Meta Translation

Metamorphosis Translation

By: Elena Rehberg

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka was originally published in German but when it was translated to English, it still contained themes of the absurdity of existence, although not to the degree of hopelessness. It's important to recognize the impact of translation, as it can alter the author's original intention or make it lack cohesiveness. Kafka's first line of Metamorphosis sets the tone for the remainder of the text, and the English translation provides a simplistic introduction.

What Can Be Lost in Translation?

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

The first translation is a moderate length and contains words that are easy to understand, perhaps alluding that this book is about a common man, or an average person. The imagery provided in this line is worrisome as "uneasy dreams" hold negative connotations, and the words that follow it could be considered someone's worst nightmare. The translation of Kafka's work to contain "one morning" again holds implications that Gregory Samsa was living an average life until the unexpected happened to him, alongside the structure of the sentence, which is simplistic to reach a larger audience. The diction following the translation from German to English creates a casual tone, and holds the largest impact unto this line's implications. This is the only translation that names Samsa as "Gregory" as opposed to "Gregor". 

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

The second translation of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis contains syntax that's a little more complex than the preceding, although it keeps the same idea intact about Samsa. In this translation, the main character's first name is Gregor, instead of Gregory, which may have the audience picturing him differently. The connotation and imagery derived from "troubled dreams" creates a much more eerie atmosphere for the first line of the text. The structure of the second translation is more so evolving around attention to detail in that there is scarce punctuation, despite there being much elaboration on Samsa's overnight change. The diction presented within the word "transformed" is much more mysterious in this translation, and provides a connotation resembling that of a Sci-Fi novel. 

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

The third translation of Franz Kafka's text holds similar syntax to the two previous. Again, there is no punctuation and the line is moderate length and fairly simplistic. The imagery created derives from the words "uneasy dreams", which implies something nearly everyone can relate to, and "transformed", which juxtaposes that idea, as it's a supernatural concept. The structure of the line contains no punctuation, which could represent the speaker's lack of care in writing, and makes it more simplistic for the common man. The translation crosses the ideas of simplicity in order to benefit the average person, and plot development to keep the audience on their toes. 

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

The final translation is the most complex in syntax, imagery, and structure. This translation is more so focused on the precise details of the plot, and engaging a more sophisticated audience. The syntax is rather dragged out, but there is punctuation presented, unlike the other three translations. The imagery taken from the words "agitated dreams" and "monstrous vermin" produce a much more creepy and mysterious image for the reader. The structure is very orderly with a good amount of punctuation, which could potentially alter the author's original intention of having no punctuation, and fewer words (especially the big words). Additionally, the diction used in this translation is much more complex that the preceding translations, which could show the translator's seeking for more detail, and filling in gaps for the audience. 

What Does This Mean?

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis was initially published in German before being translated into many different English versions. The diction of the translations is arguably the most important in terms of affecting the text's meaning. The words used in the majority of the translations are similar, but the words that vary hold the strongest implications, such as his talk about the "uneasy" or "agitated" dreams. The syntax tended to be consistent throughout all four translations since the length of each sentence tended to be moderate. Punctuation was absent in three of the four translations, which impacted the author's character development of the speaker. With the lack of punctuation, it provided what seemed like a lack of care thereof by the speaker. The imagery varies as the word choice does by the translation. The imagery was reflected in the connotation of the words, but it seemed most impactful with the translation of how Mr. Samsa became a bug - if he just was when he woke up or if he transformed. The diction is arguably the most impactful element of the translations because it's the only thing that really strays away and changes consistently, which further alters the author's original meaning and the audience's impression. 

This exercise examines the difficulty of reading translated texts through understanding the implications of every word you read. Translators can potentially make or break a story based off the words that are chosen for translation, and the wrong words can alter the author's intentions. The connotation of words especially can provide a whole different story, so it's important that the translation is done with an examination done at the author's purpose, to ensure it can be understood in the new language.