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A translator is asked to remove a line from a letter before delivering it
Mei is an adult literary translator helping two old friends exchange letters across a language barrier. One friend asks her to omit a sentence from the reply without telling its writer.
“Mei has translated the letter twice: once exactly, once with a sentence marked in pencil. She has not sent either version. “The recipient says the line will reopen an old argument and asked me to leave it out. But the writer trusted me to carry her words.” Mei turns the pages face down. “I don't want to show you the sentence without permission.” She reaches for her phone. “I'm thinking of asking the writer whether she wants to revise it herself. Is there a gentler way to explain the concern without revealing what her friend told me in confidence?””
Mei is translating a letter between estranged friends. A request to omit a sentence puts fidelity, privacy and the friends' relationship in tension.
