We discussed in class the difficulty of simply understanding the language of Malory and Marlowe. It seems, however, that part of the import of the works resides in the way the stories (of Arthur, of Love) are told. What difference would it make if you read these works in modern translation? What might be lost?
Excuse, again, the late post. I haven't had access to a computer until now. Amazing, isn't it??
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt would make a huge difference to modernize the stories. If it were to be modernized, I would not have had read parts of it two or three times before understanding it. The passion that was used when writing the story and poem would be lost. It would also take away the deep romance of when Leander see’s Hero at the festival and the colorful elements that make-up the love that Lancelot had for Queen Guinevere.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would make a major difference if the literature that we have read were translated into a more modern version. As a reader, I find myself reading the stories more than two times just to understand the plot line; sometimes it takes me a long time just to read it the first time because of all the footnotes at the bottom of each page. Although a modern translation would make it easier for readers today, it would also be taking away the author's original work; a beautiful style that is rare to find in literature today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with KDPeters. The translation would make the stories and poems easier to read. Having to read the stories and poems over and over makes reading the literature more frustrating rather than enjoyable because you have to focus so hard on trying to understand what is going on. I also agree that the passion that the author had when writing would be taken away if the work was to be translated. When reading the stories or poems, it is very easy to see the great amount of detail that the author put into it. As you read it you are able to see, in your mind, exactly what characters may be feeling or what the setting may look like. While the works are difficult to read, the descriptions, specific words, and phrases used really do make them more beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAs we were discussing this topic of language in class I started thinking about the idea of idealism as we mentioned it in class. In both stories the language stresses the mental conception of beauty in order to represent it in a more poetic way rather than a straightforward way which puts an emphasis on the values of each character. By describing the characters in a surrealistic way it engages the reader to stress upon the extravagant beauty and detail of the descriptions of characters.
ReplyDeleteModernizing the language would definately produce a huge change in the poem. It would take away from the poetic form, as well as take away from the passion and beauty of the details given. Yes, it would me much easier to read, but so much would be lost.
ReplyDeleteI agree with yvette that the describing of the characters engages the read to stress upon the extravagan beauty of the character.
ReplyDeleteI think that in having a modern translation of the old works would make it extremely easier to read. Sometimes I think that to describe such a simple action, the author makes it too wordy to understand. Although the text is hard to read at times, if it is modernized for everyone to read now a days, the beauty of the author’s work would simply be lost. The way the author writes his stories, even if its hard to read, tells a story that most authors today cannot truly express.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mireya Gallegos and Yvette Rodriguez. I also find myself rereading some of the text to actually understand what the author is writing or describing. The author’s original work would really be different, making it not his anymore. I agree with Yvette because the author does spend a lot of time describing his characters, we are able to visualize how they actually look and put an image into our minds.
ReplyDeleteMary Tran I agree that the authors use too many weird and different words to describe simple things, but as you said if it was to be modernized it would lose its beauty.
ReplyDeleteAs discussed in class, language used in literature, such as those written by Malory and Marlowe, was written differently than how we speak today, and even during the time the literature was written. Nowadays, stories and literature are written in more modern language, more closely related to how people of this time actually speak during regular conversation. However, as stated above, literature during the time of Malory or Marlowe was not written in a language commonly used throughout coversation at the time. Therefore, it must be concluded that the literature was written in such language for a reason. How else could we as readers understand the idealism of love and the brotherhood of men during King Arthur? It is because the stories were written in this way that we truly understand the assumed intentions of the authors. If these literary works were rewritten into modern language, that essence would be lost, and the true meanings behind the works could not be fully understood.
ReplyDeleteI think that if the texts were modernized the reading would be a lot easier to read and understand quickly. However, the authors art would be lost because his vision was written the way they saw it, and if it were to be changed the whole vision of the literature would be lost.
ReplyDeleteI agree with trista welch saying that the text would be lost if modernized, even though it WILL be easier to read since thier english is so different from what we are use to reading and hearing.
ReplyDeleteI believe if the poems would be modernized then the passion of the poem would be gone. It seems that in marlowe during that time he wrote with such passion and if you take that away and change it, it just wont be the same.
