When referencing a translated book in a research paper or report, you generally need to list both the original author and the translator in your citation. The format for doing this varies depending on whether you’re using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation style.
Method 1: MLA
Step 1: Start with either the Author or Translator
- Original Author Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor.
- Translator Example: Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators.
Step 2: Provide the Title of the Book in Italics
- Original Author Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov.
- Translator Example: Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. The Brothers Karamazov.
Step 3: Add the Name You Didn’t Put First
- Original Author Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky,
- Translator Example: Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. The Brothers Karamazov. By Fyodor Dostoevsky,
Step 4: Conclude with Publication Information
- Original Author Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.
- Translator Example: Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. The Brothers Karamazov. By Fyodor Dostoevsky, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.
Step 5: Use the Name You Put First in Parenthetical Citations
- Original Author Example: (Dostoevsky 112)
- Translator Example: (Pevear and Volokhonsky 112)
Method 2: APA
Step 1: Start with the Name of the Original Author
- Example: Dostoevsky, F.
Step 2: Add the Year of the Translation’s Publication
- Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002).
Step 3: Provide the Title of the Book in Italics
- Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov
Step 4: Include the Name of the Translator in Parentheses
- Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.).
Step 5: List Publication Information
- Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Step 6: Put the Original Publication Date at the End of Your Citation
- Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (Original work published 1879)
Step 7: Include Both Publication Years in Your Parenthetical Citation
- Example: (Dostoevsky, 1879/2002)
- Example with Page Number: (Dostoevsky, 1879/2002, p. 144)
Method 3: Chicago
Step 1: Start Your Bibliographic Entry with the Name of the Original Author
- Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor.
Step 2: Type the Title of the Book in Italics
- Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov.
Step 3: List the Translator for the Edition You Read
- Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.
Step 4: Close Your Citation with Publication Information
- Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.
Step 5: Change the Format for Footnotes in Text
- Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Brothers Karamazov, trans. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002), 114.
By following these guidelines, you can correctly cite translated books in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
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