Tłumacz jako autor na podstawie wybranych fragmentów powieści Olgi Tokarczuk Bieguni

Abstract

This paper aims to present the authorial role of the translator which he/she takes in the case of literary translation as demonstrated on the basis of chosen fragments of Flights, a novel by Olga Tokarczuk. Simultaneously, the paper focuses on the influence of the strategies and techniques implemented at the level of the translator’s visibility. The paper begins with sections devoted to various studies connected with the topic of the translator’s authorial role as well as the strategies and techniques that are frequently applied in the case of literary translation, whereas in subsequent sections examples of translator’s operations in the text have been described. It has been observed that the translator has implemented various modifications in the translated text. The first one is a change in the title of the novel. A less known name of the ancient sect has been substituted by a more modern form ‘Flights’. Next, some shifts in the case of paragraphs could be observed. While the paragraph describing the etymology of the sect has been omitted, a new one has been created by the translator. Some other modifications are connected with authorial comments which the translator uses as a form of explanation of various culture-related words and phrases or sentences in the foreign language. It is worth noticing the fact that all comments have been incorporated into the text. Analysing the translation, it could be observed that the authorial modifications implemented are strictly related to the level of translator’s visibility. Nevertheless, the translator never discloses her modifications directly, but rather allows readers to discern them by creating a coherent text. As a result, it could be observed that the level of the translator’s visibility increases with authorial modifications. What is more, all alternations implemented in the translated text do not derange its understanding, but rather aim to present the information that the foreign reader is not able to possess. By her authorial role, the translator attempts to assist the author in conveying the entire and coherent message in the foreign language.