Translation/Traducción/Traduction/翻译

 Translations-

 With as much technology and communication as we have in modern life, you'd think we would be able to perfectly translate anything from one language to another easily. But the problem is that when we switch between languages, some of the meaning is lost. These expressions cannot be translated verbatim. For example, I have been emailing back and forth with my pen pal from Beijing Royal School for the past week. His English is pretty good, but there are times when I know he meant to say something else. His opening sentence was, "My name is 傅雨来, I'm 15, 2 years less than you, but I've tested my mental age is about 40 years old." I'm guessing he didn't really mean he had the brain of a middle-aged man...
 This is the problem we face in literature as well as everyday life. In both "The Stranger" and "Metamorphosis," there are several ways to interpret the first sentence (the four translations for "Metamorphosis" are included below). With each translation, the meaning of  the sentence changes slightly but surely. Amongst the four translations, it seemed like diction caused the most change. Depending on word choice, the sentence could be either detailed or simplistic. The translators used varying degrees of description to illustrate the scene to the audience. The syntax changed the way each sentence flowed, and punctuation either aided or hindered it. Imagery paints a more vivid picture of what the scene appears to be to the audience. In some cases, the imagery is simple and does not give the audience much to imagine. In others, the translator incorporates a complex diction that allows the audience to picture the scene more clearly.
With this exercise, it becomes evident that from the original sentence, different translators can interpret different meanings depending on how they chose to phrase the sentence. While the translated words may be close to what the original author intended, it is impossible to directly translate the tone and feeling of what the author wrote in his own tongue. For example, in The Stranger, Camus uses the French word "Maman." However, this does not translate directly into English. So translators must find either the closest word in a foreign language or keep the original word, limiting the understanding of the reader. A single sentence might alter the way a story is perceived based on diction, syntax, imagery, and structure.


#1:As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

•  Diction- The word "awoke" sounds more formal and out-of-date; "uneasy dreams" sounds mysterious, as opposed to saying a nightmare; "transformed" has more of a science-fiction sound, unlike the word "changed"; "gigantic" is an extreme adjective, going beyond "big" or even "giant"
• Syntax-There are no commas in this sentence; flows easily; to the point
• Imagery/details-"Uneasy" specifies what kind of dream it was; "in his bed" was added for detail to the setting; "gigantic insect" is used to explain to the audience his appearance; the sentence seems very wordy but is very descriptive
• Structure-There is no punctuation in the sentence and it uses a standard structure

#2:Gregory Samsa woke from uneasy dreams one morning to find himself changed into a giant bug.

•  Diction- "Woke" sounds more modern; "in his bed" was omitted, which shortens the sentence and helps the flow; "giant bug" seems like the simplified version of "gigantic insect"
• Syntax- "As" is not the first word, making it less wordy as the first translation; there are no commons again; straightforward
• Imagery/details- Isn't as specific as the first translation; using "one morning" seems matter-of-factual and not detailed
• Structure- There is no punctuation again; there are less details that the translator added
• Other stylist/figurative element- "Changed" seems more internal and external, while "transformed" in the first translation sounded more physical.

#3:When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.

•  Diction- "Awoke" is used again; "troubled dreams" sound more concerning, like it was more than just a typical nightmare; "enormous" is more descriptive than "giant"
• Syntax- No commas again; "he found he had been" is very wordy compared to the others
• Imagery/details- "In his bed" gives the reader setting details and makes the setting intimate
• Structure- No punctuation again; this gives a more roundabout way of describing what is g0ing on (instead of being direct)
• Other stylist/figurative element- More descriptive than the others

#4:One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin.

•  Diction- "Upon awekening" is a very uncommon phrase that makes it a more dramatic action; "agitated dreams" seem more aggressive than "troubles dreams" and the other translations; "monstrous vermin" is again, very dramatic in the scene
• Syntax- Several commas, unlike the other transitions; sentence is cut into 5 emphatic segments
• Imagery/details- "In his bed" is a detail that is added as more of an afterthought
• Structure- Choppy; cut with a lot of commas; sentence doesn't flow well
• Other stylist/figurative element- The entirety of the sentence is much more dramatic than the other translations