BY: JACQUES MELITZ
Center for Research in Economics and Statistics
(CREST-INSEE)
Paper ID: CEPR Discussion Paper Series No. 2055
Date: January 1999
Contact: JACQUES MELITZ
Email: Mailto:melitz at ensae.fr
Postal: Center for Research in Economics and Statistics
(CREST-INSEE)
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ABSTRACT:
The tendency of a single world market to privilege the
translation of English fiction and poetry into other languages
for reading or listening enjoyment may damage the production of
world literature and in this respect make us all worse off. In
order to develop this thesis, the article begins with an
economic model of the market for imaginative works in which
translations are systematically concentrated on writings in the
original language with the largest share in world sales. The
model is then shown to agree with the facts. Next, it is argued
that high concentration of translations on works coming from one
particular language hurts the production of literature directly,
because variety of languages of origin is enriching as such, and
indirectly, because the concentration damages the incentives of
those who do not write in the leading language to invest in
their own talents. "Literature" in the paper refers to earlier
production of imaginative works which represents capital or is
still read.
JEL Classification: E00, F00 ______________________________