Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Epstein, B.J.
Data de Publicação: 2018
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Ilha do Desterro
Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103
Resumo: Mark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is arguably about the history of theUnited States in terms of slavery and race relations. How, then, can this be translated to another language and culture, especially one with a very different background in regard to minorities? And in particular, how can this be translated for children, who have less knowledge about history and slavery than adult readers? In this essay, I analyse how Twain’s novel has been translated to Swedish. I study 15 translations. Surprisingly, I find that instead of retaining Twain’s even-handed portrayal of the two races and his acceptance of a wide variety of types of Americans, Swedish translators tend to emphasise the foreignness, otherness, and lack of education of the black characters. In other words, although the American setting is kept, the translators nevertheless give Swedish readers a very different understanding of theUnited Statesand slavery than that which Twain strove to give his American readers. This may reflect the differences in immigration and cultural makeup inSwedenversus inAmerica, but it radically changes the book as well as child readers’ understanding of what makes a nation.
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spelling Translating national history for children: a case study of a classicTraduzindo história nacional para crianças: um estudo de caso de um clássicoMark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is arguably about the history of theUnited States in terms of slavery and race relations. How, then, can this be translated to another language and culture, especially one with a very different background in regard to minorities? And in particular, how can this be translated for children, who have less knowledge about history and slavery than adult readers? In this essay, I analyse how Twain’s novel has been translated to Swedish. I study 15 translations. Surprisingly, I find that instead of retaining Twain’s even-handed portrayal of the two races and his acceptance of a wide variety of types of Americans, Swedish translators tend to emphasise the foreignness, otherness, and lack of education of the black characters. In other words, although the American setting is kept, the translators nevertheless give Swedish readers a very different understanding of theUnited Statesand slavery than that which Twain strove to give his American readers. This may reflect the differences in immigration and cultural makeup inSwedenversus inAmerica, but it radically changes the book as well as child readers’ understanding of what makes a nation.A novela clássica de Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn é indiscutivelmente sobre a história dos Estados Unidos em termos de escravidão e relações raciais. Como, então, isso pode ser traduzido para outra língua e cultura, especialmente uma com um fundo muito diferente em relação às minorias? E em particular, como isso pode ser traduzido para crianças, que têm menos conhecimento sobre história e escravidão do que leitores adultos? Neste ensaio, analiso como o romance de Twain foi traduzido para o sueco. Eu estudo 15 traduções. Surpreendentemente, acho que, em vez de reter o retrato paralelo de Twain das duas raças e sua aceitação de uma grande variedade de tipos de americanos, suecos os tradutores tendem a enfatizar a estranheza, a alteridade e a falta de educação dos personagens negros. Em outras palavras, embora o cenário americano seja mantido, os tradutores, no entanto, dão aos leitores suecos uma compreensão muito diferente dos Estados Unidos e da escravidão do que isso que Twain se esforçou para dar aos seus leitores americanos. Isso pode refletir as diferenças em imigração e maquiagem cultural na Suécia, na América, mas altera radicalmente o livro, bem como a compreensão dos leitores infantis sobre o que faz uma nação.UFSC2018-01-15info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/2175-8026.2018v71n1p10310.5007/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103Ilha do Desterro A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies; Vol. 71 No. 1 (2018): The uses of parallel corpora in the stylistic analysis of films and literature for children; 103-116Ilha do Desterro A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies; v. 71 n. 1 (2018): The uses of parallel corpora in the stylistic analysis of films and literature for children; 103-1162175-80260101-4846reponame:Ilha do Desterroinstname:Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)instacron:UFSCenghttps://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103/35854Copyright (c) 2018 BJ Epsteininfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessEpstein, B.J.2018-02-08T13:20:03Zoai:periodicos.ufsc.br:article/51822Revistahttp://www.periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterroPUBhttps://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/oaiilha@cce.ufsc.br||corseuil@cce.ufsc.br||ilhadodesterro@gmail.com2175-80260101-4846opendoar:2018-02-08T13:20:03Ilha do Desterro - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
Traduzindo história nacional para crianças: um estudo de caso de um clássico
title Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
spellingShingle Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
Epstein, B.J.
title_short Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
title_full Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
title_fullStr Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
title_full_unstemmed Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
title_sort Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic
author Epstein, B.J.
author_facet Epstein, B.J.
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Epstein, B.J.
description Mark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is arguably about the history of theUnited States in terms of slavery and race relations. How, then, can this be translated to another language and culture, especially one with a very different background in regard to minorities? And in particular, how can this be translated for children, who have less knowledge about history and slavery than adult readers? In this essay, I analyse how Twain’s novel has been translated to Swedish. I study 15 translations. Surprisingly, I find that instead of retaining Twain’s even-handed portrayal of the two races and his acceptance of a wide variety of types of Americans, Swedish translators tend to emphasise the foreignness, otherness, and lack of education of the black characters. In other words, although the American setting is kept, the translators nevertheless give Swedish readers a very different understanding of theUnited Statesand slavery than that which Twain strove to give his American readers. This may reflect the differences in immigration and cultural makeup inSwedenversus inAmerica, but it radically changes the book as well as child readers’ understanding of what makes a nation.
publishDate 2018
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2018-01-15
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103
10.5007/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103
url https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103
identifier_str_mv 10.5007/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
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dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/2175-8026.2018v71n1p103/35854
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Copyright (c) 2018 BJ Epstein
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Copyright (c) 2018 BJ Epstein
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv UFSC
publisher.none.fl_str_mv UFSC
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Ilha do Desterro A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies; Vol. 71 No. 1 (2018): The uses of parallel corpora in the stylistic analysis of films and literature for children; 103-116
Ilha do Desterro A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies; v. 71 n. 1 (2018): The uses of parallel corpora in the stylistic analysis of films and literature for children; 103-116
2175-8026
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