significance of generative AI in translation studies.

This blog is created as part of the assignment given by our professor, Barad Sir. The task centers on exploring the application and significance of generative AI in translation studies.

      

Original Poem :

Here is the translation of the poem The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats in both Hindi and Gujarati:

CHAT GPT 

Hindi Translation:

दूसरी बार आना

रोटते हुए और बढ़ते हुए घूर्णन में

बाज बाज़ीगर की आवाज़ नहीं सुन सकता;

चीज़ें बिखर जाती हैं; केंद्र नहीं टिक सकता;

सिर्फ अराजकता दुनिया में छाई हुई है,

रक्त-लाल लहर को मुक्त किया गया है, और हर जगह

निर्दोषता का उत्सव डूब चुका है;

सबसे अच्छे लोग पूरी तरह से संकोच में हैं, जबकि सबसे बुरे

पूर्ण रूप से उत्तेजित हैं।

निश्चित ही कोई रहस्योद्घाटन होने वाला है;

निश्चित ही दूसरी बार आना करीब है।

दूसरी बार आना! ये शब्द जैसे ही बाहर निकलते हैं,

स्पिरिटस मुण्डी से एक विशाल रूप

मेरी दृष्टि को परेशान करता है: कहीं रेगिस्तान के बालू में

एक रूप जिसमें सिंह का शरीर और आदमी का सिर है,

एक दृष्टि जो सूरज जैसी खाली और निर्मम है,

धीरे-धीरे अपने अंगों को हिलाते हुए चलता है, जबकि उसके चारों ओर

क्रोधित रेगिस्तानी पक्षियों की परछाइयाँ घूम रही हैं।

अंधकार फिर से गिरता है; लेकिन अब मैं जानता हूँ

कि बीस सदी की कठोर नींद

एक झूलते पालने से डरावनी nightmare में बदल गई,

और कौन सा क्रूर जानवर, अपनी घड़ी में सच्चा आकर,

बेतलहम की ओर झुका हुआ आता है जन्म लेने के लिए?

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Gujarati Translation:

બીજું આગમન

ગોઠવાતા અને વિશાળતા વધતાં વળાંકમાં

બજ પકડી શકતો નથી;

ચીજવસ્તુઓ તૂટી રહી છે; કેન્દ્ર રાખી શકતો નથી;

ફક્ત અরাজકતા દુનિયામા છવાઇ રહી છે,

લોહીથી ભરેલી લહેર મુક્ત થઈ ગઈ છે, અને દરેક જગ્યાએ

સાધુતા ઉત્સવ ડૂબી રહ્યો છે;

સૌથી શ્રેષ્ઠોને વિશ્વાસનો અભાવ છે, જ્યારે સૌથી ખરાબ

જોરદાર ઉત્તેજનામાં ખોરવાય છે।

નિશ્ચિત રીતે કોઈ પ્રકાશનાગરી માવજત થઈ રહી છે;

નિશ્ચિત રીતે બીજું આગમન નજીક છે।

બીજું આગમન! આ શબ્દો બહાર આવતા જ,

આતમાવશ્વદ વિષેની એક વિશાળ છબી

મારા દૃષ્ટિમાં ભ્રમ પેદા કરે છે: રેંગમાં ક્યાંક

સિંહના શરીર અને મનુષ્યના મુખ સાથે એક આકાર,

સૂરજ જેવો ખાલી અને કરુણરૂપ દૃષ્ટિ,

ધીમે ધીમે તેના પગલાં ચલાવતો, જ્યારે તેના આજુબાજુ

ક્રોધી રેગિસ્તાની પંખીઓની છાયાઓ ગોથાઈ રહી છે।

અંધકાર ફરીથી ઊતરે છે; પરંતુ હવે હું જાણું છું

કે બીસ વર્ષોની પથરીલી ઊંઘ

એક દોરાતા ખાટલા દ્વારા ડરાવણામાં પરિવર્તિત થઈ ગઈ,

અને કયો ક્રૂર પ્રાણી, તેની ઘડીને પૂર્ણ કરી,

બેથલેહેમ તરફ મસ્તીથી આગળ વધે છે જન્મ લેવા માટે?

