Problems and reflections
of translating
‘THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’
BY OSCAR WILDE
1. Long sentences
There are many sentences that are too long and might be divided into
shorther ones in translation, for instance:
‘[…] and now and then the fantastic shadows of birds in flight flitted across
the long tussore-silk curtains that were stretched in front of the huge
window, producing a kind of momentary Japanese effect, and making him
think of those pallid jade-faced painters who, in an art that is necessarily
immobile, seek to convey the sense of swiftness and motion’.
My translation:
,,Od czasu do czasu, fantastyczne cienie ptaków przemieszczające się przez
długie, jedwabne zasłony, rozpościerały się nad ogromnym oknem, dając
przez chwilę efekt japońskich obrazów. Sprawiły one, że Wotton zaczął
myśleć o bladych, z twarzami koloru nefrytu malarzach z Tokio, którzy dzięki
nieruchomej sztuce, wywołują wrażenie szybkości i ruchu”.
2. Nature description
In the book there are presented numerous nature descriptions written in
artistic style. They force a translator to wonder about the main meaning,
and obviously he must know what elements of nature the description
refers to, because it is quite detailed.
Book fragments:
‘the gleam of the honey-sweet and honey-colored blossoms of the
laburnum’; ‘the black-crocketed spires of the early June hollyhocks’.
My translations:
,,blask złotokapu o miodowym zapachu i barwie”; ,,zakurzony, pozłacany
wiciokrzew”.
3. Generalisation
Regarding nature descriptions, some words might
be change into more general terms because readers
may not know what nature elements the description
is about.
For example: Laburnum and woodbine could be
simply named as flowers or plants.
4. Comparisons
There are many comparisons that are well-matched and give the
impression of artistic and metaphorical atmosphere. In translation, it is
valid not to lose the main meaning because then it will not have any
sense.
Example:
‘the dim roar of London was like the bourdon note of a distant organ’.
My translation:
,,Przytłumiony gwar Londynu zdawał się być głębokim dźwiękiem dalekich
organów”.
5. Language
The language is quite simple; therefore there
are not many problems with it in translation.
It is only in some sentences more poetic and
solemn; maybe because of the usage of
artistic comparisons and descriptions.
Prepared by
Patrycja Walczak,
First year student of Master’s English Philology
studies at Jagiellonian University,
The speciality of Translation
