Author)
3.86 avg rating — 96 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 30 |
|
Dining Out with the Ice Giants (Dining Out Around The Solar System, #2)
by
Clare O'Beara (Goodreads Author)
4.45 avg rating — 42 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 33 |
|
The Greek Interpreter
by
3.62 avg rating — 3,152 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 33 |
|
The Athenian Murders
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3.98 avg rating — 3,232 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 33 |
|
Dining Out with the Gas Giants (Dining Out Around The Solar System, #3)
by
Clare O'Beara (Goodreads Author)
4.54 avg rating — 13 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 33 |
|
Barefoot with a Bad Boy (Barefoot Bay Undercover, #3; Barefoot Bay Universe, #14)
by
Roxanne St. Claire (Goodreads Author)
4.37 avg rating — 728 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 33 |
|
Girl in Translation
by
Jean Kwok (Goodreads Author)
3.99 avg rating — 58,423 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
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| 38 |
|
To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Riverworld, #1)
by
3.93 avg rating — 33,520 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
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| 38 |
|
Seduction (Love at the Beach #1)
by
Laura Taylor (Goodreads Author)
3.94 avg rating — 17 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 38 |
|
The Mission Song
by
3.47 avg rating — 7,218 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
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| 41 |
|
The Translator
by
3.77 avg rating — 918 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
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| 41 |
|
Dark Secret (DARC Ops, #1)
by
Jamie Garrett (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 702 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 41 |
|
Pachinko
by
4.34 avg rating — 601,104 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
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| 44 |
|
The Russian Interpreter
by
3.42 avg rating — 222 ratings
score: 94,
and
1 person voted
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| 44 |
|
The Bad Girl
by
4.14 avg rating — 48,488 ratings
score: 94,
and
1 person voted
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| 44 |
|
Lucy & the Lieutenant (The Cedar River Cowboys #2)
by
Helen Lacey (Goodreads Author)
4.32 avg rating — 90 ratings
score: 94,
and
1 person voted
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| 47 |
|
Faces in the Crowd
by
3.58 avg rating — 6,856 ratings
score: 93,
and
1 person voted
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| 47 |
|
Dangerously HOT (Hostile Operations Team, #3)
by
Lynn Raye Harris (Goodreads Author)
4.33 avg rating — 2,573 ratings
score: 93,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 47 |
|
The Translation of Love
by
3.67 avg rating — 1,740 ratings
score: 93,
and
1 person voted
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| 50 |
|
Ways to Disappear
by
Idra Novey (Goodreads Author)
3.44 avg rating — 4,639 ratings
score: 92,
and
1 person voted
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| 50 |
|
Beloved Beast (The Ravenswood Chronicles, #2)
by
Karyn Gerrard (Goodreads Author)
3.88 avg rating — 33 ratings
score: 92,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 50 |
|
The Summer Before the Dark
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3.59 avg rating — 2,868 ratings
score: 92,
and
1 person voted
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| 50 |
|
The Literary Conference
by
3.59 avg rating — 2,394 ratings
score: 92,
and
1 person voted
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| 54 |
|
Crossing Hearts (Atlanta Skyline, #1)
by
Rebecca Crowley (Goodreads Author)
3.55 avg rating — 173 ratings
score: 91,
and
1 person voted
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| 54 |
|
Mirror, Shoulder, Signal
by
3.21 avg rating — 3,012 ratings
score: 91,
and
1 person voted
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| 56 |
|
The Stages: A Novel
by
Thom Satterlee (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 257 ratings
score: 90,
and
1 person voted
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| 57 |
|
Reckless Honor (HORNET, #5)
by
Tonya Burrows (Goodreads Author)
4.31 avg rating — 606 ratings
score: 89,
and
1 person voted
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| 58 |
|
In Her Sights (Away From Keyboard, #2)
by
Patricia D. Eddy (Goodreads Author)
4.42 avg rating — 706 ratings
score: 88,
and
1 person voted
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| 59 |
|
So the Heart Can Dance (Hidden Beauty #2)
by
Mary Crawford (Goodreads Author)
4.46 avg rating — 144 ratings
score: 87,
and
1 person voted
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| 60 |
|
The Price of Freedom (Hidden Beauty #7.5)
by
Mary Crawford (Goodreads Author)
4.20 avg rating — 25 ratings
score: 86,
and
1 person voted
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| 61 |
|
Senseless
by
Anna Lickley (Goodreads Author)
4.15 avg rating — 20 ratings
score: 85,
and
1 person voted
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| 62 |
|
Interpreter (Commander in Briefs #4)
by
Kristy Marie (Goodreads Author)
4.31 avg rating — 1,773 ratings
score: 84,
and
1 person voted
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| 63 |
|
About That Night (Matzah Ball Surprise #2)
by
Laura Brown (Goodreads Author)
4.01 avg rating — 263 ratings
score: 83,
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1 person voted
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| 64 |
|
The Silent Suspect (Paige Northwood, #3)
by
3.71 avg rating — 796 ratings
score: 82,
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1 person voted
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| 65 |
|
Cowboys Don't Dance (Cowboy Strong #1)
by
Linda Style (Goodreads Author)
4.27 avg rating — 235 ratings
score: 81,
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1 person voted
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65 books ·
25 voters ·
list created February 6th, 2015
by Queena Lee (votes) .
Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)
date
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I have at least two books with sign language translators. Do you want me to add these as well?Turn On the Light So I Can Hear (female MC)
Silent Scream I'm not sure if she was a protagonist or secondary character only but I'll check it.
Hi Agnieszka,Please feel free to add them! Sign Language Interpreting is very much part of interpreting studies, and I'm sure people interested in this topic would find them fascinating. Already the titles sound so intriguing!
Anyone can add books to this list.
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by Maggie Helwigg