Fourth time lucky? Retranslations of Erich Kästner's Emil und die Detektive

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of four English translations of Erich Kästner's children's novel Emil und die Detektive, first published in German in 1929. Emil was translated three times during the twentieth century: by American May Massee in 1930, by British Margaret Goldsmith in 1931 and by British Eileen Hall in 1959 and once in 2007, by American translator W. M. Martin. None of these have been explored in relation to Berman's retranslation hypothesis (1990), therefore the ensuing analysis will attempt to delve into the 2007 translation, comparing Martin's translation strategies to those that came before him. It poses questions around the status of classics such as Emil in the context of literary translation, as well as the theory of retranslation and the opportunities retranslations provide. It confirms, firstly, the potential for all translators to generate unique outcomes, but essentially disproves Berman's ‘retranslation hypothesis’, where the first translations tend to assimilate more towards the target culture, rather than the source.