TRANSLATION        WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
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DON QUIXOTE

MAKING SENSE  Closely related to  accuracy is the need for a translation to make sense of what is being translated. In Don Quixote translations, this means finding the right words to convey the idea intended by the author when a word-for-word translation won't convey the intended  meaning to a modern reader. 

As a first illustration, let's look at part of a sentence from  Book I, Chapter 2, in its original form and a literal translation. This is a description of two women that Don Quixote sees standing in front of an inn:

Now look at the following translations.  As you read them, try to decide which of them best fulfills the goal of communicating -- to a modern reader like yourself -- who these women are. I've highlighted the key words.

Most people would probably say that Burton Raffel's version, made in 1995, conveys the idea most clearly because it uses the word whore -- not a polite word, to be sure, but one that certainly communicates the intended meaning to a modern reader. However, Raffel makes sense of Cervantes' words at the expense of being strictly accurate, since Cervantes used an expression -- of the party -- which is less direct but which his readers would have immediately understood.

Equally difficult to make sense of, when a translator is also trying to be accurate, are Sancho Panza's words and expressions. Sancho's way of speaking is an essential part of his character, particularly the way he uses proverbs and sayings to express his feelings.  Here's one example from Part II,  Chapter 3, where Sancho is humorously expressing his opinion of the author of Don Quixote.

By mixing the cabbages with the baskets, Sancho means throwing in unrelated material, confusing one thing with another. In English translation, however, this expression doesn't make sense because mixing cabbages with baskets isn't a saying commonly used in English. So, once again translators have to choose between being strictly accurate or making sense. The following examples illustrate the choices made by three modern translators.

Putnam's translation is literal and accurate; he translates the words exactly and leaves it to the reader to make sense of them. In contrast, Starkie substitutes a familiar English expression --  pretty kettle of fish --  that conveys the same general idea but isn't exactly what Sancho said. Similarly, Grossman's version uses a common English expression -- mixed up apples and oranges --  in place of Cervantes' cabbages and baskets. Finally, Burton Raffel substitutes a phrase -- dragged in all sorts of silly stuff --  that gives the idea of what Sancho is saying but don't convey the colorful way in which Sancho expresses his thought. In each case, the translator has made what he felt to be the best choice in this situation; it's up to you, the reader, to decide which choice you prefer.

EXERCISE B.
   You'll see below a translation of a speech made by Sancho Panza  in Part II, Chapter 14, during the episode that involves the Knight of the Wood. In this speech, Sancho is expressing his anger at the Knight of the Wood's squire. 
  After you've read the speech, write your own version of it.  Imagine that you're a translator writing  to a present-day reader; your aim is to "make sense" of this passage so the reader will understand exactly what Sancho is feeling. You can use any style that you feel would be understood by a reader like yourself, including slang words, metaphors, etc. You don't have to follow the original passage exactly; you can concentrate on communicating the main feelings that Sancho is expressing. 

When you've finished the exercise, go to Page 3.

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comments to: vpoulakis@nvcc.edu

03/28/05