Blog Post #11

Word Up

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

• The most striking aspect about the translation above is the generally simplistic word choice in contrast to the other three. The syntax aligns with this as well with a natural sentence structure. This general lack of detail and simplistic structure results in a seemingly normal sentence with a surreal ending (Man waking up --> Body Morphing). 

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

• Alternatively, this translation, similar to #4, uses far more advanced word choice to set a different tone. Although the diction is different, the syntax and structure remains the same. The more advanced diction creates a less literal interpretation of the "transformation" (perhaps a metaphor).

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

• Similar to #1, the syntax and diction is relatively simple with "uneasy" and "one morning." There is a lack of imagery really. However, it diverges from #1 in it's description of the "transformation." Rather than a large bug, Gregor Samsa becomes a "gigantic insect." Translation #3 puts all the emphasis on the insect portion of the sentence.

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

• Similar to Translation #2, the advanced diction and the shift from insect/bug to "vermin" results in a shift from a literal "transformation" to more of a metaphorical change (given only one sentence). Additionally, the syntax of the sentence (by delaying the realization) allows for more emphasis to be put on Gregor Samsa himself rather than this transformation. The reader is forced to consider the time, conditions, and location of Gregor Samsa.

Response: 
The word choice and the syntax held a heavy impact on the interpretation of each translation as it dictated what aspect of the sentence would be emphasized (insect versus Samsa versus transformation). Ultimately, I found the first and third translation to be the most effective. After reading a light synopsis of the novel The Metamorphosis (which was super depressing), it seems the transformation was anything but metaphorical. Therefore, I believe the simplistic syntax allowed for the most literal interpretations. There was no emphasis put on Gregor initially and the focus was put on "INSECT." If one translation had to be chosen, #3 does the most for the text as "gigantic insect" is a better descriptor than "giant bug" (although I would have preferred monstrous vermin).

This exercise reveals to me that translations are extremely important to the interpretation of any foreign text. My peers and I finely comb passages for diction, literature, literary style, and everywhere in between time and time again which makes the translation vital. We've seen with this exercise that one sentence can be translated four ways (or more even). Additionally, the differences for each are numerous and all with their own effect. The tone for each differs radically. The first translation in its simplistic style has a colloquial tone. The second, which places Gregor as the focal point of the sentence, maintains a concerned tone. The third, which wastes no time like #1, but holds more embellished diction like #2, has an absurd tone. Finally, the fourth seems to have a reverent tone with the syntax and diction developed distinctly. Through this analyzation, it can be seen that all four maintain different tones from their varied components.  Thus, the message is nailed in: translation doesn't matter. Haha, I got you. It does matter.

Word Down