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Rating: 
Summary: Lost in trans.
Review: I laugh with tears. The author translated words for words perhaps using a dictionary.
Rating: 
Summary: "Chicken Soup for the Soul!"
Review: Through his translation entitled Ca Dao Viet Nam, John Balaban skillfully brings out the beauty of the Vietnamese folk poetry and offers it to Western readers as a wonderful gift. As an American who lived in Viet Nam for many years, Balaban has developed the passion for ca dao which is the oral poetry created by ordinary Vietnamese in the countryside. He observes that 'to the Westerners, the most remarkable feature of the Vietnamese language and its poetry is the word tones.' His appreciation of this oral folk tradition derives from the melodic poetic representation passed down through the centuries. While the task of translation of written work is always difficult, Balaban explains in the introduction of Ca Dao Viet Nam the extraordinary challenge in translating the musical melodies of ca dao. Fortunately, through his poetic adventure, John Balaban magically conveys the charming, lyrical, and humorous characteristics of ca dao Viet Nam into his remarkable English translation. Amazingly enough, as a non-Vietnamese, Balaban unquestionably captures the spirit of the Vietnamese oral tradition as he discovers that 'the Vietnamese draw upon ca dao as easily and effortlessly as they draw well water.' A job well-done!
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