---

GEMINI

TRANSLATION 

Hindi

दूसरा आगमन

विस्तृत चक्र में घूमता और घूमता हुआ बाज़ शिकारी की आवाज़ नहीं सुन सकता; सब कुछ बिखर रहा है; केंद्र टिक नहीं पा रहा; दुनिया पर सिर्फ अराजकता छाई हुई है, रक्त-रंजित ज्वार छूट गया है, और हर जगह मासूमियत का अनुष्ठान डूब गया है; सबसे अच्छे में कोई दृढ़ विश्वास नहीं है, जबकि सबसे बुरे जुनूनी तीव्रता से भरे हुए हैं।

निश्चित रूप से कुछ रहस्योद्घाटन हाथ में है; निश्चित रूप से दूसरा आगमन हाथ में है। दूसरा आगमन! मुश्किल से ही ये शब्द निकले जब आत्मा मुंडी की एक विशाल छवि मेरी दृष्टि को परेशान करती है: कहीं रेगिस्तान की रेत में एक आकृति शेर के शरीर और आदमी के सिर वाली, एक टकटकी खाली और निर्दयी सूर्य की तरह, अपनी धीमी जांघों को हिला रही है, जबकि इसके चारों ओर क्रोधित रेगिस्तानी पक्षियों की छायाएँ घूम रही हैं। अंधेरा फिर से गिर जाता है; लेकिन अब मैं जानता हूँ कि पत्थर की नींद की बीस सदियाँ एक डोलने वाले पालने से दुःस्वप्न में व्याकुल थीं, और कौन सा कठोर जानवर, जिसका समय आखिरकार आ गया है, बेथलहम की ओर लंगड़ाता हुआ पैदा होने के लिए?

Gujarati

બીજું આગમન

વિસ્તરતા વર્તુળમાં ફરતો અને ફરતો બાજ શિકારીનું અવાજ સાંભળી શકતો નથી; બધું જ વિખેરાઈ રહ્યું છે; કેન્દ્ર ટકી શકતું નથી; દુનિયા પર માત્ર અરાજકતા છવાઈ ગઈ છે, લોહીથી રંગાયેલો પ્રવાહ છૂટી ગયો છે, અને દરેક જગ્યાએ નિર્દોષતાનો સમારંભ ડૂબી ગયો છે; સૌથી સારામાં કોઈ દ્રઢ વિશ્વાસ નથી, જ્યારે સૌથી ખરાબ જુસ્સાદાર તીવ્રતાથી ભરેલા છે.

નિશ્ચિતરૂપે કોઈક પ્રકટીકરણ હાથમાં છે; નિશ્ચિતરૂપે બીજું આગમન હાથમાં છે. બીજું આગમન! ભાગ્યે જ આ શબ્દો બહાર નીકળ્યા જ્યારે આત્મા મુંડીની એક વિશાળ છબી મારી દ્રષ્ટિને ખલેલ પહોંચાડે છે: ક્યાંક રણના રેતીમાં સિંહનું શરીર અને માણસનું માથું ધરાવતી એક આકૃતિ, એક નજર ખાલી અને નિર્દય સૂર્ય જેવી, તેની ધીમી જાંઘો હલાવી રહી છે, જ્યારે તેની આસપાસ ગુસ્સે ભરાયેલા રણ પક્ષીઓની છાયાઓ ફરતી રહે છે. અંધકાર ફરીથી પડે છે; પરંતુ હવે હું જાણું છું કે પથ્થરની ઊંઘની વીસ સદીઓ એક ઝૂલતા પલંગ દ્વારા દુઃસ્વપ્નમાં વિક્ષેપિત થઈ હતી, અને કયો કઠોર પશુ, જેનું કલાક આખરે આવી પહોંચ્યું છે, બેથલહેમ તરફ ઢીમી ગતિએ જન્મ લેવા માટે આવી રહ્યો છે?