ReplyDeleteI agree with trista, the text would be lost. It would be easier to understand but it wouldnt be the same.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a lot of emotion in the way these two pieces are written. Especially Hero and Leander. The author goes into detail about so many things. It is beautifully written and I really enjoyed it. I think it is easier to read if you read then go back and look up the words you don't know. Sometimes you can pick up on what is being said just from the context it is in. I think that a lot would be lost if these two pieces were written in modern language. These two pieces are my favorite so far. I really liked the emotion in both. I wouldn't get the same picture if it was modern. The way they were written, I could feel what the characters were feeling when I read them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with precvrob... The art of the pieces would we lost. They probably wouldn't be in text books and we wouldn't be reading them in class. I don't think the language is that hard to understand.
ReplyDeleteIf these pieces are written in the modern translation, then the poetic meaning of it would be lost. Overall I don't think that the entire poem or story is difficult. I had difficulty with a number of lines in which I had to re-read it many times to understand the meaning of it. I also thought that some of the lines in "Hero and Leander" are so beautifully written that it just amazes me, such as the line: "It lies not in our power to love or hate. For will in us is overruled by fate." Obviously this line is one of the simpler ones and easier to understand but if we were to translate it in a different way it would lose its original beauty and meaning that the author wanted their audience to grasp. We would be able to understand it better, but it won't be the same work done by an author hundreds of years ago. I think that the test of time also proves that a piece of work, whether a poem or a story, is a good one.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kyle because both Malory and Marlowe used a lot of descriptions, such as Hero's outfit. These vivid descriptions helps us as readers picture them in our mind. And if the language is modernized we would probably miss a lot of the intentions that the author wants us to understand.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Hanh Do when she says that the poetic meaning would be lost if it were to be modernized. Although, like most people said, the text would be easier to read if modernized, I don't think that should be the main focus of how the text would differ. The language used like Kyle said wasn't even the way the world outside literature spoke. The lyrical poetry that is outpoured by the author is the result of his own feelings and thoughts. Without this language the ideals that the author was trying to portray wouldn't be easily interpreted. By interpretation I mean that without this language we would only see what was happening wheras with this language we as readers not only see what's happening but also feel what's happening. Therefore the focus shouldn't be on how many times they had to read it; it should be focused upon what exactly the purpose of this language is trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteI agree with several people in respect to modernizing old poetic works. The most entertaning thing, to me, about reading such works as Marlowe and Malory is the fact that you concentrate on certain words and you gain understanding of the geographical and cultural factors of society at the time from the author's writing. I believe that if these works were to be modernized, the poems would lose their beauty and readers wouldn't study the works as seriously as they do now.
ReplyDeleteMalory and Marlowe existed in time where lavishly written stories were ever so popular. The detail and profuseness of each piece gave rise to each character and to the story itself. To modernize the stories would be to destroy the masterpieces that authors such as Malory and Marlowe created. The stories would not only lose the passion and intensity they encompassed, but they would ultimately lose the meaning behind them as well.
ReplyDeleteHanh Do and Yvette Rodriguez both point out that upon modern translation, poetic meaning would be lost. I’ll have to agree with both individuals as it is completely true. Poems and stories of this time are characterized by their “highly developed artistic form” as well as their “intensely imaginative interpretation” of a particular subject. Modern society has moved on from such writing and does not really appreciate the value of words. If we are to truly appreciate the piece, then we must read it as the authors wrote it and without alteration of any kind.
ReplyDeleteIf translated into modern language, I believe the story would almost take on a new meaning. For example, Leander might not have been described so feminine (masculine "handsome" words were not used back then - our vocabulary has increased tremendously since those times). However, I do believe the modern reader would be able to better relate to the story, if it were in more modern language.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the posters that a lot of the poetic meaning would be lost by translating the works of Mallory and Marlowe. However, how many people start to read their works, and then put it down because of the difficulty of the text and wording? Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was already translated for us, and was much easier to understand than Mallory's or Marlowe's works. It would be very interesting to read both the original and modernized languages, and compare the differences the modernized language would make to each work.
ReplyDeleteMalory and Marlowe is a difficult passage to read. This passage would be easier to read if it was written in modern day language. Reconstructing the language of this passage is distroying great work. There are very few writers that can create a piece this well. The words are so full of life and the reader can feel the emotions of the passage. All of the authenticity will be just thrown away.
