What’s more difficult to translate: a politician’s speech or a literary work like Proust’s?

Readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts
  
  

Difficult to translate? Swann in Love, a film adaptation of Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu.
Difficult to translate? Swann in Love, a film adaptation of Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu. Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex Photograph: Moviestore Collection/REX

For a translator, which is more difficult: a politician’s speech or a literary work? CK Scott Moncrieff’s translation of Proust has been praised for NOT being strictly faithful to the original text.

Mark Lloyd, London WC1

• Post your answers – and new questions – below or email them to nq@theguardian.com. Please include name, address and phone number

 

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