Lezen, interpreteren, vertalen

Abstract

In their role as readers, translators cannot escape having an individual perspective on the text. The translation therefore reflects the way in which they have read and interpreted the source text. As a new textual product in the target culture, the translation subsequently controls the interpretations open to target language readers. To what extent will respective readers of the source and target texts have corresponding options for interpretation? And how will the interpretation of the source text direct the translation strategy? the author explores these questions in a discussion of a Dutch poem by Lucebert that has given rise to distinctly different interpretations. For a number of 'pivotal instances' in the poem, she examines which translation choice in the Spanish version is compatible with a particular perspective on the poem. She concludes that the translator has followed one of these interpretation and that his translation strategy fits it adequately. However the original ambiguity has been lost.