The following text is from Anita Desai's 2011 novella Translator Translated. While working on her translation of a novel written...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Anita Desai's 2011 novella Translator Translated. While working on her translation of a novel written in Odia (a language of India) into English, the narrator looks out her window at night to clear her mind.
I tried to distract myself with these sights of the ordinary world, but in my mind it was the lines I had been translating and the lines that I had been writing that remained in the forefront. I longed for sleep to obliterate them but it eluded me. Perhaps everything would be normal again once I had sent off the manuscript, I thought, and looked forward to completing the work.
©2011 by Anita Desai
As used in the text, what does the word 'completing' most nearly mean?
Destroying
Finishing
Advertising
Rejecting
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "I tried to distract myself with these sights of the ordinary world, but in my mind it was the lines I had been translating and the lines that I had been writing that remained in the forefront." |
|
| "I longed for sleep to obliterate them but it eluded me." |
|
| "Perhaps everything would be normal again once I had sent off the manuscript, I thought, and looked forward to completing the work." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A translator is mentally consumed by her work and believes completing the project will restore her peace of mind.
Argument Flow: The passage shows the narrator's psychological state moving from distraction attempts, to sleep deprivation, to hope that finishing her translation work will end her mental preoccupation.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? This is a Words in Context question asking us to determine what "completing" means specifically as it is used in this passage. We need to understand how the word functions within the narrator's thought process about her translation work.
What type of answer do we need? Content Genre: Humanities & Social Sciences Content Format: Text-only Question Type: Others Language Complexity: Accessible
Any limiting keywords? None specified
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our analysis, the narrator has been struggling with persistent thoughts about her translation work
- She cannot sleep and wants relief from this mental preoccupation
- She believes that "once I had sent off the manuscript" everything will be normal again, and she is "looking forward to completing the work"
- The context makes clear that "completing" refers to bringing her translation project to an end - she wants to finish it so she can send it off and find mental peace
- The word functions as reaching the conclusion or final point of her work
- So the right answer should mean finishing or bringing something to its end point
Destroying
- This would mean the narrator wants to destroy her work
- Contradicts the context where she plans to "send off the manuscript" - you cannot send something you have destroyed
- Makes no logical sense with her goal of delivering a finished translation
Finishing
- Perfectly matches the context where she wants to reach the end of her translation work
- Aligns with her plan to "send off the manuscript" once the work is done
- Captures her desire to conclude the project that has been mentally consuming her
Advertising
- This would mean promoting or publicizing her work
- Nothing in the passage suggests she wants to advertise - she just wants mental relief from the work
- Does not connect logically with sending off the manuscript
Rejecting
- This would mean refusing or dismissing her work
- Contradicts her intention to send the manuscript to someone
- Does not make sense with looking forward to something she would reject