There is a serious lack of research in the interdisciplinary field of humour in translation. In order to contribute to this field, this thesis discusses the analysis and translation of a humorous...Show moreThere is a serious lack of research in the interdisciplinary field of humour in translation. In order to contribute to this field, this thesis discusses the analysis and translation of a humorous short story by Douglas Adams. Verbally expressed humour, subdivided in verbal and referential humour, is argued to stem from incongruity and more specifically script opposition (Raskin, 1985; Attardo & Raskin, 1991; Attardo, 1994, 2001). The notion of ‘equivalence’ in the field of humour in translation is discussed and several translational procedures for translating verbally expressed humour are explained. The short story, Young Zaphod Plays It Safe (originally published in 1986), is then subjected to a stylistic analysis based on Leech & Short’s (2007) checklist of stylistic and linguistic categories, which shows that Adams’s style is largely characterised by his use of humour. The translation of the short story is accompanied by annotations commenting on important translational choices that affect the style of the text. Referential humour that is not culturally bound is easily transferred, but verbal humour such as puns and register humour poses a problem to the translator, who needs to choose between stylistic or semantic faithfulness. The thesis concludes with the remarks that humour theory lacks a formal set of guidelines for identifying instances of verbally expressed humour; that research in the field of humour in translation should focus on either verbal humour (puns and register humour) or culturally bound referential humour; and that the field of stylistics might be advantaged by a more in-depth analysis of Adams’s idiomatic style.Show less
The main topic of this thesis is yakuwarigo in translation. Yakuwarigo, the Japanese word for role language, is a type of language use often used in works of fiction which evokes the image of a...Show moreThe main topic of this thesis is yakuwarigo in translation. Yakuwarigo, the Japanese word for role language, is a type of language use often used in works of fiction which evokes the image of a certain type of character, such as an old man or a young girl, by using certain first-person pronouns, copula and sentence-ending particles (Kinsui 2013). Translating yakuwarigo can be extremely challenging because the Japanese language has many opportunities for variation where English does not. For that reason, yakuwarigo is often standardised in the target text, even though this negatively impacts the uniqueness of the characters (Terada, 2015). While there is quite a bit of literature available on yakuwarigo, hardly any research has been done on the topic of yakuwarigo in translation. In this thesis, the feasibility of translating yakuwarigo from Japanese to English using a foreignising translation strategy is examined. The research question is: “To what extent is it possible to translate yakuwarigo from Japanese to English with a foreignising translation strategy?”. The answer to this question is formed by two parts: a theoretical framework and a case study. In the theoretical framework, a number of different topics are discussed, such as translation strategies, equivalence, and stereotyping. In the case study, six characters of a manga (Japanese cartoon) are analysed in the original version as well as in a fan translation. Additionally, a new translation of is proposed based on the acquired information. It was found that despite the fact that it is impossible to translate yakuwarigo to English perfectly, it is possible to translate characters in such a way that their language reflects their main personality traits. This is done by adapting the font, punctuation and lexical choices, among others, to the character’s personality as a way of compensating for the original yakuwarigo.Show less
De Militaire Willemsorde, a Dutch play by Rosier Faassen, can be found in the Special Collections of the Leiden University Library. It exists in several different versions, in print as well as a...Show moreDe Militaire Willemsorde, a Dutch play by Rosier Faassen, can be found in the Special Collections of the Leiden University Library. It exists in several different versions, in print as well as a manuscript in beautiful nineteenth century script, dating from 1873 until presumably 1885. This historical drama about a family torn apart by a young soldier going to war had never since been edited. After all these years, a new edition was made so that yet again this humorous play with experiences recognizable to many generations can be performed and studied anew. Furthermore, a biographical element also appears in the edition whereby parts of Faassen’s auto-biography, which also has not been edited since the late nineteenth century, was used. To provide access to the text for a broader audience, the text was translated from Dutch to English. Much of the same considerations being used to edit the text were also used to prepare the translation. Hunter’s Editing Early Modern Texts as well as Mathijsen’s Naar de Letter was used in the editing process, as a framework and point of guidance. The edition takes the form of what Mathijsen calls a ‘study-edition’ , and contains a historical, critical edition of the text, as well as a justification of the choice of copy text, extensive commentary on the text, including historical and biographical information as well as a stylistic analysis of the text (based on Leech and Short). The translation is preceded by a theoretical framework on the process and strategies that were used in the translation of this drama from the nineteenth century. The overall procedure for the translation of the text is centered around the notions of domestication versus foreignization (Venuti) as well as notions of historicization and modernization, and performability (Bassnett and Lefevere). Vinay and Darbelnet’s translation procedures were discussed and used in the annotated translation, to describe the procedures used for the variety of translation problems that arose during the process. Lefevere’s work on translation as rewriting is especially relevant here, as he also remarks that “the same basic process of rewriting is at work in translation, historiography, anthologization, criticism, and editing” (9). In Lefevere’s words lies the suggestion that a natural relationship exists between translation studies and the world of the editor and philologist, which in reality seems to be a struggled one. Translation is often underrated by philologists, with their translated texts being used for instrumental purposes. A discussion about the mutual importance of translation and philology, and the recognition awarded in their respective fields was necessary here. The question: “How can the fields of philology and translation be reconciled in the edition and translation of De Militaire Willemsorde?” is answered in the final chapter.Show less
