Citing Books in Translation: A How-To Guide

When a literary work is not in your native language, accessing it through a translation becomes necessary. Citing such a book in academic work means acknowledging both the person who penned the original and the one who translated it. This requirement remains, albeit with variations, across different citation styles such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago style.

Begin by citing either the book's author or the translator, depending on your focus. Use the surname followed by the first name, separated by a comma, and end with a period. For the book's content, the original author comes first; for translation studies, the translator's name is prioritized. Examples include 'Dostoevsky, Fyodor.' for the author and 'Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators.' for the translators.

Next, provide the book's title in italics, ensuring the use of title case for major words and concluding with a period. Examples can be 'Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov.' for an author citation and 'Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. The Brothers Karamazov.' when citing translators.

Include the second contributor's name after the book title. Mention the translator if the author was listed first, and vice versa, with a comma following the name. Examples: 'Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky,' or 'Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. The Brothers Karamazov. Authored by Fyodor Dostoevsky,'

Finish your citation with the publishing details. Name the translation's publisher followed by a comma, then the year of publication, ending the citation with a period. Examples: 'Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.' or 'Pevear, Richard and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. The Brothers Karamazov. Authored by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.'

In in-text citations, reference the first name listed in your 'Works Cited.' Use the translator's name for translations or the original author's name for other works, including the page number of the cited information. Examples: '(Dostoevsky 112)' for the author, '(Pevear and Volokhonsky 112)' for the translator.

Begin your citation with the original author's surname, followed by a comma, then the first initial (and middle initial if applicable), concluding with a period. Example: 'Dostoevsky, F.'

Include the publication year of the translation. For the initial publication year, indicate the year the edition you referred to was published. Enclose this year in parentheses after the original author's name, followed by a period.

• Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002).

Italicize the book title. Following the publication year, italicize the book's title using sentence case. Capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns. If the book contains a subtitle, include a colon at the end of the title, followed by the subtitle. Capitalize the first word of the subtitle and any proper nouns.

• Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov.

Include the translator's name in parentheses. After the title, insert a space, and then provide the translator's first initial and last name in parentheses. The translator's name should not be italicized. End with a period outside the closing parentheses.

• Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.).

Provide publication details. After listing the translators' names, indicate the city where the book was published. Place a colon after the city's name, then specify the publisher. End with a period after the publisher's name.

• Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Include the original publication date at the citation's end. You can find the original publication date on the copyright page behind the title page. In parentheses, write 'Original work published' followed by the year.

• Example: Dostoevsky, F. (2002). The Brothers Karamazov (R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky, Trans.). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (Original work published 1879)

Include both original and translation publication years in your in-text citation. In APA style, use the author's last name and the publication date. For translated works, include the original publication year first, followed by a slash and the translation's publication year.

• Example: (Dostoevsky, 1879/2002)
• If quoting directly, add the page number as well, like this: (Dostoevsky, 1879/2002, p. 144)

Begin your bibliography entry with the original author's name. Write the author's last name, followed by a comma and their first name. End with a period after the first name.

• Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor.

Italicize the book title. After the author's name, write the book title in italics using title case. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. End the title with a period.

• Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov.

Include the translator's name for the version you consulted. After the book title, indicate 'Translated by' followed by the translator's full name. Use a period after the translator's name.

• Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.

End your citation with publication details. Specify the city of publication, followed by a colon. Then mention the publisher's name, adding a comma after it. Finally, include the year of publication for the translated edition, and conclude the citation with a period.

• Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.

Adjust footnote formatting. Footnotes typically list the author's first name before the last name. Commas are commonly used to separate citation elements instead of periods. Publication details are enclosed in parentheses. Additionally, specify the page number after the publication information.

• Example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Brothers Karamazov, trans. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002), 114.