COMPARISION OF ENGLISH AND
TURKISH TRANSLATION OF
CAPITAL AND DIFFERENCES THAT
AFFECT INTERPRETATION
Yunus Emre Ayaz
SOC 370 Final Paper
INTRODUCTION
Karl Marx’s Capital is one of the most important, influental and controversial books in
economics and politics with its unique approach on relationship between capital owners and
employees and also its rich terminology. Considering the complexity and heaviness of the
text, the translation of such work into multiple languages has the potential to introduce
uncertainties into the interpretation.
Firstly, to examine how English and Turkish translations of Capital affect interpretation, this
paper will give short brief about the Karl Marx’s Capital and mention the historical
backgrounds of both English and Turkish translation processes and give information about
people who took part in these activites.
Secondly, the differences between the Turkish and English versions of Das Kapital and how
these discrepancies shape the understanding of Marx’s work in Turkish culture as well as
within the English context with examples from both books such as word comparisons and
their closeness to the originals will be examined. As well as word-to-word comparisons and
studying their connections with originals, this paper will also discuss quotations from both
books and make sentence comparisons in order to study their accuracy.
This paper also will look to see the impacts of English and Turkish translations on Marx’s
Capital. Key terms and concepts will be used to show how readers in English and Turkish
might perceive Marx’s ideas differently due to the political and social climate in their own
countries.
A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF MARX’S CAPITAL
To understand Marx’s Capital and the language that he used to express his opinions on his
work, we should understand his book thoroughly and his purposes for writing it. We should
also look at the time and environment in which he gave his work. At the heart of Marx’s
Capital, there is a critique of the economic structures of capitalism and its weaknesses. To
Marx, the most significant challenge is understanding the process of value creation through
labor and how under capitalism, the wage system is utilized to expropriate workers as surplus
value, being the difference of value that has been created through labor and what the workers
were paid. Marx further critiques the fetishization of commodities in capitalism, in the sense
that the relations between people are masked by the relations between the goods.
In this philosophical and economic work, Marx uses a technique named dialectical
materialism, which underlines the importance of the ways such as material conditions and
social relations in determining human consciousness and society. Marx’s dialectical method
focuses to reveal the covered contradictions of capitalism that are effectively obscured by
ideology and commodity fetishism.
On the other hand, Marx’s ideas and expressions are known to be hard to translate because
of the original language that Capital being wrote. The language that Marx used to write
Capital was under a heavy influence of German philosophy especially the works of Hegel
therefore translating Capital requires not only a basic linguistic equivalence but also
protecting the depth and the nuances of the Marx’s ideas and critiques.
HISTORY OF ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF CAPITAL
Without a doubt, The English version of Karl Marx's Das Kapital is a remarkable piece of
art that resulted from the combined effort and immense hard work of its translators. The first
English copy of Capital was published in 1887 and this version was translated by Samuel
Moore and Edward Aveling with the supervisıon of Frederick Engels. Samuel Moore and
Frederick Engels who was a close friend of Karl Marx, made it his life mission to get the
translation correct without losing any nuances and essence of the original German text.
On the other hand, Edward Aveling played a big role in translating the text as he was
married to one of the daughters of Karl Marx, Eleanor who was the first biographer of Karl
Marx and also has the first translation of Flaubert’s Madam Bovary. She was also the mother
of social feminism and she gave works on this agenda and managed to rephrase some of the
complicated theoretical ideas into simple English. (Holmes,Eleanor Marx: A Life, 2014).
Friedrich Engels, co-author of some of Marx’s works, along with Marx’s life-long
companion also was an essential figure during the translation and its editing. He was
hardworking in this sense as well. Trying to make sure that the ideas and messages that Marx
wanted to convey were like he intended them to be trying to weaken the uncertain portions
while providing notes where required. While providing translation for these complex pieces
of work the team had to keep in mind the philosophical aspect along with accurate political
statements serving as the foundation of the critique however their dedication paid off as they
are highly respected for their efforts in the translation which spanned over years (Carver,
Engels as Editor of Marx’s Capital,2004).
HISTORY OF TURKISH TRANSLATION OF CAPITAL
The Turkish translation of Karl Marx's Capital was also a diligent and joint effort. The firstever complete Turkish translation was published in 1965, and translated by Prof. Dr. Mehmet
Selik directly from the original German version of Capital. That translation was published by
Sol Yayınları in December 1965.
Before that complete translation, Capital was introduced to Turkish readers during the
Ottoman era, when it was summarized and translated from the French under the title Sermaye
in the journal Ceride-i Felsefiye. The first translation in the Republican era also carried the
same title and was published in 1933 (Yurtoğlu, B. (2016). Bahûr İsrâîl’in Cerîde-i
Felsefiye’si ve osmanlı’da İlk Das Kapital Tefrikası. Dört Öge(9), 115-130.)
