Pygmalion and the Latest Slang or Translating Undercover
Pygmalion and the Latest Slang or Translating Undercover

Summary/Abstract: Translating classical texts raises the issue of rendering not only the lexical and cultural complexities of a different culture but also filling in the age gap for the modern reader no longer aware of certain social standards, connotations, etiquette etc. To what extent do we operate on a text, do we overwrite or remain faithful to the writer? The article compares two versions of the same translation of G.B.Shawřs Pygmallion, both authored by Petru Comarnescu. The first translation was published in 1963, while Comarnescu was still alive, and is quite a remarkable one. The second translation was published in 2015, 45 years after Comarnescuřs death, with his name on the cover yet with alterations which are at times questionable, if not unprofessional. With the obvious intent of making Shaw accessible to young generations, the editors of the 2015 translation took advantage of the Ŗall rights reservedŗ stipulation and reshaped it to what they deemed to be a desirable form.

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