We want to expose some points of view about how and why translate characters names in children's stories. Also we will provide you some tools that will be helpful when you must to translate this kind of translating children's book.
lunes, 23 de mayo de 2016
lunes, 16 de mayo de 2016
Translation and society
Blanca Nieves and Caperucita Roja, why do translate characters names in children stories?
Snow White and The Little Red Riding
Hood are two of the most popular children stories around the world. Both
stories are about an innocent and sweet girl in unusual situations, but if both
protagonists have a proper name why their names have been translated?
Generally, in many cases the name of
people- in this case characters- are kept, but why proper names are translated
in literature? This is a common question especially for us, translators.
Because we try to make the reader feel comfortable when reading the translated
text, book, etc.
First, we need to know what a proper
name is. A proper name is a name of a particular, and the necessary conditions
of it for being particular are that it must have a historical position. The
thing named may also be unique in virtue of possessing some characteristic or
set of characteristics possessed by nothing else. But it would not be its
uniqueness which made it possible subject of a proper name. For particular
things can be named in different ways, and a unique thing may go nameless.
So now, how to know when to
translate a proper name? To answer that question is necessary to have knowledge
about the translation techniques, and how these techniques affect in the
translation itself.
When it comes to translating a children's
book, adaptation has traditionally been a more popular technique, this could be
due they think their readers will not understand if the translation sounds too
foreign. Whatever the reason, the fact is that translators often introduce
significant changes in the original to somehow adapt to the target culture
stories.
In the case of texts for children
the peculiarities the translation is very significant, because children are
learning to read and write, and sometimes these texts are “complicated” that is
the reason why translator and publishers want to adapt the language and format
to what they suppose language and child mentality are. Due to this resources
are intentionally used that in a standard text would be considered mistake. (Lozano, 2006)
The following are just some examples
of the ways in which translators typically make changes to translate children's
literature:
a)
Make a happy ending
Some translators consider that the
translation of the contents of a book may affect in some way to the children that
are part of the target culture.
b) Edit bad behaviours
Some translators seem to feel responsible for the education of children and readers feel the need to get rid of any kind of negative influence it has in the text. Some have even gone so far as to introduce major changes to get rid of the bad behavior of some of the characters.
C) Remove foreign elements
Some translators and publisher of children's literature seem to think the children will be confused if they find any "foreign" element in the book, so they decide to edit.
This is seen especially with changes of names, which are often tailored to the target culture. Returning to Astrid Lindgren, one of its main characters called Emil became Michel in the German translation. In a more modern example, the main character of the book and Satoshi Kitamura Oram Hiawyn Angry Arthur became " Fernando Furioso" when translated into Spanish. This last example clearly has something to do with wanting to preserve the alliteration, but at the same time this is typical of the adaptation strategy in children's literature.
According to mention previously we can deduce that the proper name of both stories, White Snow and Little Red Riding Hood, we need to translate the name to Spanish but, keep the sense of what in two cases make reference that the way of two girls are wearing, do not lose the sense of the story.
In these both cases, the translators make reference what they wear the two girls or any quality that make them one and this is for kids understand better of who is talking about using a translation more literal to refer to the characters. This kind of translate keep the original content, without changing the form and structure, word by word. In many opportunities, a translators do not use or choose a literal translation because the purpose of a translation is so precisely and culturally relevant as if it had been written in the target language.
In all types of translation, this is considering one of the less recommend, since to doing word by word it loose a lot the meaning and sense. Sometimes are prepared for writers that translate a written work that they do not know and usually are full of mistakes because no measures are taken to make sense of what translate. But for it is useful the literal translation is to use as pretranslating and see the problems that it can present a text when translating.
It is known that children translating literary texts is a difficult task which it requires a high level of creativity and an excellent hability in writing by the translator. We remembered that literary translation have as purpose keep the shape, style, rithm and the authorial voice. Amparo Hurtado Albir, translator and professor spanish of Barcelona's University Autonoma, is an expert in theme and she is reference in the field of translation theory. She identifies a several techniques and strategies to solve the problems of translation that literary translators are facing, for example;
1. Adaptation: is a technique that replace a cultural element for another characteristics of the receiving culture. As in the case of advertisements, slogans, etc.
2. Linguistic extension: is the linguistics elements edition in the target text.
3. Compensation: is introduce in another text place an information element which is not reflected where it is the original text.
5. Loan: is to put a word or a source text expression in the target texts without changing.
4. Elision: is to remove elements of texts information source language in the target text.
It is very important what resource to use when translating characters names in children stories, because many time these stories are aimed at children who are in full cognitive development, which means that everything they learn will mark them for the future. So often translations will be made using any character trait and being very creative, since the literary texts translationn is a complex task.
Source
. Susana Lozano. (n.d). Consideraciones Críticas Sobre la Edición y Traducción de Libros Infantiles . Madrid: El Barco de Vapor.
. Virgilio. Moya. (n.d.). Nombres Propios: Su traducción. Universidad de las palmas.
. Marina Orellana. (2005). La Traducción del Inglés al Castellano: Guía para el Traductor . Santiago de Chile: Universitaria.
. Amparo Hurtado. (1996). La Traductología : Lingüística y Traductología . Barcelona: TRANS.
. Esteban Torres. (1994). Teoría de la Traducción Literaria . Madrid: HYERONIMUS.
