journey

I’m currently reading Matthew Fort’s book, Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa, which follows his journey through Italy, from south to north, on a culinary quest for the truth, culture and people behind Italian cuisine, in all its many varieties.

I’m really enjoying the book and the author’s way of writing, but what I want to focus on here is:

•  how foreigners describe Italy
•  why this is an important factor to consider when translating.

Let’s start with the first point and have a look at how Italy is seen from the outside with the help of Matthew Fort.

In contrast to many who write about Italy, Matthew Fort does not present himself as a great expert of the country, but rather as someone with limited knowledge of the language and the country in spite of his obvious interest in the place. (more…)