How to tell two translations of the same book apart

Open the title page and look for a credit such as “translated by”. If it is absent there, check the copyright page, introductory notes and publisher’s description. Write the name exactly as credited, including every member of a translating partnership. Do not substitute the name of an editor, introducer or author of the notes: those roles may appear beside the title without identifying who translated the text.

For an online text, open its source or bibliographic record rather than relying on the cover thumbnail. Project Gutenberg’s record for Anna Karenina, ebook 1399, explicitly names Constance Garnett as translator. That is a usable identifying detail. A listing that says only “Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy” leaves this question unanswered.

Make two notes headed Copy A and Copy B. Fill in the same fields for each, and write “not confirmed” where evidence is missing. Keeping the uncertainty visible is more useful than guessing from a familiar cover. If you are buying secondhand, ask for a clear photograph of the relevant page of the actual copy when the listing does not show it.

• Work and language: title, original author and the language you intend to read.
• Translation: the full translator credit, with the page or source URL where you found it.
• Text version: any statement that it is revised, abridged, adapted or a selection; record the wording rather than interpreting a cover slogan.
• Publication: publisher or imprint, edition statement, publication date and format. Keep the original work’s date separate from this edition’s details.
• Identifier: the ISBN for the format you are checking, or a stable source record such as a Gutenberg ebook number if no ISBN is supplied.
• Reading extras: introduction, explanatory notes, illustrations or parallel original-language text that matter to your purpose.

The International ISBN Agency requires separate ISBNs for different formats and for a change of publisher, as well as for substantial textual revisions. A paperback and a hardback can therefore have different ISBNs without that difference proving a new translation. Conversely, a new-looking cover is not enough evidence that the wording has changed: marketing changes alone do not justify a new ISBN.

Look for the ISBN on the copyright page and check which format it describes. Record it alongside the translator credit, not instead of it. If the names match, still inspect revision and abridgment statements before assuming the texts are identical. Matching the translation also does not establish that two copies have the same introduction, notes or page layout.

Open Anna Karenina in the Reading Room, then follow “Source text on Project Gutenberg”. The linked record is ebook 1399 and its translator field names Constance Garnett. A useful note is therefore: “Anna Karenina — Leo Tolstoy — English translation by Constance Garnett — Project Gutenberg ebook 1399.” This identifies the supplied text more precisely than the title alone.

Now compare that note with a printed copy’s actual translator credit. A different named translator is a reason to expect different wording, not proof that either version is better. A matching name is a starting point; check for a revised or shortened text before treating the copies as interchangeable. The online source record does not identify the publisher, binding or condition of your physical book.

Once you know which texts you are comparing, read the same short scene or opening passage in each available sample. Note one concrete reaction: whether you follow the sentences comfortably, how names are presented, and whether the notes answer questions you actually have. This is a reading-preference exercise; ease of reading alone cannot establish accuracy against the original language.

For a book club, share the translator and any revision details before everyone buys a copy. If you agree to use different translations, refer to a part, chapter or recognisable scene when discussing a passage, and identify your translation when quoting. Do not assume page numbers will align. Keep the comparison note with your reading list so that a later paperback, ebook or borrowed copy can be checked without starting over.