ABSTRACT
The Origin was translated into many different languages. Most of the work on the reception of Darwinism outside of Britain has focused on the social context into which Darwinian theories were received and re-interpreted. However, scant attention has been paid to how various languages actually affected the re-elaboration of Darwin’s ideas. In order to translate, the translators had to interpret, looking for the most faithful rendering of the original. Translations lay bare the multiplicity of possible interpretations the English version contains. Translations do not blur the initial clarity of the text; they help us understand just how rich and plural in meanings the original text is. This plurality is available to, but often unseen by native readers, who have access to the primary version of the text. This is why all readers can benefit from applying the prism of translations to the book’s title, in its role as the first impression a reader forms, even before opening the book. Hence, it is especially revealing to examine the various renderings, offered in different languages, of each and every word present in Darwin’s famous book title: On the origin of species by means of natural selection or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.
