So my query really should be phrased: With so many published English versions of Uncle Vanya available, why so many freakin’ translations and adaptations? Burger proposes that what draws people to adapt Uncle Vanya is the lack of approachability in previous incarnations. But I found Jones’ premise to be intriguing, so I decided I’d compare a bunch of Vanya translations, and figure out which I preferred. Brian Friel is best known for his play Translations, in which visiting English translators make a hash out of the native Irish language. I think that shows you how complicated it is to translate Chekhov, when you can go from one translation that says, “We’re all creeps,” to another that concludes, “We’re all misfits.”