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Modern day translation of old English?
Hey everyone.
I'm currently studying "Doctor Faustus" but I'm having a bit of trouble understanding alot of the Old English, which is weird as I seem to be able to understand Shakespeare fine, but am having trouble with "Doctor Faustus" even though it's written in a similar vain.
Does anyone know of any online Old English to Modern English translators? (I've tried a few but they seem to be latin translators and aren't working for Shakespearean English) or where I can find a modern translation of Doctor Faustus?
Thank you in advance.
Just to add: I am talking about the Christopher Marlowe edition.*blushes* It is written very similarly to Shakespeare but I just can't decipher it, even though I can decipher Shakespeare's works just fine. :(
2 Answers
- Anonymous9 years agoFavorite Answer
Sorry, I can't find an Early Modern English to Modern English translator. I guess you'll have to use a dictionary. Note, however, that the language of Marlowe is not even Middle English, let alone Old English. No one in the time of Beowulf used words like "tragicall." They used words like "hærgtrafum."
- MarianLv 59 years ago
Not weird at all. After all, Shakespeare is considered Early Modern English.
I didn't know there was a Faust in Old English (aka Early English, sometimes), I am only familiar with Marlowe's, who was a contemporary of Shakespeare.
I suggest you ask your university/HS librarian -- a lot of those texts are published in editions with the orignal and facing page modern English.
Source(s): I have a Chaucer edition like that.Facing pages, that is.
