Textuality » 5BLS Interacting
CAPITOLO 5 |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘Observe, sir: bats have begun to appear in the air above this square. Creepy, you say?” |
‘’Guardi, signore: sono comparsi dei pipistrelli nell’aria sopra questa piazza. Le danno i brividi, dice?’’ |
The translation appears to be highly faithful to the original. |
Reason for choice: Contradictions of the average American |
||
Analysis: The co-protagonist of the novel is afraid of bats, highlighting the fragility inherent in American society, capable of getting scared arrival of a thing so suddenly. A probable reference to the WTC’s attack. |
||
Possible conclusion: Probably Changez comes to mind the episode of the Twin Towers thanks to this fact. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘[...] you are well-traveled for an American.’” |
‘’Lei ha viaggiato molto per essere un americano [...]’’” |
The Italian version turns the adjective active in liabilities. |
Reason for choice: Similarity between the characters |
||
Analysis: The protagonist finds himself in the interlocutor a resemblance to himself. Changez has also traveled extensively, especially for America. |
||
Possible conclusion: The protagonist finds himself in the interlocutor a resemblance to himself. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘So I learned to tell executives my father’s age, “I need it now’ |
‘‘Così imparai a dire «Mi serve adesso» a un dirigente dell’età di mio padre’’ |
In the Italian version the comma is eclipsed, allowing a faster reading of the extract but by losing relevance to the quotation of the speech. |
Reason for choice: existential contrast in the protagonist |
||
Analysis: Changez notices a contrast inherent itself. On the one side, he continues to have strict moral values, on the other is forced to obscure them to allow to be truly inserted into American society. |
||
Possible conclusion: Changez notices a contrast inherent itself. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘[...]and thought, you are so foreign’ |
“[...] e pensai: come sei straniero” |
The introduction of the colon in the Italian version tends to give greater importance to the definition of foreigner. |
Reason for choice: "Tilting" of the situation |
||
Analysis: Changez at this time, "immersed" in the most absolute luxury, seems to forget that he was a foreigner, not the person who defines it, which is not foreign (as in your country). |
||
Possible conclusion: Changez seems to forget that he was a foreigner. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘And then I smiled’ |
‘’E allora sorrisi’’ |
The phrase, translated in Italian, does not lose its drama and its form of judgment. |
Reason for choice: Improbability of Changez’s reaction |
||
Analysis: The reaction of Changez intended to disrupt, as well as the other party, even (and especially) the player, showing the continuing inner contradiction of the personality of Changez, divided between homeland and adopted country. |
||
Possible conclusion: Changez showing the continuing inner contradiction of his personality. |
Jacopo Bordignon, Francesco Floritto
A.S. 2014-2015 – CLASSE Va B
CAPITOLO 6 |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘We are America’ |
“Noi siamo l’America” |
The sententiousness of the sentence, along with his power, is maintained. |
Reason for choice: American arrogance |
||
Analysis: The United States, after the attack on the Twin Towers, and discover an outmoded nationalism, while showing their fragility. |
||
Possible conclusion: With this sentence the author wants to emphasize the characters dramatic - and dangerous - of American nationalism. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
Other forms of reprimand were noisier. |
Altre forme di rimprovero erano più chiassose. |
in the italian version it's used the word"rimprovero", on the contrary in the english one it is used a stronger word"reprimand" |
Reason for choice: American nationalism |
||
Analysis: The protagonist complains the fact that the Americans, in a time of difficulty, "dust off" their nationalism, reaching even to extreme forms. |
||
Possible conclusion: Americans are very nationalists. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
His demeanor leads me to rule out the possibility that you are a tourist. |
Il suo contegno mi porta ad escludere l'eventualità che lei sia un turista. |
The structure of the original version goes straight to the point. Instead the translated version is more complex. |
Reason for choice: Changez experience and intuition |
||
Analysis: Changez has now learned about the American. You know, also, what it means to travel for work, and is able to recognize someone who does it. |
||
Possible conclusion: The co-protagonist is not a tourist. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
Go to the Hamptons. |
Andarcene agli Hamptons. |
While in the English version the Hamptons are expressed as an anthropic place, in the Italian one seems to recall a natural place. |
Reason for choice: Introduction of Erica’s family’s income. |
||
Analysis: With the use of the term Hamptons, Changez makes us understand the economic status of the family of Erica, a likely reference to the widespread wealth in America, with respect to Pakistan. Only material wealth, though. |
||
Possible conclusion: this question shows the condition of (Am)erica and many Americans |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
[…] is an occasion of some importance. |
