The Tempest Translation

The way English was written and spoken in the 17th century differs largely from the way we write and speak today. As time has gone by and meanings have changed, many plays have been translated so they are easier to read. However, these translations can lose the meaning it was originally intended to have. Inthe above passage from William Shakespeare's playThe Tempest, Prospero recalls how he and Miranda landed on this island and describes the hardships they encountered after being forced to leave Milan because of his power usurping brother, Antonio. Though the text's translation in No Fear Shakespeare is able to retain the original meaning, the translation loses parts of the play's original meaning, the original play emphasizes certain views …show more content…
In the original text, Prospero states that he was forced to leave the island, and was not killed, since the "love [his] people bore [him]" was so dear. The original text states that the people's love was what prevented him from being killed and lead to his departure. In the translation from No Fear Shakespeare, the reason for the present state that they are in is because the "people of Milan loved [him] too much." Similarly, the translation, it is stated that in Milan, people loved him, so he was not executed by his brother, who had usurped his position as duke. The translation preserves the meaning of the original text and makes it easier for modern readers to understand by the simpler language the translation uses. Both passages focus on that the logical reasoning for the event and how the public strongly influenced the events following Antonio usurping his brother's power. The original text also states that the boat they were left on had left them to travel "some leagues to sea." Similarly, in the translation of the play to modern English, Prospero and Miranda were "carried" a "number of miles out to sea." As a league is the equivalent of the few miles, the translation maintains many details of the original text, which does not change the reader's perception of the distance they traveled. The No Fear Shakespeare version helps readers understand the passage, since a "league" is not a commonly used term to describe a distance traveled, and many readers understand how far a mile is, and so the translation does not inhibit the meaning of the original text but helps readers. In addition, the original text and the translated version describe the condition of the "ship" similarly, both focusing on the poor and worn conditions,