CHAPTER 5 THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
Thinking about Language
Translation
QUESTION-1
The text you read is a translation of a story by a well-known
Malayalam writer, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
In translating a story from one language to another, a translator must keep
the content intact. However, the language and the style differ in different
translations of the same text.Here are two translations of the opening paragraphs of a novel by the
Japanese writer, Haruki Murakami. Read them and answer the questions
given below.
Compare the two translations on the basis of the following points.
• the tense of narration (past and present tense)
• short, incomplete sentences
• sentence length
Which of these translations do you like? Give reasons for your choice.
ANSWER:
Tense of narration:
In translation A, the narration is in past tense.
In translation B, the narration is in simple present tense.
Short, incomplete sentences:
Sentences in translation A are long and there are no incomplete sentences.Sentences in translation B are short and we find some incomplete
sentences too.
Sentence Length:
Sentence length is more in translation A as compared to the translation B.
I like translation B more in comparison to translation A. This is because
translation B is in the present tense and thus gives a sense of immediacy. It
also gives a clearer understanding to the reader. Sentences are crisp and
short.