By Ralph Gardner Jr.

Among the world's most impressive professions—brain surgeon, astronaut, symphony conductor, string theorist, rock star—few rank higher in my personal pantheon than literary translator. Perhaps because I'm terrible at languages. I get winded after a hundred words trying to read a French or Italian newspaper.

Thus my respect for Gioia Guerzoni. She is an Italian translator I met recently at a writers and translators residency program I visited run by Omi International Arts Center, an upstate arts organization. Ms. Guerzoni takes joy in a craft that would make every day feel like fifth grade, if it were me.

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Source: http://online.wsj.com/