This is a series on the book Gödel, Escher, Bach: An eternal golden braid by Douglas Hofstadter.
Earlier diaries are here
Today we will discuss English, French, German Suite p. p 366-368.
This is the shortest chapter in the book, and one of the most fun.
From the Overview:
An interlude consisting of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" together with two translations, one into French and one into German, both done last century
(by 'last century' Hofstadter means the 19th century.
Some notes and thoughts.
Many translations of Jabberwocky are available; many of them are here. Most English speakers are somewhat familiar with the sound of French or German, but what about, say, Czech? one Czech version starts
Bylo smazxno, lepex svihlí tlové
se batoumali v dàlnici,
chrudosxní byli borolové
na mamné krsy zxàrnící.
There are 7 French versions listed; even without speaking French (I don't) we can see
Il brilgue: les tôves lubricilleux
Se gyrent en vrillant dans le guave.
Enmîmés sont les gougebosqueux
Et le mômerade horsgrave.
is very different from
Il e'tait grilheure; les slictueux toves
Gyraient sur l'alloinde et vriblaient:
Tout flivoreux allaient les borogoves;
Les verchons fourgus bourniflaient.
I don't think there is a word in common!
How about Klingon?
puqloDwI' ja'pu'vawq Dayep
pe'vIl chop Ho'Du'Daj; pe'vIl Suq pachDu'Daj
Ha'DIbaH puv juchyub yIyep
bInDepSuHach vaQeHmuS ghombe' DanIDjaj
'etlhDaj veSpatlh HujtaH ghopDaj--
jagh HoSlaw' law' veqlargh Hos puS! nIteb nej nI'
vaj Sor tamtam, ghaH retlhDaq Qam
There are parodies as well.
Getting back to the book, why do some sounds translate and others not?
slithy = lubricilleux = schlicten
gyre = gyrent = wirrten
etc.
Is translating Jabberwocky harder or easier than 'normal' translation?
When reading Jabberwocky in a language you don't speak, can you tell it's fake? I don't see how. What if you speak it a little?
I had Spanish in High School:
Era la asarvesperia y los flexilimosos toves
giroscopiaban taledrando en el vade;
debilmiseros estaban los borogoves;
bramatchisilban los verdilechos parde.
¡Cuidado con el Jabberwocky, hijo mío!
¡Cuídate de las mandíbulas que muerden.
de las garras que apresan!
Cuídate del pájaro Rapiña y del altanero Halcón.
Some of the words seem clearly nonSpanish .... but partly because I know the English
This version
'Era brilligio, y los rebalosioso mocasos
Giraban y Girareon en las ondabolsciabo:
Todo debilirana estaban las ramianandos
Y los momiasera ratianeras fuerandabando.
this seems more Spanish to me, somehow.
A little googling reveals that there are whole books written on the problem of translating this poem: the problem of translating Jabberwocky
Next week, we'll see what Hofstadter uses all this for, and how he ties it back into the theme of the book.