> I thought the 8.2% IPA to Bud Light analogy was apt
Not to derail the discussion (and you make excellent points), but Bud Light has an underrated quality of its own. Its drinkability quietly belies the delicacy that goes into a well-crafted lager -- as opposed to the contaminated dreck that microbreweries pass off as special release sours.
Part of the reason for Bud Light's enduring appeal is the same reason people go back to Coca-Cola or Heinz ketchup: it achieves a magical, happy balance of taste and mouthfeel that artisanal formulations usually can't.
Correspondingly (bringing the discussion back on-topic), it is likely that a modernization of Shakespeare that achieves any lasting popularity will be infused with subtle skill that goes unnoticed by casual readers, even if dismissed by more serious scholars. (This is a difficulty faced by all translators of great works, and researching which translation to use is often as enjoyable as reading the work itself.) That being said, I'm unsure that the "translation by committee" approach proposed here is going to bear any fruit.
Not to derail the discussion (and you make excellent points), but Bud Light has an underrated quality of its own. Its drinkability quietly belies the delicacy that goes into a well-crafted lager -- as opposed to the contaminated dreck that microbreweries pass off as special release sours.
Part of the reason for Bud Light's enduring appeal is the same reason people go back to Coca-Cola or Heinz ketchup: it achieves a magical, happy balance of taste and mouthfeel that artisanal formulations usually can't.
Correspondingly (bringing the discussion back on-topic), it is likely that a modernization of Shakespeare that achieves any lasting popularity will be infused with subtle skill that goes unnoticed by casual readers, even if dismissed by more serious scholars. (This is a difficulty faced by all translators of great works, and researching which translation to use is often as enjoyable as reading the work itself.) That being said, I'm unsure that the "translation by committee" approach proposed here is going to bear any fruit.