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Översättarens röst : en studie i den skönlitteräre översättarens roll med utgångspunkt i översättningar av Else Lundgren och Caj Lundgren

Gullin, Christina LU (1998) In Litteratur, teater, film
Abstract
Whose text is a work of fiction in translation? The aim of this thesis is to examine what happens to a novel when it is translated from one language into another. By analysing the Swedish translations of six contemporary novels written in English I attempt to identify what I refer to as the translator´s voice. The translations have been made by two of Sweden´s most highly thought-of translators, Else Lundgren and Caj Lundgren.



The theoretical framework of my study is derived from Translation Studies, basically an empirical and interdisciplinary discipline, which is introduced in Chapter Two; Chapter One provides a general survey of previous research and thought on translation. My starting-point is a model for describing... (More)
Whose text is a work of fiction in translation? The aim of this thesis is to examine what happens to a novel when it is translated from one language into another. By analysing the Swedish translations of six contemporary novels written in English I attempt to identify what I refer to as the translator´s voice. The translations have been made by two of Sweden´s most highly thought-of translators, Else Lundgren and Caj Lundgren.



The theoretical framework of my study is derived from Translation Studies, basically an empirical and interdisciplinary discipline, which is introduced in Chapter Two; Chapter One provides a general survey of previous research and thought on translation. My starting-point is a model for describing translations compiled within the descriptive branch of Translation Studies. Chapter Three is devoted to the translator Else Lundgren. After a short biographical presentation I summarise her views on, and experiences of translating. I then provide a brief survey of her translations, discussing how they have been received by the reviewers, and finally turn to a close reading of two of her translations: Julys folk, a translation of Nadine Gordimer´s July´s People, where Else Lundgren´s strategy of clarification is in evidence; and Heja Coventry, her version of Sue Townsend´s Rebuilding Coventry, where her mode of renedering substandard language is of particular interest. Chapter Four contains a general presentation of Caj Lundgren and an analysis of four of his translations. In addition to being a prolific translator, he works as a reviewer for the national daily Svenska Dagbladet, where he also publishes poems on topical subjects, an activity which has left imprint on his translations. In Jordiska makter, his translation of Anthony Burgess´Earthly Powers, I am particularly concerned with Caj Lundgren´s renditions of of the original´s rich vocabulary and phraseology. In De besatta, his translation of A.S. Byatt´s novel Possession, as well as his translations of Saul Bellow´s The Bellarosa Connection and Richard Ford´s Wildlife, my focus of interest is on characterization. In bellow´s novel, for example, the plot is told by a first-person narrator who recapitulates events that occurred during an earlier period of his life. Subtle linguistic changes cause the narrator to appear different in the translation from what he is in the translation. In the final chapter, which provides a survey of how translations are commented on in different kinds of reviews, the question is posed: whose text is scrutinised in a review of a work of fiction in translation? (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

'Ordekvilibristen Anthony Burgess firar triumfer i sin nya bok' - 'Nadine Gordimer har sällan skrivit en mer förtätad prosa'. Kritikerberömmet ger intrycket att Burgess och Gordimer har skrivit sina böcker direkt på svenska. I själva verket har de svenska formuleringarna åstadkommits av en översättare.



I föreliggande avhandling undersöker jag vad som händer när ett skönlitterärt verk överflyttas till svenska. Jag presenterar först den under de senaste decennierna starkt expanderande disciplinen Translation Studies. Därefter diskuterar jag sex översättningar utförda av två av våra främsta skönlitterära översättare, Else Lundgren och Caj Lundgren, och visar på olika sätt hur... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

'Ordekvilibristen Anthony Burgess firar triumfer i sin nya bok' - 'Nadine Gordimer har sällan skrivit en mer förtätad prosa'. Kritikerberömmet ger intrycket att Burgess och Gordimer har skrivit sina böcker direkt på svenska. I själva verket har de svenska formuleringarna åstadkommits av en översättare.



I föreliggande avhandling undersöker jag vad som händer när ett skönlitterärt verk överflyttas till svenska. Jag presenterar först den under de senaste decennierna starkt expanderande disciplinen Translation Studies. Därefter diskuterar jag sex översättningar utförda av två av våra främsta skönlitterära översättare, Else Lundgren och Caj Lundgren, och visar på olika sätt hur översättarens röst kan förnimmas i de svenska texterna.



