Gregory Rabassa, "a translator of worldwide influence and esteem who helped introduce Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Julio Cortazar and other Latin American authors to millions of English-language readers," died Monday, the Associated Press reported. He was 94. Describing him as "an essential gateway to the 1960s Latin American 'boom,' " the AP noted that he "worked on the novel that helped start the boom, Cortazar's Hopscotch, for which Rabassa won a National Book Award for translation. He also worked on the novel which defined the boom, Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, a monument of 20th century literature."
"He's the godfather of us all," said acclaimed translator Edith Grossman. "He's the one who introduced Latin American literature in a serious way to the English-speaking world."
In 2001, Rabassa received a lifetime achievement award from the PEN American Center for contributions to Hispanic literature. He was presented a National Medal of Arts in 2006 for translations which "continue to enhance our cultural understanding and enrich our lives."