Between Pudeur and Falsification: Thoughts on Translating Indecent Language

• Authors: Dan Negrescu
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper emphasizes the fallaciousness of the concept of “translation decency” and the extent to which this distorts the source text, revealing primarily the translator’s prudery. Such prudery should play no part in translation; the translator needs to convey the author’s intentions even when s/he does not share their ideas. Although I am not afraid of being judged for judging others, I have chosen to use my own translations as examples, for the act of interlinguistic translation is in itself a choice, certainly as faithful to the original as possible.

FR

Cet article se propose de souligner le caractère fallacieux de la notion de « pudeur en traduction » et la mesure dans celle-ci déforme le texte source, ce qui en évidence surtout la pudibonderie du traducteur. Une telle pudibonderie ne devrait pas se manifester. Le traducteur est censé transmettre les intentions de l’auteur, même lorsqu’il/elle n’en partage pas l’esprit. Bien que nous n’ayons pas peur d’être jugé pour le fait de juger les autres, nous avons choisi d’utiliser nos propres traductions afin de montrer que l’acte de traduction interlinguistique en soi est un choix. Un choix sans doute aussi fidèle à l’original que possible.

Keywords

EN

translation; (in)decency; prudery; alter ego scriptoris; falsifying prudery; prudery as non-communication and stupidity

FR

traduction; (in)décence; pudor; alter ego scriptoris; pudeur falsificatrice; la pudeur comme non-communication; stupidité

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Translationes
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1

Dates

published

2012-01-01

online

2014-05-28

Contributors

author

Dan Negrescu

• University of West Timisoara Romania

References

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• Hieronymus, Eusebius, Dialogus contra Luciferianos, in J. P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, Paris, 1883, tomus XXIII, col. 163-193.
• Biblia sau Sfânta Scriptură, Bucharest: Editura Institutului Biblic şi de Misiune Ortodoxă al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, 1975.
• Ieronim, Sfântul, Viaţa Sfântului Pavel, cel dintâi sihastru, in vol. Sfântul Ieronim, Pilduitoare vieţi de eremiţi, study, introductory notes and translations by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 2006, pp. 39-50.
• Hieronymus, Eusebius, Vita S. Pauli primi eremitae, în J. P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, Paris, 1883, tomus XXIII, col. 17-29.
• Ieronim, Sfântul, Viaţa lui Malchus, monahul robit, in Sfântul Ieronim, Pilduitoare vieţi de eremiţi, study, introductory notes, translations by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 2006, pp. 51-62.
• Hieronymus, Eusebius, Vita Malchi monachi captivi, in J. P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, Paris, 1883, tomus XXIII, col. 55-65. Rânduielile Sfântului Pahomie in Sfântul Ieronim, Apologie şi rânduială, introductory studies, translations and notes by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 2008, pp. 63-128.
• Regulae, Instituta, Praecepta, Monita S. Pachomii in J. P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, Paris, 1883, tomus XXIII, col. 65-91.
• Ieronim, Sfântul, Împotriva lui Vigilanţiu, in Sfântul Ieronim, Apologie şi rânduială, introductory studies, translations and notes by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 2008, pp. 12-62.
• Hieronymus, Eusebius, Liber contra Vigilantium, in J. P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, Paris 1883, col. 353-371.
• Abélard, Etica, Abaelardus Ethica, bilingual edition, translation and notes by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 1994.
• Héloïse şi Abélard, Autoportrete epistolare, introduction, translation and notes by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 1995.
• Epistulae (Abelardi et Heloisae) in J. P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, Paris, 1885, tomus CLXXVIII, col. 113-198 and col. 375-378.
• Carmina Burana, bilingual edition, translated from the Latin by Dan Negrescu, Bucharest: Editura Paideia, 2009 (deluxe edition, unnumbered pages).

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/tran-2014-0072