De otaliga medvetna och omedvetna val som översättaren träffar resulterar ofrånkomligen i en rad subtila skillnader mellan original och översättning. Jag diskuterar dessa skillnader - vilket inte har något med felfinneri att göra - i två av Else Lundgrens översättningar, dels Nadine Gordimers roman July´s People, på svenska Julys folk, dels Sue Townsends roman Rebuilding Coventry, Heja Coventry. I den senare undersöker jag främst hur Else Lundgren återger slangspråk. Av Caj Lundgrens långt över hundra översättningar har jag uppehållit mig vid fyra. Först stannar jag inför hans översättning av Anthony Burgess roman Earthly Powers, Jordiska makter, där analysen främst rör sig på en ord- och frassemantisk nivå. I De besatta, Caj Lundgrens översättning av A.S. Byatts roman Possession, liksom i översättningarna av Saul Bellows The Bellarosa Connection, Bellarosa, och Richard Fords Wildlife, vars svenska titel är Löpeld undersöker jag främst skillnader ifråga om personkaraktäristiken. I slutkapitlet diskuterar jag hur översättarnas arbete uppmärksammas i recensioner av skönlitterära översättningar. Jag ställer också frågan: Vems text recenseras i en recension av en skönlitterär översättning? (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Docent Granqvist, Raoul, Linköpings universitet
organization
alternative title
The Translator´s Voice. A Study of the Translator of Fiction Based on Translations of Else Lundgren and Caj Lundgren
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
litteraturkritik, litteraturteori, Allmän och jämförande litteratur, literary theory, shifts, literary translation, Translation studies, literature criticism, reviewing, Translation, General and comparative literature, Översättning
in
Litteratur, teater, film
pages
288 pages
publisher
Christina Gullin Thulehemsvägen 135 22467 Lund,
defense location
Humanisthusets hörsal
defense date
1998-05-16 10:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: LUHFDA/HFLI 98/1050 SE 288
ISSN
0347-7770
ISBN
91-7966-520-9
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
04adfa55-cb37-4a89-a8e9-af923a3f1c0f (old id 18745)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:54:15
date last changed
2019-05-21 15:09:14
@phdthesis{04adfa55-cb37-4a89-a8e9-af923a3f1c0f,
  abstract     = {{Whose text is a work of fiction in translation? The aim of this thesis is to examine what happens to a novel when it is translated from one language into another. By analysing the Swedish translations of six contemporary novels written in English I attempt to identify what I refer to as the translator´s voice. The translations have been made by two of Sweden´s most highly thought-of translators, Else Lundgren and Caj Lundgren.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The theoretical framework of my study is derived from Translation Studies, basically an empirical and interdisciplinary discipline, which is introduced in Chapter Two; Chapter One provides a general survey of previous research and thought on translation. My starting-point is a model for describing translations compiled within the descriptive branch of Translation Studies. Chapter Three is devoted to the translator Else Lundgren. After a short biographical presentation I summarise her views on, and experiences of translating. I then provide a brief survey of her translations, discussing how they have been received by the reviewers, and finally turn to a close reading of two of her translations: Julys folk, a translation of Nadine Gordimer´s July´s People, where Else Lundgren´s strategy of clarification is in evidence; and Heja Coventry, her version of Sue Townsend´s Rebuilding Coventry, where her mode of renedering substandard language is of particular interest. Chapter Four contains a general presentation of Caj Lundgren and an analysis of four of his translations. In addition to being a prolific translator, he works as a reviewer for the national daily Svenska Dagbladet, where he also publishes poems on topical subjects, an activity which has left imprint on his translations. In Jordiska makter, his translation of Anthony Burgess´Earthly Powers, I am particularly concerned with Caj Lundgren´s renditions of of the original´s rich vocabulary and phraseology. In De besatta, his translation of A.S. Byatt´s novel Possession, as well as his translations of Saul Bellow´s The Bellarosa Connection and Richard Ford´s Wildlife, my focus of interest is on characterization. In bellow´s novel, for example, the plot is told by a first-person narrator who recapitulates events that occurred during an earlier period of his life. Subtle linguistic changes cause the narrator to appear different in the translation from what he is in the translation. In the final chapter, which provides a survey of how translations are commented on in different kinds of reviews, the question is posed: whose text is scrutinised in a review of a work of fiction in translation?}},
  author       = {{Gullin, Christina}},
  isbn         = {{91-7966-520-9}},
  issn         = {{0347-7770}},
  keywords     = {{litteraturkritik; litteraturteori; Allmän och jämförande litteratur; literary theory; shifts; literary translation; Translation studies; literature criticism; reviewing; Translation; General and comparative literature; Översättning}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Christina Gullin Thulehemsvägen 135 22467 Lund,}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Litteratur, teater, film}},
  title        = {{Översättarens röst : en studie i den skönlitteräre översättarens roll med utgångspunkt i översättningar av Else Lundgren och Caj Lundgren}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}