Thursday, November 14, 2013

Translation of a Moby Dick Passage

I use Google translate every single day for the languages I'm studying. As soon as Dr. Burton talked about this being an option for this assignment, I knew I wanted to do it. I love learning languages and linguistics. In recent years I've found it extremely fascinating to learn of different languages' direct translations and how that can alter a person's view on a word or situation.

The passage from Moby Dick that I will be translating comes from Chapter 87, "The Grand Armada." I chose this quote, because I love the ethereal and serene tone that Ishmael uses and how it significantly contrasts with Ahab's evil and cynical view of the whale's existence:

Original:
"Some of the subtlest secrets of the seas seemed divulged to us in this enchanted pond. We saw young Leviathan amours in the deep. And thus, though surrounded by circle upon circle of consternations and affrights, did these inscrutable creatures at the centre freely and fearlessly indulge in all peaceful concernments; yea, serenely revealed in dalliance and delight. But even so, amid the tornadoes Atlantic of my being, do I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous planets of unmanning woe revolve round me, deep down and deep inland there I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy."

Translated first into Spanish:
Algunos de los secretos más sutiles de los mares parecían divulgada a nosotros en este estanque encantado. Vimos joven Leviatán amours en las profundidades. Y así, aunque rodeados por el círculo en círculo de consternaciones y affrights, hicieron estas criaturas inescrutables en el centro libremente y sin temor se entregan a todos los concernments pacíficos, sí, serenamente revelado en coqueteo y deleite. Pero aún así, en medio de los tornados del Atlántico de mi ser, es lo que a mí mismo siendo por los siglos de retozar en el centro de la calma silencio, y mientras que los planetas pesados ​​de retirada de fuerzas ay giran a mi alrededor, en el fondo, y tierra adentro allí todavía me bañan con mansedumbre eterna de alegría .

From Spanish to Bulgarian:
Някои от най-неуловимите тайни на моретата изглеждаше разкривана пред нас в този омагьосан езерото. Видяхме млад Leviathan Amours в дълбочина. И така, макар и заобиколен от кръг на кръг и ужас заля, направи тези неразгадаеми същества в центъра свободно и без страх се отдадете на всички мирни concernments Да, тихо разкри в флирт и наслада. Но все пак, в средата на торнадо атлантическите на моето същество, е това, което за себе си изобщо да лудуват в центъра на спокойна тишина, и докато отстраняване тежки планети се въртят АЙ сили около мен във фонов режим, и вътрешноводния там все още се къпят с кротост вечна радост.

From Bulgarian to Japanese:
海の微妙な秘密のいくつかは、この魅惑の池の中に私たちに漏らしたようです。我々は徹底的に若いリヴァイアサンアムールを見ました。掃引円とホラーの輪に囲まれながら、だから、静かにいちゃつくと楽しさで明らかに、[はい]をすべて平和concernmentsにふける自由に中心にこれらの不可解な生き物を作成し、大胆に。しかし、私の存在の竜巻大西洋の真ん中に、自分自身について何がこれまで平和的な沈黙の中心に楽勝し、重い惑星を除去しながら、バックグラウンドで私の周りAY力を回転し、内陸まだあります柔和永遠の喜びで入浴。

From Japanese to Hebrew:
נראה שחלק מהסוד העדין של הים, זה לגלות לנו בבריכה של הקסם הזה. ראה אמאר הלווייתן הצעיר ביסודיות. בעת היותו מוקף במעגל של אימה ולטאטא המעגל, ולכן, כמובן, אתה יכול ליצור תמוה היצורים האלה במרכז באופן חופשי ללהתמכר concernments שלום כל [כן], ההנאה הנועזת לפלרטט ובשקט. עם זאת, באמצע האוקיינוס ​​האטלנטי טורנדו של הקיום שלי, מה שנצח את ידי למטה במרכז השקט שלווה עד כה על עצמם, תוך הסרת הכוכב הכבד, מסתובב סביב א.י. כוח שלי ברקע, ועדיין בפנים הארץ רחצה בשמחה כנועה נצחי שם.

From Hebrew back to English:
It seems that some subtle secret of the sea, that we discover the magic of this pool. See Amur young whale thoroughly. While being surrounded by a circle of terror and sweep circuit, so, of course, you can create strange creatures freely indulging center concernments Hello all [Yes], the pleasure of flirting and quietly bold. However, the mid-Atlantic of my existence tornado, which beat down the center of the Pacific by peaceful so far on their own, while removing the heavy planet, revolves around AY My strength in the background, and still inland bathing submissive eternal joy there.

Compare to the original:
"Some of the subtlest secrets of the seas seemed divulged to us in this enchanted pond. We saw young Leviathan amours in the deep. And thus, though surrounded by circle upon circle of consternations and affrights, did these inscrutable creatures at the centre freely and fearlessly indulge in all peaceful concernments; yea, serenely revealed in dalliance and delight. But even so, amid the tornadoes Atlantic of my being, do I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous planets of unmanning woe revolve round me, deep down and deep inland there I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy."


The Hebrew translation was pretty choppy in clarity. It wasn't as poetic and rhythmic as the original version. For me, its tone went from being very calm and mythical to a very interesting, confusing, and cryptic reading in Hebrew. The ocean went from being a very magical setting to a very dark and mysterious thing with unexplainable phenomenon.

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