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"But what is the opposite of fidelity?...Betrayal. Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes. So then where does that leave us? How can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?"

Professor Playfair delivers this lecture on the nature of translation to Robin's cohort and the rest of the class in Chapter 8. The quote explores the idea that translation inherently involves violence and distortion, relating to larger themes about the ways imperialism overtakes and warps foreign peoples, languages, and resources to serve its own expansion. Here, Playfair acknowledges the fundamental truth that no matter how faithful a translation, something from the original is lost. Adapting something for new eyes necessitates an intentional deformity of its source. However, Playfair's interpretation of translation also exposes Oxford University's territorial mentality: to Babel scholars, everything is seen through the lens of conquering and violence. Babel looks at language and sees something that needs to be overpowered and harnessed rather than used as a means of connection between those from different backgrounds.

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