Abstract
In this paper I explore the potential of a corpus stylistic approach to the study of literary translation. The study focuses on translation of children’s literature with its specific constrains, and illustrates with two corpus linguistic techniques: keyword and cluster analysis — specific cases of repetition. So in a broader sense the paper discusses the phenomenon of repetition in different literary (stylistic) traditions. These are illustrated by examples from two children’s classics aimed at two different age groups: the Harry Potter and the Winnie the Pooh books — and their translations into Czech. Various shifts in translation, especially in the translation of children’s literature, are often explained by the operation of so-called ‘translation universals’. Though ‘repetition’ as such does not belong to the commonly discussed set of translation universals, the stylistic norms opposing repetition seem to be a strong explanation for the translation shifts identified.
Highlights
“Classic” children’s literature is oten exceptional in its intertextuality, since it may transcend national literary traditions in ways adult literature more rarely does
As Lathey further says: “the speciic demands of translating for children are the subject of discussion and debate in both professional and academic circles”. he following work is situated in the ield of corpus stylistics and aims to show how the corpus linguistics methods used in the analysis of literary texts can be beneicial in the analysis of literary translation and even support the translation process itself
A translator performing a stylistic analysis of the text to be translated should look at “how the text means what it does” but ideally proceed to a stage “which seeks to explain, how the text means what it does, and why a writer may have chosen to shape the text in a particular way” (Malmkjær 2003: 38)
Summary
“Classic” children’s literature is oten exceptional in its intertextuality, since it may transcend national literary traditions in ways adult literature more rarely does In this sense, translation, as a form of adaptation and intertextuality, plays an extremely important role. He importance of translation, varies in diferent national literary traditions For small languages, such as Czech, translations constitute a substantial part of the canon of children’s literature. Labels have highlighting and contextualising functions and in Dickens they are oten associated with body language, e.g. Monsieur Rigaud in Little Dorrit who is brought to readers’ memory with the help of a cluster and his nose came down In this sense, the verbatim repetition of ive or even more words has an important role and as such we would expect this nature of repetition to be rendered in translation appropriately
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