Nyöversättning – när, hur och varför?

Abstract

Literary Re-translation: How, When and Why?

This article deals with the issue of literary re-translation, its causes and characteristics. The analysis is illustrated by means of examples mainly derived from Swedish literary texts that have been translated and retranslated into French. Here, I aim to examine the particular premises of retranslation, as opposed to those of first translation, and the different roles which, depending on these premises, the individual translator faces in the translation process. The article stresses the importance of the “subjective traces” that every translator leaves in his/her translation.

My analysis takes into account a number of factors liable to provoke the retranslation of a literary work: ageing, interpretative variety, fidelity, translational style, etc. Further, the article discusses translation problems with respect to such concepts as spoken language, dialect, and the language of poetry and of drama; all of which are important causes for retranslation. It also addresses the concept of censorship, which, in the history of literary translation, has frequently deformed and sometimes even mutilated important original literary texts and which, consequently, has been a determining factor in the decision to submit an already translated text for new translation.

Finally, the article briefly touches upon the concept of revised translation, which can be said to occupy a middle position between the existing translation of a literary text and its retranslation. In connection with this concept, the article also mentions the recourse to translation from a language other than the original language. It seems inevitable that the intermediate language inflicts a number of semantic, stylistic and pragmatic losses upon the translation in relation to the original text, and it is only natural that this type of translation should be a common cause for retranslation.