{"id":515,"date":"2019-09-25T16:30:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T16:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/italian-translation\/?p=515"},"modified":"2019-09-25T16:33:34","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T16:33:34","slug":"understanding-canto-5-through-divergent-translations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/italian-translation\/understanding-canto-5-through-divergent-translations\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Canto 5 Through Divergent Translations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canto 5 is, more or less, a speculation on the divergences between love and lust. Set in the second circle of hell, Dante\u2019s fifth installment in his Inferno is characterized by much darker descriptions of suffering. However, Canto 5 draws heavily upon famous biblical and mythological (pagan) figures in the same way the former and latter Cantos do.<\/span> This, paired<\/span>\"\"\u00a0with his direct identification of characters from his personal life, asserts Canto 5 as a significant piece in the literary and cultural tradition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Such significance, expressed through Dante\u2019s particular word choice, verse structur<\/span>e, and sentence structure makes translat<\/span>ing Canto 5 a considerable challenge. Choices must be made and losses\/compromises accounted for. By looking distinctly at two translations, those of<\/span> Charles Eliot Norton<\/a> and Patrick Bannerman<\/a>, <\/span>such generalizations may become evident.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, both translations do a proper job of conveying the main themes woven throughout Canto 5. Circle two is rather evidently the circle of carnal lust. Here, the reader is introduced to a terrifyingly glorious place in hell where true punishment is expressed. Yet, in order to express such imagery and messages, Norton\u2019s 1902 translation and Bannerman\u2019s 1850 translation diverge. Primarily, the two translations differ in terms of the formality of language used. Whereas Bannerman opts to use more dignified or proper words, Norton keeps his word choice far simpler and elementary. It may be useful to point out that this may be in part due to the periods of time in which the authors wrote their translations. Norton\u2019s translation comes almost half a century before Bannerman\u2019s. Additionally, the translations differ in terms of the medium used. Interestingly, Norton chooses prose over poetry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Due to differences between the two translations, there are evidently pros and cons to both. For instance, in Bannerman\u2019s translation, he introduces Minos as \u201cgrinding his teeth horribly,\u201d whereas Norton regards him as simply snarling. If one is to look at Dante\u2019s \u201cringhia,\u201d then Nort<\/span>on\u2019s take is much more closely aligned to what Dante meant. Bannerman chose to invent rather than interpret, which may come across as problematic. Similarly, Norton translates Dante\u2019s \u201cgaleotto\u201d as \u201cGalehaut,\u201d who acted as an intermediary between Lancelot and Guinevere in the Arthurian legend. This translation seems to be more effective than Bannerman\u2019s \u201cGaleotti\u201d which lacks context and thought.\u00a0 For a reader such as myself, identifying Galehaut makes the reference far clearer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In my view, I see Norton\u2019s translation as the more effective translation\u2014especially for a contemporary American reader. Because Norton does not try and force the terza rima of Dante, he is not boxed into the awkward syllabic pattern that Bannerman is. Norton is also able to avoid being tempted to use rhetoric that may not necess<\/span>arily convey what Dante meant simply because\u00a0<\/span>it sounds right to the ear. Ultimately, I personally do not feel like Norton\u2019s translation is lacking because it misses the swing of a metre. Instead, it surpasses Bannerman\u2019s because it gives a clear and coherent conveyance of Dante\u2019s work.<\/span><\/p>\n

In conclusion, it\u00a0<\/span>is up to the discretion of the translator to determine which elements of any piece of work are the most necessary to preserve. When it comes to literary canons such as Dante, even the most practiced and well-versed translators run into difficulty. Medieval Italian and contemporary English are not necessarily compatible. Likewise, Dante does not shy away from contemplating some of the most challenging theoretical concepts. His works, as Bannerman and Norton prove, are no easy, (translational) feat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canto 5 is, more or less, a speculation on the divergences between love and lust. 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