Journal #10

How are the two translations different? What effects does this difference create?

The two translations are different in that one seems to be a lot more personal and detailed than the other. The second (well, my second, I don't know if it's your second...) seems to focus a lot more on the man talking to his boss, as it takes up the majority of the page, whereas on the first side, it was only a couple sentences: "I have fixed up with my employer for two days' leave; obviously, under the circumstances, he couldn't refuse. Still I had the idea he looked annoyed, and I said, without thinking: 'Sorry, sir, but it's not my fault, you know.'" (Page Uno). This creates the effect of two possible plots: first, it could be about the man, and his late mother, or, it could be about man and his job. Who knows. The fact that this difference can give the reader two completely different predictions creates different tones; the first seems to be a lot more impersonal and the second seems more emotional.