Can You Fully Trust a Translation That Translates Livonia as a Leghorn Chicken?
Review of the New Directions Pearl (2012) paperback English language translation edition of the Italian language original “Ricordi d’Infanzia” contained in "I racconti" (Stories) (1988 and later editions)

It is points off for this, and for the lack of footnotes in the translation generally. Tomasi di Lampedusa’s single reference to his wife’s birth-home of Livonia (Tsarist-era Estonia & Latvia) is misread and mistranslated in this English translation of his Childhood Memories. I'll also quickly state that, for me, Lampedusa's short works are a 5/5 as in Jutustused (Stories) (2017) the Estonian translation. It is thanks to the latter that I would even notice this error.

No, “mirth” niente; in Sicilia non ve ne era, non ve ne è ancora mai quando si lavora; le stornelleggianti vendemmiatrici toscane, le trebbiature livoniane punteggiate da banchetti, da canti e da accoppiamenti, sono cose sconosciute; ogni lavoro è “’na camurrìa”, una blasfematoria contravvenzione all’eterno riposo concesso dagli Dei ai nostril “lotus-eaters”. – from the original Ricordi d'Infanzia in I Racconti (Stories) (1988 and later editions).

No, no “mirth” at all; in Sicily there was none, there never is even now during work: the Tuscan girls singing their stornelli at vintage, the threshing punctuated by feasting, song and lovemaking round Leghorn, these are things unknown; all work is “’na camurrìa”, a blasphemous contravention of the eternal repose granted by the gods to our “lotus-eaters.” - As translated in Places of My Infancy (2012) where the reference to Livonian (”livoniane”) is misread as “Livorno” (Italian for the Leghorn Chicken.

Ok, yes, it is a petty issue to use as a demerit. But the whole point of the passage is to point out the contrasting work morale of Sicilians to farm workers in other places such as Tuscany and Livonia.

The other major demerit in this English translation is the paucity of footnotes, only 12 in this edition compared to, say, 45 in the Estonian translation linked above. This means all sorts of historical references to people, places and events are not explained, many nuances of other languages or dialects are not clarified etc.

Lampedusa's childhood memories of his family's life in early 20th century Sicily retain their charm and beauty in this edition regardless, but it could have been made so much better. ( )

Short and sweet memoir of the house in Sicily where Lampedusa grew up- and when I say house I mean gigantic mansion. Lampedusa was the child of immense privilege, the last prince of his house, and the book reflects the love and nostalgia he has for his home and by extension his vanished way of life. The house was destroyed during WW2 bombings of Sicily but he's preserved some of it here and in his masterpiece of a novel, The Leopard. If you loved The Leopard you should definitely read this. ( )