On Nagai Kafu (Jordan)

 I like how Seidensticker described the act of translating as making a series of decisions, each of which seems like there is no right answer. Even with my very limited experience translating I can relate to this. There are constant choices you have to make when translating. For example, should you take the liberty to add something that makes it sound better/more natural, or provide a more direct translation? Should you change a word to something that the intended reader would be familiar with, or keep it the same? The truth is, you will never know what the "right" answer is, but you will have to follow your instinct and make the choice that feels the most "right" to you. Most decisions seem to revolve around the question of how strictly should the translation adhere to the original text. In sticking to the text, elements can be lost such as rhythm, as Seidensticker mentions. On the other hand, what you lose if you deviate from the text is obvious: accuracy. The importance of this depends on the context. 

I found it interesting how he said that a translation shouldn't be better than the original, because if you are to think of a translator as a counterfeiter, it should be difficult to tell the difference between the two. Maybe different translators have different opinions on what their duty is as a translator, and this difference of opinion can translate, no pun intended, to a different translation style.