Giant Bug. Ahhhh! So gross.
Translation One:
-Structure: "As Gregor" makes the process sound like a transition. AS he did this, HE FOUND he was an insect.
-Diction: "uneasy dreams." Makes me think of an uneasy stomach. This phrasing makes me think the dreams weren't necessarily bad, but they weren't normal or pleasant either.
-Syntax: "in his bed" seems to force itself into the sentence. Doesn't flow as well. Separates "Transformed" and "into a gigantic insect."
-Imagery/Details: "Gigantic insect." Use of the word insect makes it sound more scientific. Gigantic makes the insect appear to be very large. Does sound a little exaggerated though. This phrase makes me picture a very large and insect.
-Imagery/Details: "Gigantic insect." Use of the word insect makes it sound more scientific. Gigantic makes the insect appear to be very large. Does sound a little exaggerated though. This phrase makes me picture a very large and insect.
Translation Two:
-Syntax: The shortest of the three translations.
-Structure (and an effect of the shorter syntax): more direct. Doesn't beat around the bush.
-Diction: Only translation to say "Changed." Changed sounds less impactful than transformed.
-Imagery/Details: "Giant bug." Sounds a little elementary to me. By using the phrase giant bug, I don't think of this exotic human/man bug. I think more of an unwanted cockroach that one might find in their bathroom.
-Structure: Leaves out the "in his bed" part completely
-Structure (and an effect of the shorter syntax): more direct. Doesn't beat around the bush.
-Diction: Only translation to say "Changed." Changed sounds less impactful than transformed.
-Imagery/Details: "Giant bug." Sounds a little elementary to me. By using the phrase giant bug, I don't think of this exotic human/man bug. I think more of an unwanted cockroach that one might find in their bathroom.
-Structure: Leaves out the "in his bed" part completely
Translation Three:
-Structure: States condition of the character first. "When Gregor Samsa awoke."
-Diction: Only translation to say "Troubled Dreams." Troubled dreams sound more intense than uneasy dreams or agitated. More negative.
-Imagery/Details: "enormous bug" like translation two, I believe that the word bug sounds more elementary. Makes me picture a really large and creepy crawly bug. Gross.
-Syntax: Not a lot of punctuation. Just a period at the end.
-Diction: Only translation to say "Troubled Dreams." Troubled dreams sound more intense than uneasy dreams or agitated. More negative.
-Imagery/Details: "enormous bug" like translation two, I believe that the word bug sounds more elementary. Makes me picture a really large and creepy crawly bug. Gross.
-Syntax: Not a lot of punctuation. Just a period at the end.
Translation Four:
-More formal than the others
-syntax is unique. Stands out from the rest.
-Lots of commas. Breaks the sentence up.
-"monstrous vermin" doesn't clarify he is a bug. Makes it sound like he's a giant rat.
-only translation that says "agitated dreams."Makes the dreams sound more annoying than disturbing.
-States setting first. "One morning." Then states condition of the character."Gregor Samsa found himself."
Translations of texts offer many benefits. Through translations, people from all over the world and who speak different languages can read the (essentially) same text! Without translations, many people would not be able to read influential texts, like the Bible. The problem with translations though is that sometimes the original meaning of the texts can become altered.
There are many differences in the four translations above that affect the meaning of the sentence. The word choice has a big impact on a sentence. For example, there is a big difference between "gigantic insect" and "monstrous vermin." "Monstrous vermin" has a very negative connotation, much more negative than the other translations. The use of the phrase "monstrous vermin" also does not clarify whether the man transformed into a bug or some other horrid creature. Syntax can also change the meaning of a sentence. For example, some of the translation gets lost in Translation Two. All of the other translations tell us that the man is in his bed when he discovers the transformation. In Translation Two, there is no mention of a bed. Punctuation has a large impact on how a sentence flows. If a translation does not flow coherently then the meaning of the sentence could be altered or misinterpreted. Translation Four contains many commas and clearly separates the setting and the transformation. Translation One and Translation Three are very long sentences with no punctuation. Imagery shift also plays a large role in portraying the meaning of the sentence. The imagery of a sentence affects how the reader visualises certain images. "Gigantic insect" makes me visual something different than "monstrous vermin" or "giant bug."
I believe that the most effective translations are Translation Three and Translation Four. Translation Four does a good job of clarifying and separating the sentence. I like Translation Three a little bit better though because it clarifies that Gregor turned into a bug. In this case, I don't think any translation does a terrible job of portraying the events that have occurred, but there are some difficulties. Each translation is a little different. If you read these translations individually you would develop a different interpretation of each. This brings up the primary difficulty of translations. Translations can be mistranslated and end up portraying a completely different message than the original. The tone of the sentence can also change depending on the translation. Sarcasm and irony are often mistranslated. If the tone of the text is mistranslated then some readers may become confused or offended by the translation.
-States setting first. "One morning." Then states condition of the character."Gregor Samsa found himself."
Translations of texts offer many benefits. Through translations, people from all over the world and who speak different languages can read the (essentially) same text! Without translations, many people would not be able to read influential texts, like the Bible. The problem with translations though is that sometimes the original meaning of the texts can become altered.
There are many differences in the four translations above that affect the meaning of the sentence. The word choice has a big impact on a sentence. For example, there is a big difference between "gigantic insect" and "monstrous vermin." "Monstrous vermin" has a very negative connotation, much more negative than the other translations. The use of the phrase "monstrous vermin" also does not clarify whether the man transformed into a bug or some other horrid creature. Syntax can also change the meaning of a sentence. For example, some of the translation gets lost in Translation Two. All of the other translations tell us that the man is in his bed when he discovers the transformation. In Translation Two, there is no mention of a bed. Punctuation has a large impact on how a sentence flows. If a translation does not flow coherently then the meaning of the sentence could be altered or misinterpreted. Translation Four contains many commas and clearly separates the setting and the transformation. Translation One and Translation Three are very long sentences with no punctuation. Imagery shift also plays a large role in portraying the meaning of the sentence. The imagery of a sentence affects how the reader visualises certain images. "Gigantic insect" makes me visual something different than "monstrous vermin" or "giant bug."
I believe that the most effective translations are Translation Three and Translation Four. Translation Four does a good job of clarifying and separating the sentence. I like Translation Three a little bit better though because it clarifies that Gregor turned into a bug. In this case, I don't think any translation does a terrible job of portraying the events that have occurred, but there are some difficulties. Each translation is a little different. If you read these translations individually you would develop a different interpretation of each. This brings up the primary difficulty of translations. Translations can be mistranslated and end up portraying a completely different message than the original. The tone of the sentence can also change depending on the translation. Sarcasm and irony are often mistranslated. If the tone of the text is mistranslated then some readers may become confused or offended by the translation.
Kristin, I thought this was just a great post. I especially liked how you questioned the reliability of translation. Although translations can be useful as you said, they can also fail to get across the same tone as the original text. It is difficult to translate irony and sarcasm across different languages, which obviously have a great affect on how that text is perceived. In this text for example, one translation calls the "thing" a bug, while another calls it a "vermin". In my mind, I imagine these as two entirely differently things. Anyways, you really nailed this blog.
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