A translation is good if the meaning of the original work keeps its relevance in the receiver of the new work. The act of translating should add layers to the meaning found in a work and increase the depth of experience. Experiencing the translated work should be an act that keeps the original object relevant to life in the present context.
An example of a translation that is good is the development of the automobile from the horse drawn carriage. The earliest cars were basically carriages with motors installed on them. This adaptation translated the historic carriage into a modern tool of mobility. The performance of this new thing was better, and related more to the industrialization that was occurring in society at the time. The automobile has been re-translated ever since as the technology and pace of society demands it. The translations continue to use the aspects of the original that work while looking to improve the aspects that are out of alignment with the current context. No tool available is withheld from this process. The goal of the translation is to overcome the artifacts inadequacies by evolving in the present context to reestablish something great. This thing must be different because the times and places are different.
horse drawn hummer
Sometimes you find a bad translation (or at least a funny one) but I will share it also.
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