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How do I cite a translator as making an interpretative assumption? If I write \cite{taylor}, the name of the original author will appear, but I want the name of the translator.

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    Can you create a second bib entry, this time with the name of the translator in the author field?
    – Mico
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 8:41
  • @Mico, I could, but that seems inelegant; I would rather write the name manually and use \nocite. Or maybe not, I'll think about it.
    – Toothrot
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 8:43
  • You may want to provide a bit more information about what's going on, including why you wish to cite the translator in addition to -- or maybe even instead of? -- the original author. For instance, has the translator provided some thoughts or claims which you wish to cite, and are these thoughts separate from and/or in addition to any thoughts and claims expressed by the author of the original work? If so, the translator's contributions are an original piece in their own right, and it's entirely OK (and, in fact, proper!) to cite the translator's separately from the (original) author's work.
    – Mico
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 9:21
  • Would using biblatex be an option for you?
    – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 9:34
  • @samcarter, yes, I think I already am.
    – Toothrot
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 11:02

2 Answers 2

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Please read Mico's comment first, the following answer just shows the technical possibility to do this 

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}

\usepackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents*}{mybib.bib}
@book{aristotle:physics,
    options    = {useauthor=false,usetranslator=true},
  author       = {Aristotle},
  title        = {Physics},
  date         = 1929,
  translator   = {Wicksteed, P. H. and Cornford, F. M.},
  publisher    = {G. P. Putnam},
  location     = {New York},
  keywords     = {primary},
  langid       = {english},
  langidopts   = {variant=american},
  shorttitle   = {Physics},
  annotation   = {A \texttt{book} entry with a \texttt{translator} field},
}
\end{filecontents*}


\usepackage[backend=bibtex,giveninits=true,style=authoryear-ibid]{biblatex} 
\addbibresource{mybib.bib}

\begin{document}

\cite{aristotle:physics}

\printbibliography
\end{document}

enter image description here

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    usetranslator, neat, thanks. I wonder if this option can be used on a per citation basis as well. (Though in reality there may not be much use for that.)
    – Toothrot
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 11:24
  • @Toothrot Probably possible by declaring a new cite command. Search for \DeclareCiteCommand
    – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 11:47
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    +1. Readers might find it a tad unusual to see the book entitled Physics be associated with a specific pair of English-language translators rather than with the piece's author (Aristotle). If it's really necessary to cite Mssrs. Wicksteed and Cornford, it surely must be because of some pertinent thoughts they expressed in, say, the "Translators' Preface" to Physics or in some footnote in which they expounded on some particular challenge to translating an expression from classical Greek to modern English. Using the @incollection entry type for their work might be the way to go here.
    – Mico
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 12:05
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Other options using 'note' and 'annotation' fields are described here; BibTeX: citing both translation and the original

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    Could you Make your answer elaborate?
    – Raaja_is_at_topanswers.xyz
    Commented Apr 4, 2019 at 4:29
  • 1
    Welcome to TeX.SE! Please explain your answer better. Suppose the given link is broken your answer at the moment is useless ... How does it solve the given issue?
    – Mensch
    Commented Apr 4, 2019 at 4:43

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