In this thesis a comparison is being made between two different translations into Swedish of the Italian novel Lessico famigliare by Natalia Ginzburg from 1963. The first translation (Familjen) was published in 1981 and was made by Ingalisa Munck and the second (Familjelexikon) was made by Johanna Hedenberg and published in 2021. Due to the limited scope of the project, samples to be studied based on qualitative analysis have been chosen from the source text. The main focus has been on the strategies employed by the translators when it comes to culturespecific elements, how they have chosen to deal with dialects and idiolects in the novel, and how they have chosen to deal with foreign words in the text. Some other aspects have also been taken into account, such as rhythm and structure of the text for instance. One aim has been to see if it were possible to discern to what extent, on the basis of the chosen strategies, the translated texts could be considered as adapted to the receiving culture (strategy of acceptability) or as preserving the languageculture of the source text. However, great attention has also been directed towards other factors such as differences due to the time span between the two translations or the individuality of the translator. The analysis has shown that both of the translators show tendencies to move between the above-described attitudes toward the original text, but that the translation by Munck from 1981 shows less adherence to the original text and a more open attitude to freer translation alternatives. The most obvious example of this is the total restructuring of portions of the source text, reconstruction of sentences and formation of new paragraphs. The translation by Hedenberg demonstrates a will to adhere the source text in all these respects, sometimes also replicating its musicality, rhythm and alliterations. However, as shown by the comparison between individual examples, elements of the two attitudes can be found in both translations. It is not possible to reach a full conclusion based on a qualitative analysis. Furthermore, the rendition of foreign words suggests that the translators have been working with different types of model readers in mind: Munck with a reader that values the mixing of languages in the novel and the rendering of the bourgeoise Italian culture of the Levi family (and/or with a greater comprehension of French) and Hedenberg with a reader with a greater interest in understanding the text without being disturbed by elements of French in the dialogue – and/or with a lesser knowledge of the French language. Based primarily on the treatment the word “negro”, observations were made about the ageing of translations and the taboos they can reveal in a specific culture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-198020 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Christerson, Annika |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för språkstudier |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Italian |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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