There are ideas that get captured and lost in translation in all works of literature. It is best to read in the language in which the work was written, but it is not always possible and the translators can convey the meaning just to one point. The translators also have to be good at creating literature in order to be able to do the good job so that the text is understood almost as if being read in the language in which it was written. That is the goal of every good translator.
I have read Hamlet in Japanese and I can see which ideas got lost in the translation. In my opinion the obstacle to understanding is because of religion. In Japan, Shinto and Buddhism exist and people are not very familiar with Christianity and its concepts. When Hamlet says “His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter” I am not sure whether this canon means a rule/regulation or a Christian codex. People from the Japanese culture cannot know whether it is a sin to commit suicide in other religions such as Christianity. Therefore, Japanese people would understand canon as a rule or regulation.
Another example is the line which says “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable”. In Japanese, stale and flat have almost the same meaning and these adjectives are used to describe food. However, in Hamlet’s case these words describe Hamlet’s state of mind and his depression and disappointment. However, it is not difficult to understand because emotions can also be described as slate and flat. They can “lose their flavor” the same way as food can become tasteless. This idea is captured in translation. There are situations when meaning cannot be guessed, but there are also examples when meaning can be understood by associations.
Furthermore, when Hamlet says: “With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” , it is puzzling because in Japanese culture and religion, it is not forbidden to get married to a brother’s wife. It is not considered to be a incest as Hamlet is describing it. Therefore, the meaning is lost in translation because of the difference in religious and cultural customs.
There is also the problem with words because not all words have their equals in other languages. It has to do with culture and the geography of the place as well as with religion and the customs. However, with the right translation, the point will always be conveyed.
Before I understood what Christianity is about, I could not feel sympathy for Hamlet. It was only when I got acquainted with the basics of this religion that I could understand the material and Hamlet’s feelings and reasons for acting in certain ways. Christianity is completely different than Shinto and Buddhism, so I wasn’t able to understand Hamlet’s dilemmas at first. I was also puzzled by his actions.
Moreover, Japanese people would think that Hamlet is talking to himself. On the other side, I understood his soliloquy as his addressing God because that is the notion that I got from getting in touch with the rules of Christianity. Religion is present throughout the whole ply and Hamlet is seeking for courage and understanding from God. He is desperate and ready for revenge and needs to be encouraged by a higher force.
Works cited
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Chatham: Wordsworth Editions Ltd., 1998. Print.
