Home Linguistics & Semiotics Manipulating the matricial norms
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Manipulating the matricial norms

A comparison of the English, Swedish and French translations of La caverna de las ideas by José Carlos Somoza
  • Yvonne Lindqvist
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
To Publisher Page
Why Translation Studies Matters
This chapter is in the book Why Translation Studies Matters

Abstract

The paper examines the “crime fiction boom” and the cultural spaces from which translated crime fiction originates within the Swedish cultural system. This introduction contextualizes the Swedish translation through comparison with the English and French translations of the Spanish crime novel La caverna de las ideas. The study draws on the polysystem theory approach (Even-Zohar 1990; Toury 1995, 1998) and the cultural sociology of Pierre Bourdieu (Bourdieu 1986, 1992a; Gouanvic 1997, 1999) in putting forward the hypothesis that the meta-textual elements in the novel will be translated differently, depending on the cultural system within which the translators perform their task. It is shown that the English translator manipulates the matricial norms of the source text to a higher extent than do the Swedish and French translators. Moreover, the paper examines some of the international consecration processes within the global literary space (Casanova 1999), which made it possible for the Somoza crime novel to reach the Swedish literary system by means of translation.

Abstract

The paper examines the “crime fiction boom” and the cultural spaces from which translated crime fiction originates within the Swedish cultural system. This introduction contextualizes the Swedish translation through comparison with the English and French translations of the Spanish crime novel La caverna de las ideas. The study draws on the polysystem theory approach (Even-Zohar 1990; Toury 1995, 1998) and the cultural sociology of Pierre Bourdieu (Bourdieu 1986, 1992a; Gouanvic 1997, 1999) in putting forward the hypothesis that the meta-textual elements in the novel will be translated differently, depending on the cultural system within which the translators perform their task. It is shown that the English translator manipulates the matricial norms of the source text to a higher extent than do the Swedish and French translators. Moreover, the paper examines some of the international consecration processes within the global literary space (Casanova 1999), which made it possible for the Somoza crime novel to reach the Swedish literary system by means of translation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Part 1. Does TS matter?
  5. Why interpreting studies matters 3
  6. What matters to Translation Studies? 15
  7. Part 2. Translation and society
  8. Translators as cultural mediators 29
  9. Censorship in the translations and pseudo-translations of the West 41
  10. A world without God 57
  11. Manipulating the matricial norms 69
  12. Knowledge in Translation Studies and translation practice 83
  13. Part 3. Language issues
  14. Is Translation Studies going Anglo-Saxon? 97
  15. Slowakisch: Brückensprache zur slawischen Welt? 105
  16. Translation Studies and mass media research 115
  17. Register shifts in translations of popular fiction from English into Slovene 125
  18. Getting the ACCENT right in Translation Studies 137
  19. Die Kirche im Dorf oder die Regierung im Wald lassen 153
  20. Part 4. Assessment and training
  21. Magnifying glasses modifying maps 167
  22. Effects of short intensive practice on interpreter trainees’ performance 183
  23. Corpora in translator training 195
  24. Part 5. Psychology
  25. Psycholinguistik, Übersetzungswissenschaft und Expertiseforschung im Rahmen der interdisziplinären Forschung 211
  26. Interpreting Studies and psycholinguistics 223
  27. fMRI for exploring simultaneous interpreting 237
  28. Part 6. Postscript
  29. Why Translation Studies matters 251
  30. Name index 263
  31. Concept index 267
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.88.07lin

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Part 1. Does TS matter?
  5. Why interpreting studies matters 3
  6. What matters to Translation Studies? 15
  7. Part 2. Translation and society
  8. Translators as cultural mediators 29
  9. Censorship in the translations and pseudo-translations of the West 41
  10. A world without God 57
  11. Manipulating the matricial norms 69
  12. Knowledge in Translation Studies and translation practice 83
  13. Part 3. Language issues
  14. Is Translation Studies going Anglo-Saxon? 97
  15. Slowakisch: Brückensprache zur slawischen Welt? 105
  16. Translation Studies and mass media research 115
  17. Register shifts in translations of popular fiction from English into Slovene 125
  18. Getting the ACCENT right in Translation Studies 137
  19. Die Kirche im Dorf oder die Regierung im Wald lassen 153
  20. Part 4. Assessment and training
  21. Magnifying glasses modifying maps 167
  22. Effects of short intensive practice on interpreter trainees’ performance 183
  23. Corpora in translator training 195
  24. Part 5. Psychology
  25. Psycholinguistik, Übersetzungswissenschaft und Expertiseforschung im Rahmen der interdisziplinären Forschung 211
  26. Interpreting Studies and psycholinguistics 223
  27. fMRI for exploring simultaneous interpreting 237
  28. Part 6. Postscript
  29. Why Translation Studies matters 251
  30. Name index 263
  31. Concept index 267
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 29.12.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/btl.88.07lin/html
Scroll to top button