Blogpost 12

There is a large separation between translations 1-3 and translation 4. For one, quotes one through three begin by automatically introducing Gregor/Gregory Samsa. I think this affects the tone because it creates a familiar introduction, as many people start by stating their names when introducing themselves. The words chosen also provoke different imagery when compared to translation four. Translations 1 and 2 both describe Greg’s dreams as “uneasy,” versus translation 3 which describes them as “troubled.” Uneasy and troubled differ because troubled sounds slightly more extreme than uneasy. The word troubled contributes more to how Gregor Samsa was feeling at the time of awakening. The syntax of 1-3 differs from 4 because they are all straight on sentences with no commas in between. Lastly, 1-3 each use some kind of adjective to describe to describe the size of the bug Gregor was, using either “gigantic, giant, enormous.”





Translation 4 differs from 1-3. It uses much harsher diction to describe what happened to Gregor Samsa, by using words such as “monstrous” or “vermi or “agitated.” I think each contributes to the intensity of the situation, versus the initial interpretation of 1-3. Translation 4 also has commas to break up the sentence. I think this really adds effect to the sentence because it requires the reader to take dramatic pauses. Overall, translation 4 is the most effective because it has the most emotions invoked in it which provokes more emotions within the reader. The difficulty of having a text translated from one language to another is that you usually lose some of the meaning within the process. Some languages have certain tones, words, and structure that is intended to make their audience feel a certain way but when translated it loses part of its meaning, for reasons such as things can be translated differently or that specific tone or word just does not exist in the language it is being translated to.