Through the Looking-Glass: Translating Nonsense

In 1871, Lewis Carroll published Through the Looking-

Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to his hugely

popular Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In this sequel,

Alice sees a world through her looking-glass which looks

almost the same as her own world, but not quite.

I'll tell you all my ideas about Looking-glass House.

First, there's the room you can see through the glass

– that's just the same as our drawing-room, only the

things go the other way. [...] the books are something

like our books, only the words go the wrong way[...]

Alice goes through the mirror into the alternative world,

which, not unlike Wonderland, is full of weird and wonderful

characters. She finds a book there, which is “all in some

language I don't know”. Below are the first few lines of the

book – can you read it?

Just the same, only things go the other way...

‘Some language I don’t know’, ‘the words go the wrong way’. Alice might almost be talking

about the practice of translation, which makes a text accessible to a reader unfamiliar with the

original language it was written in. And translation, too, can often feel like it is almost the same

as the original, and yet somehow also different. We might say that translation is like Alice’s

looking-glass: it reflects the original but in distorted and imaginative ways.

Can you think of any other similes for translation?

Translation is like .......................................................................................................................

because ..........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................

What, in your opinion, is the purpose of translation? ..................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................

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In 1871, Lewis Carroll published Through the Looking- Glass, and What Alice Found There , a sequel to his hugely popular Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In this sequel, Alice sees a world through her looking-glass which looks almost the same as her own world, but not quite. I'll tell you all my ideas about Looking-glass House. First, there's the room you can see through the glass

- that's just the same as our drawing-room, only the things go the other way. [...] the books are something like our books, only the words go the wrong way[...] Alice goes through the mirror into the alternative world, which, not unlike Wonderland, is full of weird and wonderful characters. She finds a book there, which is “all in some language I don't know”. Below are the first few lines of the book – can you read it?

Just the same, only things go the other way...

‘Some language I don’t know’, ‘the words go the wrong way’. Alice might almost be talking about the practice of translation, which makes a text accessible to a reader unfamiliar with the original language it was written in. And translation, too, can often feel like it is almost the same as the original, and yet somehow also different. We might say that translation is like Alice’s looking-glass: it reflects the original but in distorted and imaginative ways. Can you think of any other similes for translation?

Translation is like .......................................................................................................................

because ..........................................................................................................................................

What, in your opinion, is the purpose of translation? ..................................................................

Jabberwocky Alice realises that the book she has found is a looking-glass book, and must be read in a mirror. This is the text she reads in the mirror: ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood. And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" He chortled in his joy. ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. Some questions to think about...

What does it mean? What happens in the poem?
How can we know what happens when so many of the words don’t make sense?
Are there clues that can help us? Can we tell what kinds of words the nonsense words are e.g. nouns, verbs etc.? Which tense are they in?
Do the sounds of the words conjure up any associations? Psst: think about onomatopoeia. Write down what you think these words could mean. Remember, there are no wrong answers so let your imagination go wild because it’s all nonsense anyway!
brillig ..................................................................................................................................
slithy ...................................................................................................................................
mimsy ................................................................................................................................
raths ....................................................................................................................................
outgrabe ..............................................................................................................................

Let’s take a look at how one translator did it. Take a look at Adolfo de Alba’s translation of the first stanza into Spanish (‘El Jabberwocky’), annotated with some observations: Era la asarvesperia y los flexilimosos toves giroscopiaban taledrando en el vade; debilmiseros estaban los borogoves; bramatchisilban los verdilechos parde. ‘Jabberwocky’ has been translated into more than 60 languages. Have a look at some other examples of the first stanza translated. Which languages do you recognise? Era brillosto, e gli alacridi tossi succhiellavano scabbi nel pantúle: Méstili eran tutti i paparossi, e strombavan musando i tartarocchi. — (Italian, by Adriana Crespi) Il brilgue: les tôves lubricilleux Se gyrent en vrillant dans le guave. Enmîmés sont les gougebosqueux Et le mômerade horsgrave. — (French, by Frank L. Warrin) Es brillig war. Die schlichten Toven Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben; Und aller-mümsige Burggoven Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben. — (German, by Robert Scott) Borgotaba. Los viscoleantes toves rijando en la solea, tadralaban... Misébiles estaban los borgoves y algo momios los verdos bratchilbaban — (Spanish, by Ramón Buckley) Mae'n brydgell ac mae'r brochgim stwd Yn gimblo a gyrian yn y mhello: Pob cólomrws yn féddabwd, A'r hoch oma'n chwibruo. — (Welsh, by Selyf Roberts) Варкалось. Хливкие шорьки Пырялись по наве, И хрюкотали зелюки, Как мюмзики в мове. — (Russian, by Dina Orlovskaya) On a phone or smart device, try searching for words, or parts of words, that you see in these translations. The dictionary will make suggestions of existing words, based on the first few letters you enter. You’ll be amazed at how many of these translations draw on combinations of existing words to create new connections between apparently disparate objects, actions, or concepts. In this way, Carroll’s nonsensical text has given rise to a rich and playful tradition of creative association and literary enjoyment. Do you think these translations are successful? If so, why? If not, why not? Are there any features that particularly strike you, such as changes in tense? the verb ‘asar’ means ‘to roast’ ‘vespero’ means ‘vesper’ or ‘evening’ the evening roasting (or ‘broiling’) time ‘débil’ means weak ‘mísero’ means miserable ‘bramar’ means ‘to bellow’ ‘silbar’ means ‘to whistle’ ‘tchi’ sounds like a sneeze’

A final challenge As you can see in the ‘Babel: Adventures in Translation’ exhibition, translation is as old as language itself. As language constantly evolves, so, too, does the task of the translator. Perhaps today’s translators will be asked to translate into emojis. Can you translate the first stanza of ‘Jabberwocky’ into emoji form here? So, there you have it: an exploration of the art of translating nonsense. We began by thinking about the looking-glass as a simile for translation, but if there’s anything ‘Jabberwocky’ shows us, it’s that this mirror is not a perfect reflection. Like Alice’s experience in Looking-Glass Land, translation is a distortion that captures the essence of the original but is able to retain a life and identity of its own. Jabberwocky translations sourced from Wikipedia Text by Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass (London, 1872) Illustrations by John Tenniel [Public domain]

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