Lost in Translation by Laurence M. Janifer
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"Lost in Translation" by Laurence M. Janifer is a science fiction novella that was written in the early 1960s. The story explores the complexities and challenges associated with communication and understanding between different species, particularly through the lens of translation and logic. It highlights how literal interpretations can obscure deeper meanings and intentions, especially within a highly rational society. The narrative follows Korvin, who crash-lands on the planet Tr'en and finds himself
imprisoned by its highly efficient and logical inhabitants. The Tr'en, unable to grasp concepts outside their rigid understanding of logic and authority, interrogate Korvin to extract the secrets of his home planet, Earth. As Korvin navigates their questioning and misunderstandings about government and individuality, he ultimately utilizes their logical limitations to engineer his escape while reflecting on the profound differences in thinking between the Tr'en and humans. The story serves as a commentary on the significance of cultural context in communication and the potential pitfalls of an overly literal interpretation of language and ideas. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Janifer, Laurence M., 1933-2002 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Schoenherr, John, 1935-2010 |
| Title | Lost in Translation |
| Series Title | Produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction August 1961. |
| Credits |
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 77.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 30029 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-30029-0 |
| Release Date | Sep 19, 2009 |
| Last Update | Oct 24, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 575 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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