Nothing Really Mattress(?): Kafka, Camus, and the Importance of Translation

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

• Diction: 
• "Uneasy" has a less intense connotation so his sleep was just somewhat interrupted.
• "Giant bug" is not scary or frightening, it is just a big bug.
• "Changed" is a boring word that does not imply that anything magical or mysterious happened.
• Syntax: 
• The sentence flows easily and is simple
• Not difficult to read/understand
• Imagery/Details:
• I can imagine him waking up confused and anxious, possibly sweating, from his dreams. 
• "Giant bug" makes me think of a kid's movie or animation because it does not have any negative or dark words.
• Structure:
• Possibly a run-on sentence.
• No commas

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

• Diction:
• "Troubled" has the connotation that the dreams were upsetting and Gregor was restless.`
• "Transformed" has an interesting and magical connotation and implies that this is an exciting event.
• "Enormous" is a more colorful word to use than "giant" or "big". This also implies that what is happening is interesting and unusual.
• Syntax:
• There are no commas which allows for misinterpretation.
• Difficulty understanding the sentence the first time reading it.
• "When" makes the sentence seem past tense
• Imagery/Details:
• I can picture in my head an enormous bug, however there is a lack of imagery/details.
• Structure:
• Run-on sentence
• No commas

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

• Diction:
• "Uneasy"- same as first translation
• "Transformed"- same as second translation
• "Gigantic" is a more powerful word than "giant"
• "Insect" is more specific than "bug"
• Adds "in his bed" which is already inferred
• Syntax:
• No commas
• "As" makes the sentence seem like Gregor was in the process of doing something
• Imagery/Details:
• "Insect" makes me picture a gross, crawling creature with a lot of legs
• Structure:
• No commas
• Run-on sentence

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

• Diction:
• "Awakening" is more formal than "woke"
• "Agitated" means to be troubled or nervous so this is similar to translation #2
• "Transformed"- same as second and third translations
• The use of the word "monstrous" is much more frightening than "gigantic" or "giant"
• "Vermin" is not just an insect but it is a parasite and is harmful to many things. This also brings a frightening connotation.
• Syntax:
• Use of commas so the sentence flows better
• Past tense
• Imagery/Details:
• "monstrous vermin" makes me picture a terrifying creature that would harm me
• Structure:
• Commas

The word choice, syntax, punctuation, and imagery shift in each translation has a significant affect on its meaning. Depending on the diction, the sentence can sound more formal or more colloquial. As a result, it is easy to determine who the intended audience is, whether it is an adult or a child. The word choice also changes the mood/tone of the story. For example, in translation #1 and #2, the bug was described as a "giant bug" and an "enormous bug". This offers a more childish and playful tone while translation #3 gets closer to a disgusting or unsettling tone. Translation #3 says, "gigantic insect". Lastly, translation #4 introduces fear by saying "monstrous vermin". The word choice connects to the imagery. Depending on what words are used will affect what one pictures in their mind. I was able to picture more elaborate things in my head by translation #4 because of its diction. The syntax, or lack there of, hints at how the translation is not close to the original sentence of the story. This is obvious to the reader because only the last translation did not sound like a run-on sentence. The last translation had commas which allowed the sentence to flow, while the other translations were either difficult to follow or went on for too long. 

 It is difficult to determine which translation is most effective, because if one does not understand the original language in which it was written it cannot be known exactly what the author was trying to say. This exercise introduces the difficulties in translating texts by showing the different interpretations that people get from it. In translation #4, I found the sentence to be very boring and it did not interest me. There was no detail or imagery. However, translation #4 caught my attention and I was able to imagine what the character was doing and what the whole situation looked like. All of these translations did get the main point across, although the delivery was very different and might not be the intended message of the author's original work. I think the only way to truly understand the message of a story in a language that one does not know is to have someone who speaks that language and is familiar with the culture to explain it.