역사문학 번역 충실성에 대한 일고찰 - ‘위안부’ 소설 White Chrysanthemum을 중심으로

Abstract

Historical events can be remembered with the past memories left in official records, testimonies, and literary works. Historical novels, in particular, serve as a powerful channel to reveal the sufferings of Japanese military ‘comfort women’ survivors and understand their incurable psychological as well as physical wounds. The novels can serve as the foundation for the trans-generational solidarity that will contribute to resolving the unrealized justice. Therefore, historical novels are rigorously written based on records and testimonies and, accordingly, the translation of these works needs to be faithful to the original texts. In particular, the emotional distress that the survivors had to experience, the interactions between offenders and victims, and symbolic meanings in the original should be meticulously translated and recorded so that the novels can function as complementary records. By doing so, the novels and translations can reveal the coercive nature in recruiting the ‘comfort women’ and seek resolutions to move forward. Therefore, this study compares and analyzes the ‘comfort women’ novel, White Chrysanthemum, and its Korean translation and contemplates how the above-mentioned points can and should be faithfully translated and accurately delivered to future generations.