Twee Afrikaanse romans in Engels : ’n ondersoek na die werkswyses van literere vertalers
Date
2009-03
Authors
Swart, Marius
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
In this descriptive study, recent translations into English of two highly-regarded Afrikaans novels are investigated. The purpose of this is to describe these translations in a comparative manner, in order to arrive at conclusions about the differing modi operandi of diverse literary translators. The texts studied are Agaat
by Marlene van Niekerk (2004) and Hierdie lewe by Karel Schoeman (1993), titled Agaat (2006) and This Life (2005) in English, and translated by Michiel Heyns and Elsa Silke, respectively.
The two translators differ in that one is a creative writer in own right, though not
being a formally-trained translation scholar, and translated with input from the source text author. The other is not a creative writer, translated without input from the author and has a formal translation-theoretical qualification. In this study, the target texts produced by these two translators are compared with their respective
source texts, in order to determine whether there are differences or similarities in their modi operandi.
A theoretical framework is compiled using relevant translation theories in order to
systematise the comparison of the source texts and their translations. The novels are then compared to their translations in turn, on various levels, in order to describe the modus operandi of each translator. This results in certain conclusions being drawn about the different ways in which diverse translators
work. These conclusions are linked to norms apparent in the decisions the translators make, or the lack thereof, as well as the role of the translation skopos.
A number of topics for further research are also mentioned.
Description
Thesis (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
Keywords
Afrikaans literature -- Translations into English, Schoeman, Karel -- Hierdie lewe, Van Niekerk, Marlene -- Agaat, Dissertations -- Afrikaans language, Theses -- Afrikaans language