Translation Of Les Miserablés

The texts that one reads may not be the ones she believes herself to be reading. When reading Les Miserablés, a work originally written in French by Victor Hugo, one must ask whether she is reading the “true” Les Miserablés or the translator’s interpretation. Without knowing the language as a native speaker, how can one be entirely sure that the translation is an accurate copy of the author’s original work? The little details become lost in the transition between languages. The underlying message of the author may become obscure or disappear altogether. However, all messages are altered to become messages of the translator, as the translator becomes the bridge between the author and the reader. Once a text is translated from its original language into another, the text is no longer the original work, but rather an influenced version due to linguistic differences, time period changes, and the writer’s own language skills.

Every language is unique, with its own words, phrases, syntax, sayings, and other aspects. There are two different ways for something to be translated, literally or “what it actually is.” Literal translations are often impractical and unrelated to the topic. This is due to the fact that the object of translation itself is in a form in which the meaning is unique to the language it is in. By translating something literally, one strips the object of translation of its meaning and purpose. Instead, we are often left with a group of meaningless words that are useless in understanding the original text. However, translating something into what it actually means in the context is difficult. Firstly, it requires a competent translator, one who understands both languages to a certain degree, which will be discussed later...

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...ot be accurate for another.

The idea of accurately translating a text into another language is almost unachievable. The key word is almost. Perhaps it can be done, but how? The answer is through one’s knowledge of the language. When one knows the language the text is originally written in to a certain level, she will be able to understand the text from a different perspective. There is a point in one’s “language learning journey” when one no longer translates the language into her mother tongue, but instead thinks and understands in that language. Although she may not necessarily be “translating” the text anymore, she is now able to think about it in a different way accurately. She may not be a compound bilingual, but by working towards the goal of mastering the language, she is giving herself the opportunity to understand the text in its original and pure form.