Interlinear translation of the Metamorphosis

[lyzazel]

Hello.

As you probably know, Kafka is difficult to translate and questions often arise about translation. Wikipedia even has a separate section for the problems in translating Kafka to English.

Therefore, people and critics alike recommend reading Kafka in the original language.

Now, there is an obvious problem with that if you don't have fluent German.

And I think I have a partial solution to this problem - an Interlinear translation of Kafka.

A project I am running - Interlinear books, has made an Interlinear (word by word, line by line) translation of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis". The translation makes Kafka more accessible in German if you understand some German but are not necessarily fluent.

The translation is available at www.InterlinearBooks.com/german/#book.

Interlinear Books is working on making literature accessible to people who are not yet fluent in the language. We may have more translations of German authors in the future too.

I would love to hear what you think if you have any comments!

Thanks!

[Mohammad Ahmad]

Do you mean Franz Kafka the Jewish Czech writer?

2- You have mentioned the translation of word to word, it is unsuccessful translation, either we depend on literal translation or free translation.
Word to word follows the grammar of the SL. text, therefore, it is for beginners.
wait two days and I shall look for what is useful.
3- Don't depend on machine translation.
4- My mother tongue is the Arabic language and I don't know any word of German, but I can find the Arabic translation of any text by the help of my fellows, or I can find it freely in internet.

Ah! You want metamorphosis novel, yes this is difficult to translate, but I have downloaded it now.
I find a good Arabic translated copy containing 91 pages, someone translated it.
Now it is easy for me to translate it into English

[lyzazel]

Do you mean Franz Kafka the Jewish Czech writer?

2- You have mentioned the translation of word to word, it is unsuccessful translation, either we depend on literal translation or free translation.
Word to word follows the grammar of the SL. text, therefore, it is for beginners.
wait two days and I shall look for what is useful.
3- Don't depend on machine translation.
4- My mother tongue is the Arabic language and I don't know any word of German, but I can find the Arabic translation of any text by the help of my fellows, or I can find it freely in internet.

Ah! You want metamorphosis novel, yes this is difficult to translate, but I have downloaded it now.
I find a good Arabic translated copy containing 91 pages, someone translated it.
Now it is easy for me to translate it into English

To be frank, I'm not completely sure I get some of those points. I'll try to clarify as I understand them:

1. Yes, indeed, I was referring to Franz Kafka. (As a matter of fact, we are posting in a sub-forum dedicated to him.)

2. The translation is a word-for-word translation, but it follows the principle "literal but understandable." This means that, whenever a word-for-word translation would not be possible (for example, in expressions), several words may be connected and a less literal translation may be chosen. You can check the "Translation Methodology" section on the website for examples.

3. The Interlinear translations is not automatic. It was made by a human being.

4. Our translation is from German to English. As it is an Interlinear translation, it includes both texts (the German original and the English translation) at the same time. It is not an Arabic translation.

I hope that answers at least some of your concerns.

[Mohammad Ahmad]

Do you need the translation of Kafka complete works?
The pdf is ready to be sent......

General notes about literary translation:

First of all I am one of the authentic translators and have experience more than ten years in this field, so when I say we rather refuse the translation of word to word, the saying is not mine, although the word of word is considering a type of many methods of translation, but as Newmark and others we read to them, we have to do with the semantic and the communicative methods as much as we have learned and practiced.....
The literary translation is the difficult one and it needs to more experience, sometimes you are obliged to follow the original text the ( SL) as we said to follow semantically in order to be sincere for the Sl writer text, but sometimes this manner is useless when you find the translated work isn't agreeable too much by the reader part, so you orderly need to choose further options of shift changes and at least according to these views.
You may polish your words more and more, so the matter isn't just transference words but senses and emotions.
Yet I have more to tell about, but I hope will be useful for you.

Whatsoever the matter is, I find a good translation to the certain work and not only the (Metamorphosis ) but the complete works of Kafka which it was translated to English by someone and of course he is one of the famous translators who translates from German to English and indeed he is not an Arabic man.
The full pdf is now with me so I need not to translate the Arabic copy which i lastly gained of the same work.
If you want it tell me to post.

[lyzazel]

This is obviously getting lost in translation.

I do not need any translations. Please do NOT send me or make any.

I am offering you to check out the Interlinear translation of Kafka's Metamorphosis available on Interlinearbooks.com/german/.