Telephone Translation

An in-depth look at abstract translation choices: elements of Ancient Greek that don't match well with English

Focus text: Medea

Base translation: Charles Martin lines 1050-1054, page 69 (link)

This project became a reverse translation as I chose to look at a translation without finding the original Greek, then pore through Ancient Greek dictionaries, using the two options on Lexilogos for English > Greek, Woodhouse and Perseus-Tufts (link). My experience with learning Ancient Greek never concerned the production of original sentences. Instead, we were tasked with the goal of understanding grammatical structures and translating Ancient Texts as literally as possible to reflect our ability to identify each individual word by case, tense, voice etc.

Medea (seductively)

A woman up against a man like you?

γυνή, ἡ = woman (standard definition)

Ἀσύμφορος εἶναι = militate against, fight against

Woodhouse

Ἄνθρωπος = standard man

Ἥρως = hero

ὁμοῖος like, resembling

No problem. I’ll assist you in this task:

No problem

Εντάξει = modern Greek ("it's all in order")

Derived from Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + τάξει (táxei, “order”)

I'll assist

1. Συμπαραστατεῖν (dat) = stand by

2. Ἀρήγω = help, aid

3. Συναναθλέω = literally to join in accomplishing a task

Task

Κατάντημα = end, goal

I’ll send the children to her bearing gifts

Send

Ἀποπέμπω = send off

The children

1. Ἀρσένιον = male child

2. Πηΐσκος = child, son

3. Τέκνον = child

Bearing gifts

1. Ἀγλαόδωρος = bestowing splendid gifts

2. Δάνος = gift, present

Of irresistible beauty: a fine sheer robe

Irresistible

1. Ἀμαιμάκετος = irresistible

2. Ἀπρόσμαχος = irresistible

Beauty

1. Ἀγλαΐα = beauty

2. Καλλοποιός = producing beauty

Sheer

1. Ἁβρόπηνος = of delicate texture

2. Λεπταλέος = fine, delicate

3. Διαφανής = translucent, transparent

Robe

1. πέπλωμα = robe

2. τανύπεπλος = with flowing robe

3. πενδύτης = robe

And a tiara made of beaten gold!

A tiara

Ἑλικοστέφανος = with twisted diadem

Made

1. Ἔκκρουστος = beaten out, embossed

2. Σφυρήλατος = wrought with a hammer

Of beaten gold

Χρυσήλατος = of beaten gold