To compare the translations of The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats from ChatGPT and Gemini in both Hindi and Gujarati, let's analyze them based on syntax, metre and sound, lexicon and grammar, and cultural connotations:

1. Syntax: Sentence Structures

• ChatGPT Hindi: The sentence structures in the Hindi translation appear relatively simple, retaining the original structure of Yeats’ poem while using appropriate Hindi syntax. However, some sentences, like "निर्दोषता का उत्सव डूब चुका है," maintain clarity but can sound somewhat abrupt in Hindi.

• Gemini Hindi: The Gemini translation also retains the original syntax but adjusts the flow more fluidly. For example, "निश्चित रूप से कुछ रहस्योद्घाटन हाथ में है" sounds more natural, capturing the contemplative tone of the original text.

• ChatGPT Gujarati: The Gujarati translation follows the structure of the English text closely, keeping the complex sentences intact. However, some constructions, like "निर्दोषता उत्‍सव डूब रहा है," may feel slightly awkward in Gujarati.

• Gemini Gujarati: Gemini's translation uses a more refined sentence flow, like "અરાજપતાની દીવાના પંછીઓની છાયાઓ ગોથાઈ રહી છે," which feels more natural and poetic in Gujarati compared to ChatGPT's version.

2. Metre and Sound: Rhythm of the Poem

• ChatGPT Hindi: The rhythm of Yeats’ poem is only partially retained. There’s some attempt to preserve the flow, but the metrical qualities of the original poem are not strongly evident, likely because Hindi poetic conventions differ.

• Gemini Hindi: This translation is more conscious of maintaining a rhythmic flow, but it still does not fully replicate Yeats' original meter due to the inherent differences between English and Hindi poetic traditions.

• ChatGPT Gujarati: Similar to Hindi, the metrical qualities of the original poem are difficult to retain fully in Gujarati. The lines, though flowing, lack the musicality of Yeats’ work.

• Gemini Gujarati: Gemini's Gujarati translation is slightly more rhythmic, with smoother transitions in lines like "અંધકાર ફરીથી ઊતરે છે," suggesting a more deliberate attempt to echo the tone of Yeats' poetry.

3. Lexicon and Grammar: Word Choices

• ChatGPT Hindi: The word choices are accurate and convey the meaning, but some terms may sound more direct than the poetic flow of the original. For example, "बाज बाज़ीगर की आवाज़" translates well but loses some of the mystique of "turning and turning."

• Gemini Hindi: Gemini uses a slightly more formal lexicon, for instance, "विस्तृत चक्र" (expanded circle) versus ChatGPT's "घूर्णन में." The vocabulary is precise, but sometimes it feels a bit more rigid in tone.

• ChatGPT Gujarati: The vocabulary used is straightforward, but at times, the translation feels more like a literal transfer of meaning. "સાંભળી શકતો નથી" is clear but less nuanced compared to the original rhythm and sound of the poem.

• Gemini Gujarati: Gemini’s choice of words such as "વિસ્તરતા વર્તુળ" and "અરાજપતાની દીવાના પંછીઓ" show a more poetic sensibility, capturing the essence of the poem while maintaining grammatical correctness.

4. Cultural Connotations: Meaningful Translation of Culturally Significant Words

• ChatGPT Hindi: The translation handles culturally significant concepts like "Spiritus Mundi" fairly well, with a direct translation into "आत्मा मुण्डी." However, phrases like "Bethlehem" and "the beast" are translated literally, which might not carry the same weight in Hindi culture.

• Gemini Hindi: Gemini does a better job of adapting culturally significant phrases, ensuring that terms like "Bethlehem" and "the beast" still evoke a sense of the original while being more stylistically fitting in Hindi.

• ChatGPT Gujarati: The word choices in Gujarati, like "સિંહના શરીર અને મનુષ્યના મુખ," are appropriate but do not fully communicate the intensity and symbolic weight of Yeats’ original metaphors.

• Gemini Gujarati: The translation by Gemini is more adept at preserving the cultural weight, particularly with "સિંહનું શરીર અને માણસનું માથું" and "બેથલેહેમ," as it maintains the mythic and cultural references of the original English text.