ReplyDeleteI agree with shuntel, by taking Malory and Marlowe and translating it into modern day language we will not be able to feel the emotions in the poem. The words connect the reader to the passage. The words make the reader focus and want to understand. Today there is not alot of work that captures the readers attention like this. Nothing should change.
ReplyDeleteReading and understanding the language of Malory and Marlowe is hard on anyone who reads it, and putting these works in a modernized translation takes out the confusion and frustrations readers have on unfamiliar language works. But, if the stories or poems are to be modernized then the translator runs the risk of not capturing the true meaning the author tries to present to the reader in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mireya because I believe literature can be viewed as a time travel gateway between today and times back then, something any reader would be interested to learn about.
If the works were translated into modern terminology, then there would be much lost in these works. They are written so beautifully that modern terminology may tarnish their original power. The flow of these works would change, as they were written the way they were for a reason. The story itself may not change but the lengthy descriptions of people, places, and actions may no longer have the same effect as the original text. When you read both Malory and Marlowe, you get a feeling for what it was like in the times their works were written. To modernize this would be like erasing history.
ReplyDeleteMy own personal opinion is that a modernized version would be great. This for me was harder to read than anything thus far. However, I'm sure that without the original text something would be lost. At first I thought maybe it's the passion that would be lost. But there can be plenty of passion in modern text. I think it would be more about losing the context and sensuality of the period.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't stand reading Malory. I would have enjoyed the story much better in a more modern translation. I liked the story it's self and what it was about but, in order to understand it I had to look up a summery about it. I enjoy reading but, I do not like having to guess that much to what the story is about. I feel the story would have been better in modern translation and that nothing would be lost.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with Zachary "Tyler" Shanklin. I do not see the beauty in this work. I feel that you can use modern words in a beautiful way that I think would be better then the way it was written. That's just me.
ReplyDeleteI think a modern translation would definitely take away a lot from the poem. Yes, it was hard to read but the way it was written adds a lot to the characters. Each character is described in a lot of detail the way it is but if it were to be modernized the poet would probably just call them beautiful instead of going into extreme detail to give you a picture.
ReplyDeleteTrista,
ReplyDeleteI agree that if it were modernized the poem would be easier to read but so much would that makes the poem what it is would be lost in the process of modernization.
I think if it were read in modern language you would lose most of the imagery and flow. They would become just another run-of-the-mill story. The language pulls you into that time period until you can visualize people actually speaking that way. I think the language makes stories of heroism, love, and sacrifice have an almost other worldly feeling.
ReplyDeleteIf these stories were modernized, they could be totally new/different stories. I also think that if modernized, it would take a lot away from the stories. The way it's written now adds to the whole of the story itself. The language that it's written in is ironic to what's actually going on, so the whole point of the story could be lost if modernized.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with what was stated by trista.welch. It is true that should the literary works be translated into a more modern form, many of us would be able to better understand the plot and the actions of the works. That is, because many of us are not accustomed to speaking, listening, or reading such language as is used in each of the works we have read. However, neither were the people of the age in which the literary works were written. Therefore, it is obvious to assume that the works were written in such language for a specific reason. I believe trista.welch said it best when she said that it would "take away from the passion and the beauty of the details given."
ReplyDeleteI think that it is easier in modern to understand just because I have issues reading it. But it takes away the full affect of what the true meaning behind it to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Courtney because it is the complete truth. It would be like taking the sweetness out of the star burst.
ReplyDeleteMost people agree that something would be lost if translated. I think that it should be left in the original text because some people might actually like to read it just the way it was written.
ReplyDeleteI believe modernizing these works is ok if they are read in conjunction with the original text. That way, you can understand the story line, but still get the feel of the author and time period.
ReplyDeleteI think I would be able to understand the whole thing better if it was written in Modern English. Yeah you would miss the very dramatic parts in the modern form, but I would very much enjoy it in the modern form than the other form.
ReplyDeleteI think I agree totally with amurphy's comment. Yeah it would be easier to read, but would take out some of the important parts.
ReplyDeleteI agree also that it would be easier to read in a modern text, but it would very much take away the whole tone of the story.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Leigh in the aspect that the works we have studied contain a lot of emotion. The original intent of authors was to provide readers with a sense of what the characters were going through and to manipulate the original works would lose the emotional bonding between the reader and the characters.
ReplyDelete