. Traducción365. (2011). traducción leteral. mayo 2016, de traducción 365 Sitio web: http://www.traduccion365.com/articulos/la-traduccion-literal
Catalin B.. (2013). traducción literal. mayo 2016, de spanish translation Sitio web: http://blog-de-traducciones.spanishtranslation.us/etiquetas/traduccion-literal
Regina C.. (2010). Traducción de cuentos infantiles. mayo 2016, de trusted translation Sitio web: Catalin B.. (2013). traducción literal. mayo 2016, de spanish translation Sitio web: http://blog-de-traducciones.spanishtranslation.us/etiquetas/traduccion-literal
. http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/la-traduccion-de-cuentos-infantiles-2010-05-21.html
Snow White and The Little Red Riding
Hood are two of the most popular children stories around the world. Both
stories are about an innocent and sweet girl in unusual situations, but if both
protagonists have a proper name why their names have been translated?
Generally, in many cases the name of
people- in this case characters- are kept, but why proper names are translated
in literature? This is a common question especially for us, translators.
Because we try to make the reader feel comfortable when reading the translated
text, book, etc.
First, we need to know what a proper
name is. A proper name is a name of a particular, and the necessary conditions
of it for being particular are that it must have a historical position. The
thing named may also be unique in virtue of possessing some characteristic or
set of characteristics possessed by nothing else. But it would not be its
uniqueness which made it possible subject of a proper name. For particular
things can be named in different ways, and a unique thing may go nameless.
So now, how to know when to
translate a proper name? To answer that question is necessary to have knowledge
about the translation techniques, and how these techniques affect in the
translation itself.
When it comes to translating a children's
book, adaptation has traditionally been a more popular technique, this could be
due they think their readers will not understand if the translation sounds too
foreign. Whatever the reason, the fact is that translators often introduce
significant changes in the original to somehow adapt to the target culture
stories.
In the case of texts for children
the peculiarities the translation is very significant, because children are
learning to read and write, and sometimes these texts are “complicated” that is
the reason why translator and publishers want to adapt the language and format
to what they suppose language and child mentality are. Due to this resources
are intentionally used that in a standard text would be considered mistake. (Lozano, 2006)
Today this happens less and less, as
publishers and translators of children's book seem to be getting bolder as the
publication of books from different cultures. In any case, the truth is that
the translators of this literature can afford changes and modifications that
would not be acceptable in adult literary translation.
The following are just some examples
of the ways in which translators typically make changes to translate children's
literature:
a)
Make a happy ending
Some translators consider that the
translation of the contents of a book may affect in some way to the children that
are part of the target culture.
b) Edit bad behaviours
Some translators seem to feel responsible for the education of children and readers feel the need to get rid of any kind of negative influence it has in the text. Some have even gone so far as to introduce major changes to get rid of the bad behavior of some of the characters.
C) Remove foreign elements
Some translators and publisher of children's literature seem to think the children will be confused if they find any "foreign" element in the book, so they decide to edit.
This is seen especially with changes of names, which are often tailored to the target culture. Returning to Astrid Lindgren, one of its main characters called Emil became Michel in the German translation. In a more modern example, the main character of the book and Satoshi Kitamura Oram Hiawyn Angry Arthur became " Fernando Furioso" when translated into Spanish. This last example clearly has something to do with wanting to preserve the alliteration, but at the same time this is typical of the adaptation strategy in children's literature.
In these both cases, the translators make reference what they wear the two girls or any quality that make them one and this is for kids understand better of who is talking about using a translation more literal to refer to the characters. This kind of translate keep the original content, without changing the form and structure, word by word. In many opportunities, a translators do not use or choose a literal translation because the purpose of a translation is so precisely and culturally relevant as if it had been written in the target language.
In all types of translation, this is considering one of the less recommend, since to doing word by word it loose a lot the meaning and sense. Sometimes are prepared for writers that translate a written work that they do not know and usually are full of mistakes because no measures are taken to make sense of what translate. But for it is useful the literal translation is to use as pretranslating and see the problems that it can present a text when translating.
1. Adaptation: is a technique that replace a cultural element for another characteristics of the receiving culture. As in the case of advertisements, slogans, etc.
2. Linguistic extension: is the linguistics elements edition in the target text.
3. Compensation: is introduce in another text place an information element which is not reflected where it is the original text.
5. Loan: is to put a word or a source text expression in the target texts without changing.
4. Elision: is to remove elements of texts information source language in the target text.
It is very important what resource to use when translating characters names in children stories, because many time these stories are aimed at children who are in full cognitive development, which means that everything they learn will mark them for the future. So often translations will be made using any character trait and being very creative, since the literary texts translationn is a complex task.
Source
. Susana Lozano. (n.d). Consideraciones Críticas Sobre la Edición y Traducción de Libros Infantiles . Madrid: El Barco de Vapor.
. Virgilio. Moya. (n.d.). Nombres Propios: Su traducción. Universidad de las palmas.
. Marina Orellana. (2005). La Traducción del Inglés al Castellano: Guía para el Traductor . Santiago de Chile: Universitaria.
. Amparo Hurtado. (1996). La Traductología : Lingüística y Traductología . Barcelona: TRANS.
. Esteban Torres. (1994). Teoría de la Traducción Literaria . Madrid: HYERONIMUS.
. Traducción365. (2011). traducción leteral. mayo 2016, de traducción 365 Sitio web: http://www.traduccion365.com/articulos/la-traduccion-literal
Catalin B.. (2013). traducción literal. mayo 2016, de spanish translation Sitio web: http://blog-de-traducciones.spanishtranslation.us/etiquetas/traduccion-literal
Catalin B.. (2013). traducción literal. mayo 2016, de spanish translation Sitio web: http://blog-de-traducciones.spanishtranslation.us/etiquetas/traduccion-literal
Regina C.. (2010). Traducción de cuentos infantiles. mayo 2016, de trusted translation Sitio web: Catalin B.. (2013). traducción literal. mayo 2016, de spanish translation Sitio web: http://blog-de-traducciones.spanishtranslation.us/etiquetas/traduccion-literal
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