[…] è un'occasione di una certa importanza. |
the italian version is very similar to the english one, because of the order of the words |
Reason for choice: Changez realizes the importance of his interlocutor. |
||
Analysis: Changez realizes the importance of his interlocutor. Therefore, to justify with it, proving to understand the people. |
||
Possible conclusion: Changez is able to understand people. |
CAPITOLO 7 |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
Of courseI wanted tobelieve; |
Di sicuro volevo crederci; |
The emphasis of the subject in the English version allows us to understand better the inner struggle to Changez. |
Reason for choice: Changez want to believe in America. |
||
Analysis: Changez want to continue to believe in the American dream, but realizes it can no longer do. |
||
Possible conclusion: Henceforth his job performance will continue to decline. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
Economy is an animal. |
L’economia è un animale. |
The structure of the sentences is similar and convey a strong effect in both cases. |
Reason for choice: to show the role of economy in the American view |
||
Analysis: with this sentence Jim, Changez's boss, shows how financial fundamentalists exist like the islamic ones. |
||
Possible conclusion: the protagonist uses a strong metaphor to convey the idea of what economy is. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
The seats next to our always remained empty. |
I posti accanto ai nostri rimanevano sempre vuoti. |
the english version is very strong and shows perfectly Changez's condition |
Reason for choice: Popular distrust toward high finance. |
||
Analysis: Note, in this excerpt, as Changez is aware of the fact of being part of a very powerful, yet marginalized. The exclusion, therefore, is not provoked (in this case) ethnicity, but by the economy. |
||
Possible conclusion: this sentence makes us reclect on financial effects. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
Focus on the fundamentals. |
Concentrati sui fondamenti. |
the word"focus" makes the reader how in the USA the economic fundamentalism is at the centre in USA |
Reason for choice: Recall to fundamentalism |
||
Analysis: This sentence leads to the essential concept of the book: the economic fundamentalism in the USA. |
||
Possible conclusion: Economic fundamentalism is the faith of USA |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
I apologize. |
Me ne scuso. |
the italian version is reflessive, on the contrary the english one is more direct |
Reason for choice: Changez resentment towards his behavior. |
||
Analysis: This behavior is in sharp contrast with what happened in the Philippines, a sign that Changez has now abandoned the only final way of behaving "American." |
||
Possible conclusion: Changez has now abandoned the American way. |
CAPITOLO 8 |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
[…] In the newspaper headlines containing words like duty and honor. |
Nei titoli di giornale che contenevano parole come dovere e onore. |
in both the version there are references to the past with concepts like duty and honor |
Reason for choice: "Something undeniably retro" |
||
Analysis: Changez notes that while Americans consider Pakistan a backward country, are themselves coming back. Two countries, therefore, not very different. |
||
Possible conclusion: the American feels itself superior and uses archaic words to esxpress that. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
‘Fucking arab’ |
“Arabo del cazzo” |
the dispregiative word is different from italian to english but it's well summarized the concept of discrimination. |
Reason for choice: Different = enemy |
||
Analysis: With what the writer wants us to notice the decreasing intelligence of the average American in front of the other, which now appears as an enemy. |
||
Possible conclusion: Americans are ignorant. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
In the last days you seems different to you |
Negli ultimi tempi non sei più tu. |
the structure of both the sentences shows how Changez wants to be completely a Pakistan. |
Reason for choice: Changez’s Pakistani side. |
||
Analysis: Changez is becoming indeed, returning, Pakistani. |
||
Possible conclusion: Changez decides to come back to his origins, it shows how everyone is strongly devoted to his mother country. |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
He needs a friend |
Ha bisogno di un amico |
the verb "needs" sounds like an invocation an help request. |
Reason for choice: it perfectly shows Changez's condition |
||
Analysis: Changez, seeing Erica as the transposition of America, cannot be considered as a boyfriend, or be fully integrated, but just a friend, then detached. |
||
Possible conclusion: this sentence clearly shows the need of intregration of Changez in a different nation |
||
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ORIGINALE |
CITAZIONI VERSIONE ITALIANA |
ANALISI COMPARATA |
Two analysts came with me were dismissed. |
Due degli analisti entrati con me furono licenziati. |
the english version seems more efficient and direct compared to the italian translation |
Reason for choice: The financial fundamentalism strikes again. |
||
Analysis: The financial fundamentalism, despite the difficulties of the USA after 9/11, do not stop the thirst of gain, so much so that two young people are being laid off. |
||
Possible conclusion:this question makes us reflect on how strong and hard the financial fundamentalism in the USA |