Differences in Translation

The differences in diction and structure of the two translations of Some People Like Poetry by Wislawa Szymborska changes the overall tone of the poem and makes the poem more or less personal. Pronoun use and word choice change how the reader interprets the poem and how the reader connects to the poem.

One major difference in the two translations of the poem is the use of the words “you” and “one”. In Trzeciak’s translation, “one” is used in place of “you”, as well as added in places in the poem where there are no pronouns in Baranczak and Cavanagh’s translation. In the fourth line of the poem, the two translations are practically identical, other than the pronoun used. “Not counting school, where you have to” (trans. Baranczak and Cavanagh 4) is also translated as “Not counting the schools, where one must” (trans. Trzeciak 4). Trzeciak used “one”, and Baranczak and Cavanagh used “you”When one reads the line in Trzeciak’s translation, there is no personal connection. The author seems to be writing about no one in particular. The reader understands the line, and knows what the author is writing about, but it’s hard for the reader to feel connected to the scenario, because the word “one” automatically makes the reader think about someone else, and not themself. In the line in Baranczak and Cavanagh’s translation of the poem, the author is speaking directly to the reader. When the reader is personally spoken to, they are forced to reflect on whether or not the scenario applies to them. They read the line, and think about a time in school when they were forced to like poetry. This changes how the reader will read the rest of the poem, because they will feel more connected to it, and will relate to it more. Another example of pronoun change in the two translations is in lines 8-12. “But one also likes chicken noodle soup, / one like compliments and the color blue, / one likes an old scarf, / one likes to prove one’s point, / one likes to pet a dog” (trans. Trzeciak 8-12) is also translated as “but then, you can like chicken noodle soup, / or compliments, or the color blue, / your old scarf, / your own way, / petting the dog” (trans. Baranczak and Cavanagh 8-12). Trzeciak uses “one” as a pronoun in these lines, which creates a more distant tone. When the reader doesn’t feel as if the author is connected the text, the reader doesn’t connect to the text. Baranczak and Cavanagh use “you”, which makes it seem as if the author is talking directly to the reader, which makes the reader think about and reflect on personal