A group of Turkish Marxist intellectuals including Mehmet Selik, Nail Satlıgan, and Erkin
Özalp worked together on the translation of Capital into Turkish which gave birth to the most
common and accepted version in 2011. It was very helpful to have them all working together
because they knew how to read Marx's language and understand his ideas about economics.
One common difficulty in translating Marx’s works that the team had to deal with was how to
translate those difficult ideas in economics and philosophy so that they made sense in
Turkish. Despite the difficulties in translating such a complex work into Turkish their
translation still managed to preserve the core meaning and the nuance of the original.
That was very important for the reception of the book even under the conditions of the
political atmosphere that was cautious on anything Marxist. They made it possible for
Turkish readers to be introduced to Marxist ideas and till today the translation remains a
valuable resource for scholars.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION: NUANCES AND INTERPRETATIONS
English versions of Capital played a big role in making Karl Marx’s ideas known around the
world. He worked closely with translators like Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling, and
many people think that the English-language edition of Capital is one of the most definitive
and accurate versions.
Advantages:
1. Terminological Consistency: One advantage of English translations is that they often
have consistent translations for Marx’s key terms thanks to its simplified grammar and word
formation rules which preserves the nuance and depth of the Marx’s arguments which makes
it easier to comprehend.
2. Accessibility: English is available to more people worldwide than any other language
because of its common usage, which means that works that written in English can reach a
wider spectrum of audience of scholars and activists. Thanks to this vast spectrum of readers,
comments and critiques on Marx’s Capital is more collective than other languages.
3. Additional Explanations: Since the text itself may be complicated and hard to
understand for most of the readers, English editions have lots of footnotes and long
introductions that assist to comprehension.
4. Continious Revisions: In the course of time several attempts made to improve the
original translation by Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling from 1887. These revisions aim to
rephrase Marx’s intricate ideologies in a way to fit modernity and also rectify mistakes or
misreadings from previous translations. These translations, incorporate insights from
evolving Marxist scholarship, reflecting ongoing academic debates. One of the most
significant examples include 1976 Penguin Classics version by Ben Fowkes which known for
its accuracy and clarity.
Disadvantages:
1. Linguistic Structure: In German, Marx can write more complex and relatively longer
sentences including many nested clauses, to convey the ideas that are quite complicated and
delicate. Sentence structure in English, in contrast, tends to be simpler and more straightforward than German. This difference makes it challenging to translate Marx's work
smoothly and accurately without losing any depth and nuances.
2. Vocabulary Inventory: With a rich and precise vocabulary that refers to philosophy and
economics, German is a language that Marx has very well used to convey his ideas in the
briefest possible sense. With German, Marx can build compound terms capturing detailed and
relatively complex concepts under one word, such as surplus value (Mehrwert) and
commodity fetishism (Warenfetischismus). English, on the other hand, has no such direct
equivalents and therefore forces the translators to express these ideas by longer phrases or by
several words what can be expressed in one term in German. This difference leads to
translations that seem to be less precise, thus misconveying the Marx's intended tone.
TURKISH TRANSLATION: NUANCES AND INTERPRETATIONS
The Turkish translation of Capital has played a significant role in introducing Marxist ideas
to the Turkish-speaking world. Especially during times when there were intellectual
movements in both political and economic fields in the 20th century. Turkish Marxist
intellectuals and theorists such as Mehmet Selik, Hikmet Kıvılcımlı, and Nail Satlıgan were
one of the most important ones to contribute to this effort (Mayıs 2011, Cihangir).
Advantages:
1. Fidelity To Original Text: Turkish is well-suited for word-for-word translation of
books that include complex expressions and new terminologies thanks to its agglutinative
structure and elasticity to form detailed explanations. This flexibility allows translators to
create exact, word-for-word equivalents without losing any depth and nuance of original text.
This feature of Turkish becomes more significant in complex and hard-to-understand books
such as Capital since even a mistranslation of one word may create significant
misunderstandings.
2. Relevance To Turkish Society: Since Turkey is a relatively new country to industrial
and political revolutions compared to European countries, Turkish readers will relate to
Marxist ideas and understandings of economic relations better as it emphasizes the significant
gap between workers and the capital owners or bourgeois. Since the Turkish translation
activities of Capital and economic and political shifts in Turkey coincide as both happened in
the 20th century, the effects of capitalism on working-class are more obvious than in any
other country in Europe, therefore this creates an opportunity for the translators to engage
with the text more and make better translations.