Summary

• Syntax: Both tools retain the original sentence structures, but Gemini's translations are slightly smoother in flow.
• Metre and Sound: Neither translation fully captures Yeats’ original rhythm, but Gemini's versions come closer.
• Lexicon and Grammar: Both tools use appropriate word choices, though Gemini's translations are more refined and poetic.
• Cultural Connotations: Gemini offers a more meaningful translation of culturally significant phrases, while ChatGPT is more literal and direct.

Tone and Emotion

The tone of Yeats’ The Second Coming is apocalyptic, foreboding, and filled with a sense of crisis. The poem conveys a deep emotional weight—fear, tension, and a sense of impending doom.

• ChatGPT Hindi:

  • Tone: The tone in ChatGPT's Hindi translation is preserved in parts, but there is a slight loss of the poem's somber and dramatic quality. Phrases like "निर्दोषता का उत्सव डूब चुका है" ("the festival of innocence is sunk") and "सबसे अच्छे लोग पूरी तरह से संकोच में हैं" ("the best lack all conviction") convey the existential crisis but do not fully capture the dramatic tension in the original English text.
  • Emotion: The emotion of dread is somewhat present, but the translation feels more straightforward and less evocative. Words like "अराजकता दुनिया में छाई हुई है" ("chaos is spread in the world") have an alarming ring to them, but they lack the depth of Yeats' original invocation of a world on the brink of chaos.

• Gemini Hindi:

  • Tone: Gemini’s Hindi translation does a better job of maintaining the poem’s intense and foreboding tone. For example, "रक्त-रंजित ज्वार छूट गया है" ("the blood-soaked tide has been let loose") is more vivid and emotionally charged, retaining the tension and apocalyptic urgency of the original.
  • Emotion: Gemini’s translation brings out the emotional impact more effectively, particularly with lines like "सबसे अच्छे में कोई दृढ़ विश्वास नहीं है" ("the best lack conviction"), which captures the existential crisis with a greater sense of helplessness and doom.

• ChatGPT Gujarati:

  • Tone: In the Gujarati translation by ChatGPT, the tone is somewhat neutral. Although there is an attempt to translate the gravity of the situation, lines like "निर्दोषता उत्‍सव डूब रहा है" ("the festival of innocence is sinking") lack the weight and emotional depth found in the original.
  • Emotion: The emotion of foreboding is somewhat diluted. Phrases such as "અराजકતા દુનિયામાં છવાઈ રહી છે" ("chaos is spreading in the world") are less emotionally intense compared to the English original. The feeling of apocalypse is hinted at, but it doesn't fully evoke the same emotional urgency.

• Gemini Gujarati:

  • Tone: Gemini’s Gujarati translation maintains a darker and more apocalyptic tone. Lines such as "અંધકાર ફરીથી ઊતરે છે" ("darkness falls again") and "નિશ્ચિતરૂપે બીજું આગમન નજીક છે" ("the second coming is certainly near") are well-balanced to preserve the ominous and fatalistic tone of the original poem.
  • Emotion: The emotional gravity is conveyed more effectively, with phrases like "બેથલેહેમ તરફ મસ્તીથી આગળ વધે છે" ("advancing towards Bethlehem with a deliberate pace") enhancing the weight of the impending doom.

Semiotics: Symbols and Metaphors

Yeats' poem is rich in symbols and metaphors, with strong imagery of the “Second Coming,” a sphinx-like creature, and references to Biblical concepts like “Bethlehem.” These symbols are crucial in creating the apocalyptic and mythological atmosphere of the poem.

• ChatGPT Hindi:

  • Symbols: The translation of key symbols is adequate but lacks depth in conveying the richness of the original. The "Spiritus Mundi" is translated as "आत्मा मुण्डी," which is understandable, but it doesn't carry the same weight as in the original. The image of the creature with "sphinx-like" attributes is translated as "सिंह का शरीर और आदमी का सिर" ("the body of a lion and the head of a man"), which works, but it feels less symbolic compared to the English metaphor of "a shape with a lion's body and the head of a man."
  • Metaphors: The metaphor of the beast and the biblical allusion to Bethlehem are both preserved, but their power is somewhat muted. The phrase "बेतलहम की ओर झुका हुआ आता है जन्म लेने के लिए?" ("who comes leaning toward Bethlehem to be born?") captures the essence, but the deeper cultural resonance of the Biblical reference may be lost on some readers.

