The Nature Of Language In Victor Hugo's Les Misérables

Ever since the creation of written language, humanity has been connected on profound levels with each other. However, the gap in between separate languages has also hampered this connection in the lost experiences of translations. Although the nature of language itself is universal, the differences between two languages often obstructs the reader 's ability to fully comprehend a literature piece. The translator 's struggle to balance between poetic purposes and the intended meaning of the author often mars the reader 's ability to fully comprehend translated texts. Similairly, in Victor Hugo 's historical novel Les Misérables, much of Hugo 's brilliant contemplations of the French language is often lost in English translations.

The range of possible interpretations of the original text is narrowed when translated by a secondary source who imposes their own perceptions of the piece into the translation. The reader, having the unfortunate disadvantage of not being able to read in French, loses the opportunity to interpret Hugo 's intentions with their own experiences to create a more personal meaning. This phenomenon

Similarly, any translations of Les Misérables diminishes the proper development of characters frequently achieved through French slangs or sayings. The street boy, Gavroche, whom also participated in the revolution, often uses phrases such as “Keksekça” or “Kekçaa”, in the “language which no one writes, and which every one speaks” (Hugo, and Hapgood 1608). According to Hugo, “Kekçaa signifie : qu’est-ce que cela a ? ” (263 Volume 4). Although the translation does include explanations of these sayings, the intentional choice of using abbreviated slangs over the formal sentence demonstrates to French speakers Gavroche as a ruddy street boy, further adding to his charm. Expressive accentuations of character through certain slangs or accents occurs only in the original language as other languages lack the appropriate phrases to match specific