Despite SF’s general underrepresentation both in academia and the publishing world, there are scholars that have turned to this genre and studied it in relation to Lawrence Venuti’s concepts of...Show moreDespite SF’s general underrepresentation both in academia and the publishing world, there are scholars that have turned to this genre and studied it in relation to Lawrence Venuti’s concepts of foreignization and domestication, introduced in The Translator’s Invisibility (1995). Domestication has been considered “especially problematic due to its inventiveness of fictive worlds and the reliance of its estrangement function upon specific language” (Campbell, 2021, p. 6). One of the ways in which this inventiveness is expressed, is through neologisms, as Freedman (2000) explains, “this device being perhaps the most paradigmatic expression of science-fictional diction” (2000, p. 37). One of the scholars that has discussed neologisms in his work is Peter Newmark (1988), whom we will be discussing in this thesis. Newmark (1988) recognizes in his book, A Textbook of Translation, that translating neologisms is a challenging task, as he emphasizes that “neologisms are perhaps the non-literary and the professional translator’s biggest problem” (p.140). The aim of this thesis is thus to study neologisms within the SF genre in relation to Venuti’s concepts of domestication and foreignization. It will do so by conducting a case study on a SF text, namely Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (DADOES) by American writer Philip K. Dick. In the case study, three Dutch translations of DADOES will be compared to each other and the source text: De Elektrische Nachtmerrie (1969) by Frank Visser, Dromen Androïden van Elektrische Schapen? (1979) by Ivain Rodriguez de León and Blade Runner: Dromen Androïden over Elektrische Schapen? (2017) by Irving Pardoen. The research will focus on chapter three and the neologisms in it. The 26 neologisms were classified using Newmark’s (1988) nine categories of translation procedures, with an additional 10th (proposed category) and 11th category to cover instances of omission. The central research question of this thesis then, is whether the translation choices made by the three translators point to a foreignization or domestication-oriented approach, and which of the three translations can be considered the most domesticated based on the findings. As for the hypothesis, it is speculated that the 1969 and 1979 translations of neologisms will reveal a more domestication-oriented approach, whereas the 2017 text is expected to be more foreignized. In writing this thesis and conducting the case study, I set out to give insight into the potential that SF texts hold for academia and the translation field. Campbell (2021) emphasizes how SF is a “powerful means of communication, not only because it can serve to explore and explain the effect of technological developments, whether native or important, but also and more importantly because it can be a powerful means of social criticism” (p.2.). In a world that is constantly evolving as technology advances at a rapid rate, the subjects discussed in SF are more relevant than ever. Therefore, by studying the “inventiveness” (Freedman, 2000, p.37) of the SF genre in the form of neologisms and in how they are translated, we could learn more about the dynamics and developments in our own world as we speculate about the reasons for these translation choices.Show less
This thesis aims to show how the differences in the way dialect is translated affects the characters in litarature. To do so, thee translations of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will be...Show moreThis thesis aims to show how the differences in the way dialect is translated affects the characters in litarature. To do so, thee translations of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will be compared to the English source text: translations by A.J. van Dragt (1885), E.M. Cameron (1946) and E. Dabekaussen (2019). These three translations show a shift in translation strategy over time; moving from standardizing the language to translating into stereotypes to honest effort in emulating the source text dialect in the target language.Show less
Ranging from prose to poetry, many children’s books use features such as rhyme, rhythm and repetition in order to help children familiarise themselves with a new language and enlarge their...Show moreRanging from prose to poetry, many children’s books use features such as rhyme, rhythm and repetition in order to help children familiarise themselves with a new language and enlarge their linguistic toolbox. As children’s books are often to children it is important that these books and their translation meet a certain level of ‘performativity’ in order to be successfully read aloud. This thesis aims to examine whether Low’s point-scoring schema for the evaluation of rhyme (2008) and ‘pentathlon principle’ can be used as a quality assessment tool for the translation of children’s books into Dutch and if these models can be used to help improve the reading aloud of songs and poems in children’s books. By means of a Thinking Aloud Protocol and the awarding of points via Low’s point schema, the results showed that whilst the schema can definitely help translators when translating children’s song, there are still some key issues – such as repetition – that need to be addressed before Low’s models can be used as a quality assessment tool.Show less
This thesis discusses the peripheral position of children's literature in the literary polysystem and the consequences this position has on the translation of it. The hypothesis is that this...Show moreThis thesis discusses the peripheral position of children's literature in the literary polysystem and the consequences this position has on the translation of it. The hypothesis is that this position will lead translators of children's literature to use a more laissez-faire approach when translating. With the use of Antoine Berman's model of deforming tendencies, texts for adults and texts for children and their translations are compared to see whether more "negative" changes occur in children's literature, thus showing that children's literature is indeed situated in a peripheral position in the literary polysystem.Show less
Tom Lanoye's play Koningin Lear is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Not only is it a radical modernization of the plot, it is also a translation from English to Dutch. In adapting and...Show moreTom Lanoye's play Koningin Lear is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Not only is it a radical modernization of the plot, it is also a translation from English to Dutch. In adapting and translating King Lear, Lanoye uses for his play Koningin Lear elements from the original combined with new elements, resulting in hybridity. This hybridity is a dual hybridity since there is hybridity in both the play as a translation and as an adaptation.Show less
This thesis focuses on how modality plays an important role in the translation of the Modernist narrative 'Barn Burning'. Translators have to decide whether or not to maintain modal assertions. The...Show moreThis thesis focuses on how modality plays an important role in the translation of the Modernist narrative 'Barn Burning'. Translators have to decide whether or not to maintain modal assertions. The problem that arises when modality is not maintained is that the truth value of the assertion is altered; the translated assertion may then have a different meaning than the original. In this thesis, translation universals and translation procedures are discussed as well. The universals and procedures serve as the theoretical background on which the analysis is based.Show less
In this paper, I aim to assess the translation quality of Tommy Wieringa’s Joe Speedboot using House’s translation quality model. In translation, the choices a translator makes affect the reader’s...Show moreIn this paper, I aim to assess the translation quality of Tommy Wieringa’s Joe Speedboot using House’s translation quality model. In translation, the choices a translator makes affect the reader’s response. House’s model for translation quality assessment tests these choices and makes a distinction between an overt and covert translation. An overt translation is ST oriented; cultural specific elements are retained in the TT and it is not directed at the TT readers, whereas a covert translation enjoys the status of an original in the target culture. The model focuses on the lexical, syntactic and textual means used to construct the register of a text. The application of House’s TQA model to Wieringa’s Joe Speedboot will show whether it is covert, overt or an interplay of both.Show less
The Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer is famous for its ambiguity, mystery, and difficulty of interpretation. According to Elaine Treharne, “it is one of the most challenging Old English poems to...Show moreThe Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer is famous for its ambiguity, mystery, and difficulty of interpretation. According to Elaine Treharne, “it is one of the most challenging Old English poems to translate satisfactorily.” There are various ways to interpret and translate Wulf and Eadwacer, and many different translations have already been published. Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, translators have tried their best to create translations of Wulf and Eadwacer that reflect their opinions, serve their purposes, and appeal to their particular audiences. John Adams believes Wulf and Eadwacer must be seen as a riddle, and has translated it as such, while others, like Treharne, consider the poem a woman’s song. The choices that translators make show how they interpret the poem, and the examination in this thesis will show what might have influenced the translators to create their particular translation, and how their choices and interpretations of Wulf and Eadwacer have influenced their translations.Show less