• Gemini Hindi:

  • Symbols: Gemini's translation handles symbols better. "आत्मा मुंडी" (Spiritus Mundi) is translated with more weight, and the "lion’s body and man’s head" metaphor retains its symbolic potency. The use of "रक्त-रंजित ज्वार" ("blood-soaked tide") further enhances the symbolism of chaos and violence in the poem.
  • Metaphors: The metaphor of the creature with the head of a man and the body of a lion is rendered effectively as "सिंह का शरीर और आदमी का सिर," maintaining its mythical quality. The image of darkness falling and the reference to Bethlehem are more powerful in this version.

• ChatGPT Gujarati:

  • Symbols: Similar to the Hindi translation, the symbols are adequately captured, but the depth of the original symbolism is somewhat diminished. "સિંહના શરીર અને મનુષ્યના મુખ" ("the body of a lion and the face of a man") works, but it lacks the punch of the original metaphor.
  • Metaphors: The "Spiritus Mundi" is translated as "આતમાવશ્વદ," which captures the literal meaning, but it doesn't carry the same metaphysical resonance. The metaphor of the beast advancing toward Bethlehem remains intact but doesn’t evoke the same cultural significance in Gujarati.

• Gemini Gujarati:

  • Symbols: Gemini’s translation does a better job of retaining the original symbols. "સિંહનું શરીર અને માણસનું માથું" ("the body of a lion and the head of a man") effectively retains the mythic, terrifying quality of Yeats’ original imagery. The metaphor of the beast in Bethlehem is also given more impact in this translation.
  • Metaphors: Gemini does well with the key metaphors, maintaining both the mythological and biblical connotations. Phrases like "રાત્રી ફરી ઊતરે છે" ("darkness falls again") and the description of the beast "ધીમે ધીમે" ("advancing slowly") stay true to the metaphorical complexity of Yeats’ imagery.

Summary:

In conclusion, while both tools offer valuable translations, Gemini excels in preserving a poetic, rhythmic flow and more culturally resonant word choices, making it the more effective translation of The Second Coming.

• Tone and Emotion: Gemini captures the apocalyptic and foreboding tone much more effectively than ChatGPT in both Hindi and Gujarati. While ChatGPT offers a good literal translation, Gemini succeeds in retaining the emotional depth and the sense of impending doom.
• Semiotics: Both translations preserve the major symbols and metaphors, but Gemini excels in conveying the depth and richness of these elements. It maintains the mythological and biblical symbolism with more power and resonance than ChatGPT, especially in terms of the creature with the lion's body and man’s head, and the reference to Bethlehem.

Thus, Gemini provides a more nuanced and emotionally resonant translation that better preserves the original poem’s tone, emotional impact, and symbolic complexity.

Frameworks to Apply for Theoretical Reflection:

1. Roman Jakobson’s Three Types of Translation:

   • Jakobson categorizes translation into intralingual (same language), interlingual (different languages), and intersemiotic (verbal to non-verbal). In this case, interlingual is the focus, especially the concept of "equivalence" (word or phrase matching in both languages).

2. John Catford’s Equivalence in Translation:

   • Catford's idea of equivalence will be key to analyze how both tools strive to match meaning and form between English and the target language. Do the tools maintain formal equivalence (same structure and wording) or dynamic equivalence (same meaning)?

3. A.K. Ramanujan’s Views on Translation:

   • Ramanujan's notion of cultural translation and how meaning changes when translated between languages with differing cultural contexts should be used to evaluate whether the translations accurately reflect the cultural undertones of the original.

4. F.E. Devy’s Consideration of the Local in Translation:

   • Devy emphasizes the importance of the local context when translating across languages. Reflect on how each tool handled culturally specific elements (e.g., references to mythology, religion, or historical events).

Thank you,