Original Language Manuscripts v. Translations

[MarchMan314]

Hello, fellow travelers!

As someone who can speak and read in more than one language, I have often read books in their original language and their translations. If you can read something in its original language (such as Cervantes's "Don Quixote" or Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"), I would consider that quite fortunate, since once can truly see, and perhaps even understand, the author's real thoughts. However, that is not always the case.

I have had the good fortune of reading the original Castillian version of "Don Quixote" (which actually has a longer title than that), and in spite of its old expressions and words I constantly had to look up in my Larousse dictionary, it was an excellent book. It was almost...musical, in a sense (no reference to "Man of La Mancha", BTW). It is something I have noticed of Spanish literature, and even in later Latin American literature: There is a sort of poetic, musical nature beneath it which is characteristic to that culture and its divisions. However, I read an English translation of the same book, and though it perfectly caught the words, the musicality and the poetry of the work had been forever lost. It was as if I was reading an autopsy report of the body of some person. The Spanish edition presented me a person who was alive, whom I got to know, whom I had the grace to experience their attitudes, their joys, their fears, etc. The translation presented me facts about the person, but did not give me the experience of being with that person.

If you think I'm being prejudiced against English literature, let me give you another example. I am a big fan of Victorian era literature, my favorite author being Charles Dickens. As an example, I shall use his "Tale of Two Cities". Unlike his other novels where he presents the dark alleys of London and the filthy underground, he demonstrates a sort of forgotten elegance which, contrasted with the horrors of the French Revolution, gave this book a unique twist in his tales of the aristocracy v. the plebs, as well as the contrast between two totally different cultures. Also, English literature, like American literature, has its uniqueness, such as its humor and its expressions. Reading a Spanish translation of this, unfortunately, also made it lose its flavor and gave me a "this is what he said" sort of translation.

But what about when one doesn't know a foreign language and all they have to read is the translation? Is it the same sort of effect like when a person watches a movie but then read the book it was based from?

What are your thoughts on these things?

Happy travels!

Gaspar

[Sarah_Khan]

Yeah I agree with you that it is always better to have the opportunity to read a book in the language it was originally written in, but I still think we get a taste of how good the book is no matter what language we read it in. We might miss some jokes and maybe even some of the eloquence of the words when we read it in another language but overall the substance is the same.

[MarchMan314]

Yeah I agree with you that it is always better to have the opportunity to read a book in the language it was originally written in, but I still think we get a taste of how good the book is no matter what language we read it in. We might miss some jokes and maybe even some of the eloquence of the words when we read it in another language but overall the substance is the same.

I agree with you on this, and I think it's the approach that most people have taken. But it's not always about missing the jokes or the eloquence of the words; it goes far deeper than that. Essentially, the substance is there, true, but what I mean is that what is lost is what I would call the "spirit" of the piece. How did the writer interpret things? Can we see the same picture that he is seeing? What world is he giving us a tour of?

This is just my personal opinion, but I believe that to really enjoy a literary piece you have to immerse yourself in the piece.

[katiesquilts]

I can't say that I've ever read both the translation and original of the same book. When I read something in its origin language, I only do so because I can't find a translation!

I get this feeling a lot when I'm watching subtitled movies/shows, though. Sometimes I think, "That's not quite what I got from the dialogue," or "I understand why they translated it that way, but it's still awkward."

In some ways it's good to have someone else's interpretation to look at. I personally would miss subtle hints if I didn't have one, because I tend to take things a little too literally.

[aliceprice]

I would give an arm and a leg to be able to read great works like Don Quixote and Dante in their original languages. The idea you talk about here is one I have given some thought to, and I have always found it sad that I am unable to experience these books as they were originally written. I really like your simile describing the translation as the autopsy of a dead person. That basically describes how I feel about it.

[Scerakor]

If ever possible, I think the original intent/meaning in a book can only be gleamed through its original language. I've read "The Count of Monte Cristo" in the original French, along with a few others, and am definitely happier for it. Some of the Russian classics I would love to read in their original form. Don Quixote, as OP mentions, is another one. I have studied that one before and quickly realised that I'm missing a lot of the humour than Cervantes originally intended as much of the puns just don't translate.

[AliceofX]

If you ever attempt translation of any kind you'll quickly realize how difficult, and sometimes impossible, it is to truly capture the meaning and spirit of a work in a different language. To stray a bit into movies, you'll often hear and see this opinion that people who dislike movies with subtitles are stupid, or can't appreciate art. I used to hold that opinion, but now my views have changed a 180 degrees, and I even somewhat avoid films in languages I don't understand. You're essentially trusting that the translator is able to give you the correct meaning and sometimes that's just not the case.

And yet there's this interesting anecdote of a colleague of my mother who would only read Lord of the Rings in Russian, and I don't believe that was only because it was her native language. Different languages have their own beauty and poetry, and a translation can be like an adaptation in that it adds something to the experience.