On translating dialect: The words of both Huck and Jim, it seems to me, are fictional constructions. Twain carefully crafted the dialect, that is, which may or may not accurately reflect any particular language. As a literary artist, Twain plays off a recognizable vernacular calling our attention to unusual sounds and syntax in order to move us toward a meaningful engagement with his story and characters. Jim's fictional dialect and Huck's are Twain's creations. Huck's speech may be derived in part from Black dialect but Twain's imaginative reconstruction of such speech muddies attempts at understanding its effective meaning. We may want to remember that what we translate will always be a fictional dialect, with words placed and chosen for sound and effect as well as for accuracy. But I may be giving Twain to much credit here as literary artist. Jason G. Horn Gordon College Barnesville, GA