“The Case of The Unfaithful Translator” is a short story by prolific Spanish writer and poet José María Merino, originally in the collection titled Cuentos del Barrio de Refugio (Ed. Alfaguara, 1994). Merino is known for his capacity to realistically capture the complex human experience from a personal perspective, while weaving in dreams, fantasy, and the creative experience, such as the idea of entering into fiction itself; this story is a prime example – Merino presents an intriguing insider’s perspective on the day-to-day activities of a translator, in this case one who succumbs to his temptation to manipulate the original text.
--Erin Goodman, the translator