Blog Post 12

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

Using the word "awoke" makes it sound as if he has just woken up on his own and wasn't startled.  The sentence doesn't flow from "uneasy dreams" into "he found himself..." it needs an and in there or some other word to make it sound better.

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

The word "bug" is not as formal as the word insect so the connotations associated with it are more gross and broad.  One would say bug if they found it in the house or outside, and use insect when studying them.  Also when the word "changed" isn't as dramatic as some of its synonyms, it sounds gradual. 
#3:When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.

This sentence makes me think that Gregor was having nightmares and all of a sudden woke up.  The word "enormous" makes me think that the bug he has changed into is as big as he was.

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

This sentence contains the most grammar and has a lot of breaks in it.  It makes the sentence long and exaggerated.  Saying "monstrous vermin" also confuses me as it is not as direct as saying bug or insect.  The way it is described, by saying "monstrous" makes me picture something scary, and as if the rest of the book will be scary as well.

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 effect the tone of the sentence?  

     At first glance, a comma here or a comma there, or using this word instead of that one might not mean much to someone.  When looked at more in depth, it can actually change the whole meaning of the sentence.  Word choice affects what the reader is going to picture about that particular scene.  Almost every word has multiple other words that mean the same thing by its definition.  What the translator has to look out for when picking the correct word to use is its connotation.  This is the feelings that are associated with each word.  For example,  the word carpet versus rug.  The word carpet is more formal and implies it is nicer and maybe more expensive.  The word rug sounds worn out and implies it may be older and rugged looking.  Picking these words influences not only the message the author is trying to get across, but also what the reader interprets it as.  

     There are definitely translations that are more effective than others, but only the original author can tell you which is right and which is wrong.  When translations are done, I think there are two things that need to be in place in order to get the most accurate translation as possible.  The translator needs to be more than fluent in each language.  He or she needs to know the culture and the way they live, not just what you can find out from a text book.  The second thing is that the author needs to be present when the translation is occurring.  This way if the translator is unsure if the word he or she picked is accurate the author will be right there to clarify.