Chapter 8. iTranslate or iWrite?
-
Anna Sasaki
Abstract
This chapter argues that the translation of humour can become a criterion for defining the self-translation of a children’s book. Not all literature written in a foreign language by the same author can be considered translation. In my chapter I propose a verification criterion for the translation of children’s literature by the original author based on the re-creation of humorous effects in translation. Humour in picture books comes in the form of anecdotes and allusions. The successful re-creation of humour preserves the entertainment value of picture books and answers theoretical claims concerning children’s literature translation. The loss of humorous effect results in the prevalence of the pedagogical value over the entertainment value. Such writing could be regarded as a writing that loses the source-text-target-text relationship. My findings are framed in Toury’s terms of acceptability and adequacy.
Abstract
This chapter argues that the translation of humour can become a criterion for defining the self-translation of a children’s book. Not all literature written in a foreign language by the same author can be considered translation. In my chapter I propose a verification criterion for the translation of children’s literature by the original author based on the re-creation of humorous effects in translation. Humour in picture books comes in the form of anecdotes and allusions. The successful re-creation of humour preserves the entertainment value of picture books and answers theoretical claims concerning children’s literature translation. The loss of humorous effect results in the prevalence of the pedagogical value over the entertainment value. Such writing could be regarded as a writing that loses the source-text-target-text relationship. My findings are framed in Toury’s terms of acceptability and adequacy.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgement vii
- List of contributors ix
- Chapter 1. Humour in self-translation 1
-
Part 1. From poetry to the screen
- Chapter 2. Mockery and poetic satire 15
- Chapter 3. Punning herself 41
- Chapter 4. From traduttore, traditore to traduttore, creatore 63
- Chapter 5. “Humourizing” the theatre of the absurd through reworking and (self-)translation 87
- Chapter 6. Humour, language variation and self-translation in stand-up comedy 113
- Chapter 7. Humour and self-interpreting in the media 141
-
Part 2. Reflections and experimental approaches
- Chapter 8. iTranslate or iWrite? 179
- Chapter 9. Lost and found in humour self-translation 195
- Chapter 10. How funny am I? 215
- Chapter 11. Multimodal strategies of creation and self-translation of humorous discourse in image-macro memes 233
-
Epilogue
- Chapter 12. Second thoughts about second versions 257
- Index 275
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgement vii
- List of contributors ix
- Chapter 1. Humour in self-translation 1
-
Part 1. From poetry to the screen
- Chapter 2. Mockery and poetic satire 15
- Chapter 3. Punning herself 41
- Chapter 4. From traduttore, traditore to traduttore, creatore 63
- Chapter 5. “Humourizing” the theatre of the absurd through reworking and (self-)translation 87
- Chapter 6. Humour, language variation and self-translation in stand-up comedy 113
- Chapter 7. Humour and self-interpreting in the media 141
-
Part 2. Reflections and experimental approaches
- Chapter 8. iTranslate or iWrite? 179
- Chapter 9. Lost and found in humour self-translation 195
- Chapter 10. How funny am I? 215
- Chapter 11. Multimodal strategies of creation and self-translation of humorous discourse in image-macro memes 233
-
Epilogue
- Chapter 12. Second thoughts about second versions 257
- Index 275