Odniesienia historyczne i kulturowe w literaturze fantasy i jej tłumaczeniu. Propozycje przekładu „Les ombres de Wielstadt” Pierre’a Pevela z języka francuskiego na polski
Historical and cultural references in fantasy literature and its translation. French-Polish translation suggestions for „Les Ombres de Wielstadt” by Pierre Pevel

Author(s): Ewa Drab
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Summary/Abstract: Translation of fantasy literature requires from the translator to be familiar with the tradition of the genre and to be exact in interpreting the author’s intentions. It is also important that the translator be creative when describing phenomena typical exclusively of a given imaginary world. Numerous authors build their own fantastic universes in reference to reality, thus creating subgenres, e.g. historical fantasy. It allows to anchor the alien world in culture and engage the reader in its exploration. Hence, translation needs to take into account the individual character of fantasy as a genre as well as the references to the extra-linguistic reality, which binds the imaginary motives with historical elements, making the story more real. Establishing connections between the story and culture and history are characteristic of non-Anglophone authors who attempt at abandoning the Anglo-Saxon model of fantasy. Les ombres de Wielstadt, Pierre Pevel’s first novel, constitutes a perfect illustration what challenges a translator has to face when translating historical fantasy. In his story, Pevel intertwines an imaginary plot with the history of Thirty Years’ War and showcases the opposition between fantasy and history by choosing the vocabulary carefully, combining historical references with fictitious elements, stylizing the descriptions and drawing in the genre’s tradition. How should a translator approach such a text?

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