The magic of literary translation, concept of literary translation, characteristics and examples

 What is literary translation?

Literary translation is part of editorial translation, which encompasses the translation of all types of publishable documents: books on various subjects, magazines, etc. Specifically, literary translation, as its name suggests, focuses on the translation of works of literature, such as novels, short stories, poetry and theater. 

A professional translator must also be an excellent writer since he/she is in charge of making the final text easy to read and, moreover, of keeping the same ideas that the source text intends to convey.

Some translators prefer to specialize in texts that deal with more technical areas due to the difficulty they present when conveying messages or metaphors and the use of other stylistic resources that constantly appear in literary translations. Literary translation differs greatly from technical translation, which is based especially on manuals, instructions, reports, among others, which are generally aimed at a specialized audience that is limited to this particular type of text.

For this reason, it is extremely important that the use of vocabulary is appropriate, without adding so much importance to the aesthetics and style of the text.

On the other hand, in the translation of literary texts, such as novels or poems, it is necessary for the translator to have more stylistic skills, cultural knowledge and to be creative and imaginative.

Necessary characteristics for a good literary translation

1.-Proficiency in the native language

         As translators, it is necessary to have a base language, in our case Spanish.

2.-Naturalness of expression

     It is part of the art that the translator gives to the translation, so that it reads well and is somehow an elegant translation. 

3.- Good command of the language by the translator

       To do a good job translating, we must be fluent in the target language, so that the translation is natural and easy to understand. 

4.-Fidelity to the text

      For the literary translation process to be successful, the translator must stick to the original idea without departing from the writing patterns executed by the original author. 

5.-Know how to write correctly

     While it is true that this goes into how well you master the language to be translated, it is also important to remember that correct spelling is an essential impetus for the translation to make sense.

6.- Good time management

      Literary translations require a great deal of time, therefore, it is important to have the maximum amount of concentration and time for their realization. 

7.-Good handling and knowledge of technology

     For a translator, being in touch with technology is one of the fundamental requirements that guarantee a better translation job. 

8.-Linguistic extensions

      Any literary text has thousands of native expressions, and at the time of translation you need to know how to interpret them in order for the translation to be effective. 

9.- Historical or cultural context

      In order to execute a good literary translation, it is important to know the context of the subject matter. For this reason, translators must pay close attention to detail and recognize what type of story or book they are translating. 

Examples of literary translations

The Little Prince

      Le Petit Prince by Antoine of Saint-Exupéry has been translated into more than 250 languages and its original is in French. Written in the middle of World War II, this literary work has undergone countless adaptations since its publication. Although it has undergone several translation processes, this successful work has not lost its original naturalness and fidelity, nor have its linguistic expressions. 

Journey to the west, the adventures of the monkey king

     This classic work of Chinese literature hides the mythological and spiritual tradition of the Chinese people in its words. A very rich reading and loaded with great references such as Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

Agatha Christie

  A benchmark in mystery novels, she is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the best-selling novelist in history.

Here is a video about literary translation 

https://youtu.be/ogmvoZfum0E  

        By: Michelle Perdomo