It's FLY to be absurd!

What google images says an "enormous vermin" is

Translations oftentimes can get very tricky, especially when dealing with literature littered with metaphors, imagery, and other stylistic devices are must be maintained in very language. Here are some examples from the novella Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.

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

• "Gregory" instead of "Gregor"
• uneasy--sounds unpleasant but not scary or particularly bad
• bug--less threatening than the word insect
• comma from the original quote is missing
• find--present tense

#2:When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.

• comma from original quote missing
• transformed--more dramatic, more positive connotation
• troubled dreams--again sounds unpleasant but not extremely bad
• past tense
• enormous--creates imagery of a very massive insect
• clarifies that he was in bed

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

• uneasy--same as quote #1 showing this is the most common translated adjective
• describes him waking up and finding out his condition as happening back-to-back
• gigantic--imagery is larger than "giant"
• missing comma from the original quote
• "he found himself"--makes it seem like it was just him or that he was alone

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

• Has the most scary/disgusted diction--agitated, monstrous, vermin
• four commas compared to the original's one
• shortest syntax
• mentions he was in bed
• transformed--contrasting from the darker diction

     From all four of these quotes, the most salient difference is the different imagery that arises from reading each one. Examples of this include quote #1 not specifying the setting of the event in question and the different words used to describe the insect creating different mental images, despite none of them being very specific. Though all four quotes are left with the same overall meaning, that Greg woke up to find himself turned into some sort of bug, they all leave the reader with different tones and moods, and overall different effects. I think the word choice's biggest effect is on the imagery because it creates the tone and because this is the very first line of the book, you assume the look of the characters and setting will match that tone. For example the "monstrous vermin" word choice creates an image of something ungodly and not necessarily an insect, where as "giant bug" creates a less strong tone and the image of, for me, a life size beetle bug (gross). Quote #4 has the shorted syntax which quickens the pace and adds anticipation because it leads the reader in chunks to the actual subject and surprising element. The syntax is shortened by the use of an abnormal amount of commas, while using no commas and longer syntax makes the bug revelation seem less abnormal and surprising, as compared to quote #4.

     I have never read the full text of Metamorphosis so it is difficult for me to say which one is more effective in setting up the rest of the text or setting the tone that is most accurate to the rest of the text and plot. However, I can access which one if the most effective in creating a clear image and hooking the reader. I would argue translation #4 gives the most vivid imagery and tone that would both hook the reader and allow them to know what to expect for the rest of the text, making it the most effective. Overall, this exercise showed the importance of acknowledging when you are reading a translated work because a lot of the original style is tied to the cultural and societal ties to certain words and structures that can get (I knew I wouldn't get through this blogpost without this cliche) lost in translation.