The Brothers Karamazov Lesson Plan

Lost In Translation

Kind of Activity:

Classwide Discussion

Objective:

Students will compare multiple translations of the same passage.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4

Structure:

Russian is a notoriously difficult language to translate, and many attempts to do so often end with functional, if not somewhat dry, results. A work as significant and monumental as The Brothers Karamazov deserves a translation that conveys Dostoevsky's ideas as closely as possible. Of course, there is no singular "best" translation of Karamazov, and one's choice largely comes down to personal preference. For this activity, students will read a single passage from multiple...