Can't We Just Use Google Translate?

Franz Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis in 1915. It was originally written in German; below are four different translations of the first line in this novel.

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

- syntax is long; minimal punctuation

- diction is not too aggressive: "uneasy", "changed", "giant"

- name is changed from Gregor to Gregory

- tone is neutral; waiting to see how Gregor responds

- this translation seems to be more diluted than the others

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

- syntax is long; minimal punctuation

- diction is aggressive: "troubled", "transformed", "enormous"

- tone is uncomfortable, yet not scary

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

- syntax is long; minimal punctuation

- diction is aggressive: "transformed", "insect"

- tone is uncomfortable, yet bordering unnatural

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

- syntax is choppy; lots of punctuation (only translation like this)

- diction is unnatural and aggressive: "agitated", "transformed", "monstrous", "vermin"

- tone is dark

- this translation is the most unique

Original: Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen Traumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem Bett zu einem ugeheuren Ungeziefer verwandelt.

How does the word choice, syntax, punctuation, and imagery shift in each affect meaning? Is one more effective than another? Why? What does this exercise bring up about the difficulty of reading translated texts? How do different translations affect the tone of the sentence?

It is apparent through these translations that what might seem like minimal differences between translations of a text often extrapolates into creating hugely different tonal experiences for the reader. Word choice, obviously, impacts the meaning of a sentence; however, what the above four translations show is that by repeatedly choosing words that reflect a certain, chosen underlying tone, the interpretation of a specific event can vary wildly. For instance, in translation number 4, extreme words like "vermin", "monstrous", and "agitated" convey that this waking up and realization process is jagged and rough for Gregor. In translation number one, though, word choice like "troubled" and "enormous" create a much more tame picture in the reader's head. To reiterate, what may seem like small differences between different words in translations, often builds upon itself, due to the basic fact that words are used frequently when describing something, to ultimately create huge tonal differences.

Furthermore, syntax is important to take into account reading a translated text. In translation four, the syntax is very short and choppy, with a lot of punctuation. While, in translations one, two, and three, the syntax is long, devoid of any punctuation. This leads to shifts in how the reader will intake the information within the sentences. Translation four, the short syntax one, creates a read that is slower and seems to be more intentional. This slower aspect almost makes it seem like we are experiencing the events with the narrator. The longer, no punctuation translations are read faster, making the reader feel a tad more separated from the narrator. It is difficult to say which of these translation techniques is more effective because it all depends on what the translator is trying to convey in comparison to what the author was trying to convey. It is inevitable in translations that some of the original meaning will be lost. That is why there are many different translations of texts, even the most famous ones. This way there will be many different angles of the story, none less "correct" or "effective" that the next.

While translating texts is hard, and often brings forward many critics, it is important work. Being able to read a text that is not originally of your language is truly the epitome of what story telling is meant to do. Sharing ideas, cultures, customs, and stories across many different cultures that you wouldn't otherwise connect with is what makes books so valuable. Translations bring together people, and bring together the world. But, *in Sra. Hernandez's voice* google translate is bad!