The Translator is Important
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| Dante--- I'd call this one a heavily edited glammer shot. |
It would be hard to prove that
translation of a text like Dante’s Inferno is irrelevant. In fact, the translation of a text is
massively important on many levels. A writer
composes a piece of literature in a specific language and chooses words, rhythmic
flow, structure and so on from that language.
Putting that text into a new language requires a person (usually a different
person) to choose new words, rhythmic flow, structure and so on.
Sure, a translator’s intent should
be to, as closely as possible, transmit the same work into a new language.
But the act of translating even one word into
a different language requires the translator to choose a word. This word choice is part of the translators
(hopefully quite) voice in the translated work.
Example 1:
I will give an example from Korean
because I am a nerd.
형(pronounced/Romanized
as “Hyung”) is a
term that younger brothers or friends use to call/ speak politely to an older
brother or friend. It denotes a certain level of respect or closeness between
male friend relationships and/or brotherhood. Many translators simply use the person’s name
in subtitles instead of “Hyung”.
They have a good reason for doing so (makes it
less confusing for a Korean newbie). But
the way one speaks to someone (honorifics), or what someone calls someone else
in the Korean language speaks volumes about their relationship. If one chooses not to translate this a lot is
lost.
Example 2:
I think that the English language
must be particularly difficult for translators.
Because of how the English language developed, we have a lot of
different words that mean the same thing.
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| Attribution: Michael Gäbler |
Pig
Swine
Hog
Boar
all describe the animal commonly
associated with mud and bacon.
On page1516 in our books, Canto XIII
line 107, the text reads “wild boar”.
Why not “wild pig” or “swine”? Because the translator chose “boar”
From some searching on Google translator
(not exactly the most accurate source) I can see that the Italian language also
has quit a few words for this animal.
I am assuming that either “Verro” which according
to Google translate is literally “boar” or “cinghiale” which means “wild boar”,
was what that the translator was working off of, but I have no idea. I don’t speak Italian.
Could
the translator have chosen to put “wild pig” and kept the meaning the same but
perhaps made it more readable? Maybe. I
saw a translation that just said “boar” not “wild boar”. So was the original “verro”
or “cinghiale”.
Remind me to never be a
translator!
Either
way my point is loosely proven, the translator has far more input in the way a piece
turns out then given credit for.
Oh and. . . .
the end of Canto XIII is particularly lovely! though I could easily name 50 other parts that are particularly lovely.
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