Intimacy in the strict sense of the term: conflict of intentions in the translation of Malinowski’s diaries

Abstract

ABSTRACT Translating sensitive or intimate content is a vulnerable type of translation, involving a sense of betrayal or falsification. Scholars have indicated a number of problems mainly in relation to translating autobiographical testimonies, highlighting the translator’s responsibility and manipulation. It seems that these difficulties become even more aggravated in the case of translating an intimate journal written by the diarist with no intended readership in mind. The translation event requires a consistent strategy that acknowledges both the diarist and the new context. This article is aimed to discuss the English translation of Bronislaw Malinowski’s diaries published under the title A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. The initially negative reception of the translated text may be explained by the fact that the chosen translation strategy was based on conflict rather than a strategic utilisation of constraints.