Bernhard on Translators

Also from the Wilkinson article here’s a quote by Thomas Bernhard on translators that’s quite, um, uplifting:

Translators are ghastly: poor devils who get nothing for a translation, only the lowliest fee—shamefully low, as they are wont to say—and they accomplish a ghastly job. In other words, the balance is restored. If a person does something that is worth nothing, then he should get nothing for it. Why does anyone translate? Why doesn’t he write his own stuff instead?

Can’t say I agree, but Bernhard always cracks me up . . .