Literary Translation Flashcards

What is a 'parallel text' and how is it used in literary translation?

Answer: A side-by-side presentation of source and target text used for comparison and study

Parallel texts display source and translation side by side, helping translators study choices and readers compare versions.

In translating dialect or regional speech, what is the safest approach to avoid reinforcing stereotypes?

Answer: Find a functional equivalent register that signals the same social distance without geographic connotations

Functional equivalence in register avoids attaching unintended cultural or geographic stereotypes from the target culture to the original characters.

What is the significance of Walter Benjamin's essay 'The Task of the Translator'?

Answer: It introduced the philosophical concept that translation reveals a 'pure language' underlying all languages

Benjamin's influential essay argues that translation seeks a higher, 'pure language' that transcends both source and target languages.

Why do publishers sometimes commission new translations of classic works?

Answer: Language evolves and older translations may feel dated or reflect outdated cultural assumptions

New translations refresh classic works for contemporary readers, updating language, correcting errors, and reflecting modern cultural sensibilities.

What is the 'equivalence' principle in literary translation?

Answer: Producing an equivalent effect on target-language readers as the source had on original readers

Equivalence in translation aims to replicate the overall effect—emotional, aesthetic, stylistic—of the source text in target-culture readers.

What role do footnotes and endnotes play in literary translation?

Answer: They allow the translator to explain cultural references without disrupting the reading experience

Notes give translators space to explain cultural, historical, or linguistic context that cannot be smoothly incorporated into the text itself.