Jak powstaje przekład? Przypisy dotyczące warsztatu tłumacza
What Do We Do When We Translate? Footnotes Concerning the Translator’s Workshop

Author(s): Weronika Sztorc
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: Footnote; literary translation; metacommentary; paratext
Summary/Abstract: The article draws attention to a group of translators’ footnotes speaking about the work on translation. This appears to be a function of footnotes that has not yet been studied in detail. Paratexts of this kind are a proof of a conscious and diligent approach to the translator’s work, and on the other hand they remind the reader about the translator’s presence and raise awareness about the character of their responsibilities. The context for the discussion of the collected material are the notions of illusionism and anti-illusionism as introduced by Jiří Levý, as well as the notion of romantic irony. The analysis of specific footnotes showed what the reader can learn about the translators’ activity. Among other things, it is that there are various acceptable variants of translation, that inevitable losses can occur, and that significant modifications of the source text may be necessary. The commentaries also highlight the fact that translation requires choosing of strategy, taking a number of decisions, searching for information in various sources, asking for help, and applying creative solutions. Footnotes also mention a number of notions known from translation theory (especially philological translation in opposition to free translation), not always used according to their meaning as recognized by scholars. The presence of such paratexts might possibly be connected with the contemporary desire for the translators’ work to be noticed and appreciated by the readers.

• Details
• Contents