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Goldsmith as translator of Voltaire.(Oliver Goldsmith)

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From: The Modern Language Review
Date: 20031001
Author:Gargett, Graham

Oliver Goldsmith's skillful translation of two letters written by Voltaire is examined. The author examines how he edited some of Voltaire words to make them more acceptable to the English reading public.

Generally speaking, Goldsmith scholarship has fallen on hard times in recent decades. Since the appearance of Friedman's standard edition of Goldsmith's works in the 1960s, (1) major studies have been few and far between. (2) This is a pity, since one feels that there is much still to be learnt. I intend here to consider one such area: Goldsmith's skill as a translator.

In 1924 ...

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