The problems and principles of literary translation, with emphasis on the practice of translation.
Athena Title
Problems Literary Translation
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will have acquired advanced knowledge of problems and principles of literary translation.
Students will have had practical experience in the translation of literary texts.
Students will have read and will understand canonical works in translation studies.
Students will have an understanding of the current state of the field of literary translation studies.
Students will be able to apply what they learn about translation to their own translation projects, and to their readings of literature and culture more broadly.
Topical Outline
The topics considered will vary with the individual instructor. Theoretical issues commonly addressed include: affinities between languages and the varying problems of rendering stylistic and semantic elements across languages; the issue of fidelity and the possibility of accurate translation; compromises between literal accuracy and faithfulness to the spirit of a text; questions of temporal distance between the original text and its contemporary rendition; and problems of audience (whether the translation is designed for a scholarly or a general audience, whether for reading or for performance), etc. Emphasis will be placed on the practice of translation, with students presenting individual translation projects for discussion in the seminar.
