MLA Guide: Translations, Edited Books

Translations

Works Cited

If you refer primarily to the translation itself, use the author's name as the primary resource, followed by the name of the translator and the rest of the usual bibliographical information.

Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. Trans. Anthony Kerrigan.
        New York: Grove Press, 1962.

Additional information can be added if necessary:

Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. Trans. Anthony Kerrigan. 
        New York: Grove Press, 1962. Trans. of Ficciones.
        Emece Editores, S.A. Buenos Aires, 1956.

If, on the other hand, your discussion centers on the translator's work, his or her choice of words, alterations to the text, etc., use the translator's name as the primary resource, followed by the name of the original author.

Pepin, Ronald E., trans. The Satires by L. Sergardi.
        New York: P. Lang, 1994.

Edited Books

Shelley, Mary Frankenstein. 1831. Ed. Johanna Smith. 
        Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1992.

If your citations primarily refer to the work of the editor (Johanna Smith, in this case), to the editor's notes or introduction, etc., use the editor's name to alphabetize the entry, as follows:

Smith, Johanna M., ed. Frankenstein. By Shelley. 1831. 
        Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1992.

In-Text Citation

An in-text citation for these books would work the same as a similar citation from other books, except that you would use the editor/translator's name. If your reference is a bibliography or other kind of compilation of resources, use the abbreviation comp. (for compiler) instead of trans. or ed.

Edited And Translated Books

Works Cited

Pepin, Ronald E., ed. and trans. Scorn for the world: Bernard of Cluny's De contemptumundi. 
        East Lansing: Colleagues Press, 1991.