Literary Translation and Interpretation
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- Category: English: Poetic Works
- Date Submitted: 04/05/2010 03:51 PM
- Pages: 7
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Literary translation and interpretation of Ted Hughes’ Bride and groom lie hidden for three days
I. Introduction
Translating a literary text is always difficult and the process itself contains many questions like Is there any good solutions?, What is the best way to put a text into another language? Is translation rewriting? Are we writing a completely new literary work through translation? etc.
Furthermore, literary translations, as well as other translations are done on two levels:
Denotative level: translating the words and sentences, find their equivalent in the target language.
Connotative level: looking for the best appropriate meaning of the expressions, words, clauses etc. in the particular context.
To be able to do this, a literary translator has to be aware with the full meaning of the work. That’s the reason why I first interpret the poem I translated and then write about the translation itself.
II. A short interpretation of the poem
We can divide the poem’s macro-metaphor of the poem into two parts. These two versions are very similar to each other in their basis yet they give entirely different interpretations to the work.
II. 1. The process of creation
a., The first version should be considered to be the metaphorical process of creation. According to this process we can find many microelements during reading the mūthos of the poem which connects the topic to the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Primarily, the process of creation, the miracle that brought the human beings into existence was executed only by God. But instead of God, in this poem the humans are doing this “job”. Thus, this act heightens the very human being to the plane of immortality, the level of being God.
The other issue that occurs in the very beginning of the poem is that the couple is creating each other simultaneously. This concept means that even the creator is being created during the same moment or time – its existence is immaterial which leads us back to...
I. Introduction
Translating a literary text is always difficult and the process itself contains many questions like Is there any good solutions?, What is the best way to put a text into another language? Is translation rewriting? Are we writing a completely new literary work through translation? etc.
Furthermore, literary translations, as well as other translations are done on two levels:
Denotative level: translating the words and sentences, find their equivalent in the target language.
Connotative level: looking for the best appropriate meaning of the expressions, words, clauses etc. in the particular context.
To be able to do this, a literary translator has to be aware with the full meaning of the work. That’s the reason why I first interpret the poem I translated and then write about the translation itself.
II. A short interpretation of the poem
We can divide the poem’s macro-metaphor of the poem into two parts. These two versions are very similar to each other in their basis yet they give entirely different interpretations to the work.
II. 1. The process of creation
a., The first version should be considered to be the metaphorical process of creation. According to this process we can find many microelements during reading the mūthos of the poem which connects the topic to the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Primarily, the process of creation, the miracle that brought the human beings into existence was executed only by God. But instead of God, in this poem the humans are doing this “job”. Thus, this act heightens the very human being to the plane of immortality, the level of being God.
The other issue that occurs in the very beginning of the poem is that the couple is creating each other simultaneously. This concept means that even the creator is being created during the same moment or time – its existence is immaterial which leads us back to...