Disadvantages:
1. Ambiguity In Abstract Concepts: German, the original language of Capital, is known
for its ability to create complex and multi-layered abstract ideas with precision. In Capital,
Marx often uses technical and conceptual terms that take their roots from German
philosophical traditions, such as works from Hegel and Kant. Although Turkish is well-suited
for creating word-for-word translations and creative equivalents thanks to its flexibility, the
lack of philosophical tradition often requires further explanations for abstract terms to convey
their meaning precisely.
2. Structural Differences: German is an inflected language; word order and grammatical
case provide complex relations. In Turkish, relationships between words depend more
heavily on suffixes and sentence structure which can make it challenging to preserve the
depth of Marx’s dense and interdependent clauses. Translating these clauses often requires
breaking down sentences which carries the risk of losing the rhetorical impact of the original
version.
TERMINOLOGIC COMPARISION OF ENGLISH AND TURKISH VERSIONS
ANALYSIS OF THEIR EFFECTS ON INTERPRETATION
Examples from the terminology-English
1. Mehrwert: One of the most important words in Marxist terminology to understand
Marx’s ideas and create a solid foundation for economic concepts. In English, this word is
often translated as “value-added” or “added value” yet in the English translation of the
Capital this word is translated as “surplus value” which captures the economic concept and
therefore quite accurate and accepted but ın general and non-specialized use this translation
may be misleading because the word “surplus value” lack the nuance of “extra” value which
inherent in the original.
2. Warenfetischismus: Another important word from Marxist terminology and translated
as “commodity fetishism” which is highly accurate and straight-forward. It captures the
conceptual and historical nuance as Marx intended. Apart from its usage in Capital, ın general
context accuracy of “commodity fetishism” as translation of “Warenfetischismus” remains
high and keeps its connections with the original.
3. Gebrauchswert and Tauschwert: The translation of “gebrauchswert” into English is
“use-value" which is quite accurate because it captures the idea of a commodity’s capacity to
fulfill needs while use focuses on practical meaning and value focuses on economic
framework. On the other hand, the translation of “tauschwert” into English is “exchangevalue” which is also accurate because it captures the idea of the commodity’s market-based
characteristic and its role in exchange systems.
Examples from the terminology-Turkish
1. Mehrwert: As mentioned above, “mehrwert” is one of the most important terms in
Marxist terminology to understand Marxist economic concepts and engage with the text more
deeply. In Turkish this word translated as “artı değer” which is a compound word that exactly
means increased value. Although this translation conveys the main essence of the word, it can
lead to misunderstandings as referring profit in general. To eliminate that misunderstanding,
translators often add comments that underlines “artıdeğer” refers to unpaid labor that creates
surplus value in capitalist systems.
2. Warenfetischismus: The concept of “Warenfetischismus” critiques this puzzlement of
social relations under capitalism, commodity is seen as carrying inherent value, independent
of the labor producing it. In Turkish, this is translated as “meta fetişizmi”, which, if translated
back into English, means exactly "commodity fetishism." Although the translation keeps the
metaphor of fetishism and conveys the idea, in Turkish, the word "fetiş" could connote more
its psychological or cultural meanings rather than its Marxist theoretical application. This
may cause some problems in interpretation for those readers who are not well familiar with
the particular philosophical roots of this concept. Translators may need to insert explanatory
notes to clarify this term, which is crucial to expose the reification of social relations under
capitalism.
3. Gebrauchswert and Tauschwert: Translated as “kullanım değeri” and “değişim değeri”
in Turkish. These terms, while translated word-for-word exactly, can feel bulky in dense
theoretical passages where Marx uses them frequently. Their length and complexity can
disrupt readability and the flow of the text. Moreover, these translations have potential to lose
some of the philosophical nuance of the original terms. “Gebrauchswert” emphasizes inherent
properties linked to a commodity's physical nature, while “kullanım değeri” may be
understood more general as utility. Similarly, “değişim değeri” might reduce “Tauschwert” to
mere transaction, ignoring its foundation in abstract labor. Because of these complications
translators need to provide further explanations to preserve Marx’s theoretical precision.
PASSAGE COMPARISIONS FROM ENGLISH AND TURKISH VERSIONS AND
THEIR EFFECTS ON INTERPRETATION
This section examines selected passages from the English and Turkish translations of
Capital with a view to assessing their accuracy and the possible effects these translations have
on the interpretation of Marx's ideas. It does so by looking at both texts side by side to see
how faithfully the original German meanings and nuances are preserved in each translation.
Moreover, linguistic and cultural differences that may affect the way the reader comprehends
and interprets the theoretical concepts will be discussed. This comparative approach will
underline the strengths and weaknesses of both translations and complete the comparision.
Following passages are excerpted from,
English Version: Capital Volume 1, Howkes, Penguin Classics, 1976
Turkish Version: Kapital Birinci Cilt, Selik-Satlıgan, Yordam Kitap, 2011
1. English Passage
Commodities come into the world in the form of use-values or material goods, such as
iron, linen, corn, etc. This is their plain, homely, natural form. However, they are only
commodities be- cause they have a dual nature, because they are at the same time
objects of utility and bearers of value. Therefore they only appear as commodities, or
have the form of commodities, in so far as they possess a double form, i.e. natural
form and value form. (Chapter 1, Part 3, p. 138)
2. Turkish Passage:
Metalar, kullanım değerleri ya da demir, keten bezi, buğday vb. gibi meta cisimleri
biçiminde dünyaya gelir. Bu onlann basit fiziksel biçimidir. Buna karşın yalnızca iki
yönlü olduklan, aynı anda hem kullanım nesne­ leri hem de değer taşıyıcıian olduklan
için metadırlar. Bu yüzden, bunlar ancak ikili biçimde, yani fiziksel biçimde ve değer
biçiminde olduklan sürece meta olarak görünürler ya da meta biçimine sahip
bulunurlar. (Kısım 1, Bölüm 1-3, s.60)
Comparision
The translation of the selected passage into Turkish is generally accurate, conserving the
main point in the original English text; there are, however, still little differences that may
affect interpretation. Significant terms such as "use values" (kullanım değerleri) and "bearers
of value" (değer taşıyıcıları) are translated effectively, ensuring that the dual nature of
commodities is conveyed in both versions clearly. On the other hand, definite stylistic
nuances in the English version, such as the phrase "plain, simple, natural form," are
simplified and translated to Turkish as "basit fiziksel biçim" ("simple physical form").
Although this word selection is accurate, it shifts the focus slightly from the simplicity and
naturalness inherent in commodities to their physical form, which could switch interpretive
discussions related to the "natural form" of commodities.
1. English Passage:
Commodities cannot themselves go to market and perform exchanges in their own
right. We must, therefore, have recourse to their guardians, who are the possessors of
commodities. Commodities are things, and therefore lack the power to resist man. If
they are unwilling, he can use force; in other words, he can take possession of them.
(Chapter 1, Part 1, p.179)
2. Turkish Passage:
Metalar piyasaya kendi başlarına gidemez ve kendi kendilerini mübadele edemez.
Dolayısıyla, bunların ellerinden tutan kimseleri, yani meta sahiplerini de tanımamız
gerekir. Metalar şeylerdir ve bundan ötürü insanlar karşısında direnme güçleri yoktur.
Gerektiği zaman, insan zor kullanabilir, diğer bir deyimle, bunları alabilir. (Kısım 1,
Bölüm 2, s.93)
Comparision
The English and Turkish translations of the selected passage differ in tone, style, and subtle
nuances that have the potential to affect interpretation. A relatively more formal and precise
tone is used in the English version as usual when compared to the Turkish one by using
phrases like "recourse to their guardians" to underline the metaphorical authority of people
over commodities. On the other hand, the Turkish version uses "ellerinden tutan kimseler"
(“those who hold their hands”) which is a more exact translation and a more culturally
resonant way to express the idea that conveys care rather than authority. The Turkish
translation reflects the tradition of the Turkish language by using idioms which is useful in
delivering the ideas to the readers more precisely. Similarly the English phrase "lack the
power to resist man" emphasizes the asymmetry of power, engaging with Marx’s critique of
objectification under capitalism while the Turkish version uses, "insanlar karşısında direnme
güçleri yoktur" (“lack the power to resist humans”), translates the phrase accurately but not
with the same philosophical weight. This is because the English version uses the singular
word “man” which refers to a more systematic and ideological aspect. On the other hand
Turkish version uses the plural “insanlar” which shifts focus to a more basic and concrete
concept and feels less tied to a systematic aspect which leads to potential misinterpretation as
a straightforward observation that is only about human-commodity interaction.
Conclusion
The linguistic differences in the translation of Capital into English and Turkish show the
unique features of each language and affect the way Marx's ideas are interpreted. The logical
structure and the global effect of the English language, is influential in conveying the abstract
and universal features of Marx's analysis, preserving the theoretical rigor and philosophic
depth.
Turkish on the other hand, has the potential for translation to be very specific and detailed
thanks to its agglutinative structure, which is emphasized in the concreteness aspect at times
even if it can lose the nuance of the abstract philosophical thoughts. However, the usage of
idioms and expressions helps the readers to understand the book more easily, which leads to
good comprehension.
Ultimately, English translations are more towards retaining Marx's tendencies such as his
ideological and systemic critiques, while Turkish translations are clearer and maintain
cultural harmony, these show each language's strengths and natural inclinations.
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