The Visual Text Importance in Translation and the Text Manipulations: Case Study of Works by Rodari Translated into Albanian Language

Authors

  • Ingrit Tirana

    Departement of Romanistics, University of Shkodër “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Shkodër 4001, Albania
  • Drita Brahimi

    Departement of Romanistics, University of Shkodër “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Shkodër 4001, Albania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i6.7041
Received: 15 August 2024 | Revised: 12 September 2024 | Accepted: 20 September 2024 | Published Online: 14 December 2024

Abstract

Empirical studies in the field of children’s literature translation in the last decades seem to be getting the attention they deserve. How important is it well translating children’s literature? Although at first glance it seems to belong to a simple genre, it is completely the opposite. First, children’s literature is a challenge for the translator himself, and secondly, it is important for the child, since the literary work he reads will enable his first contacts, not only linguistic, but also visual and auditory ones. Among the issues of interest and less studied are illustrations, which undoubtedly are one of the most significant dimensions of literary production. One of the main problems is related to their interpretation: the issue becomes difficult when we are dealing with early translated works where publishers often decided for various reasons to retain the source text illustrations and sometimes not. Early translations serve as a very useful source of information to analyze various aspects such as graphic modifications or their adaptation to the target language. In the event that these illustrations are retained, there is a possibility that the text and images may not be fully compatible. Therefore the question arises, has there been interference in the images and have they been properly adapted? In this paper, we will show how important illustrations are in the translation of children’s literature and what aspects we should take into consideration during translation. The object of our study is Rodari’s works in which we found graphic modifications.

Keywords:

Translation; Illustrations; Graphic Modifications; Fidelity; Coherence; Adaptation

References

[1] Mounin, G., 1965. Teoria e Storia Della Traduzione (Theory and History of Translation). Einaudi: Torino, Italy. pp. 151–152.

[2] Pederzoli, R., 2012. La Traduction de la Literature d’Enfance et de Jeunesse et le Dilemma du Destinataire. P.I.E Peter Lang: Bruxelles, Belgique. pp. 51–52.

[3] Genette, G.,1987. Seuils. Édition du Seiul: Praris, France. pp. 27–29, 75–76.

[4] Demiri, Q., 2011. Letërsia për Fëmijë (Children’s literature). Rozafa: Prishtinë, Kosovo. pp. 67, 77.

[5] Bishqemi, A., 1999. Letërsia për Fëmijë. Pjesa III: Nëpër Botë (Children's Literature. Part III: Around the World). Silver: Elbasan, Albania. pp. 151, 155, 215, 217.

[6] Denti, R., 2012. I Bambini Leggono (The children read). Il Castoro: Milano, Italy. p. 113.

[7] Lathey, G., 2016. Translating Children’s Literature. Routledge: London, UK; New York, NY, USA. pp. 55, 57, 60.

[8] Oittinen, R., 2008. Audiences and Influences: Multisensory Translations of Picturebooks. In: Davies, M.G., Oittinen, R. (eds.). Whose Story? Translating the Verbal and the Visual in Literature for Young Readers. Cambridge Scholars Publishing: New Castle, UK. pp. 3−18.

[9] Oittinen, R., 2006. No Innocent Act: On the Ethics of Translating for Children. In: Van Coillie, J., Verschueren, W.P. (eds.). Children’s Literature in Translation. Challenges and Strategies. pp. 35−46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315759845

[10] O’Sullivan, E., 2010. More Than the Sum of Its Parts? Synergy and Picturebook Translation. In: Giovanni, E.D. (ed.). Écrire et Traduire pour les Enfants [Writing and Translating for Children]. Peter Lang: Bruxelles, Belgium. pp. 133, 135−141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3726/978-3-0352-6039-7

[11] O’Sullivan, E., 2006. Translating Pictures. In: Lathey, G. (ed.). The Translation of Children’s Literature A Reader. Multilingual Matters: Clevedon, U.K. pp. 113−121.

[12] Eco, U., 2013. Dire Quasi la Stessa Cosa. Esperienza di traduzione. (Saying Almost the Same Thing. Translation Experience). Bompiani: Milan, Italy. pp. 17, 110, 225.

[13] Oittinen, R., 2000. Translating for Children. Garland: New York, NY, USA. p. 168.

[14] Baker, M., 2018. In Other Words---A Coursebook on Translation. Routledge: London, UK; New York, NY, USA. pp. 31−73.

[15] Oittinen, R., 2004. Kuvakirja Kääntäjän Kädessä. Lasten Keskus. Picture Book in the Translator's Hand. Children's Center. La Traduzione Della Letteratura per L’Infanzia dal Finlandeze All’Italiano: L’Esempio Degli Albi Illustrate di Mauri Kunnas (Translating Children's Literature from Finnish to Italian: The Example of Mauri Kunnas' Picture Books) [Ph.D. Thesis]. Painosalama Oy, Finland: University of Turku. pp. 121−122, 141.

[16] O’Sullivan, E., 2005. Comparative Children’s Literature. Routledge: London, UK p. 99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203508664

[17] Osimo, B., 2002. Traduzione Della Cultura (Translation of culture). In: Piretto G.P. (ed.). Parole, Immagini, Suoni di Russia. Unicopoli Editore: Milan, Italy. pp. 35–51.

[18] Tirana, I., 2023. Problematiche Linguistiche e Culturali nella Traduzione dei Testi per l’Infanzia (Linguistic and Cultural Issues in the Translation of Children's Texts). Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research. 8(3), 118−127.

[19] Rodari, G., 1964 [2011]. Il Libro Degli Errori. (Book of mistakes). Edizioni EL (Einaudi): Torino, Italy. pp. 15, 16, 18, 38, 45,127.

[20] Rodari, G., 1960. Filastrocche in ciello e in terra. Giulio Einaudi Editore S.p.A: Torino, Italy. p. 134.

[21] Rodari, X., 1973. Libri i Gabimeve (Book of mistakes). Naim Frashëri: Tirana, Albania. pp. 7, 11, 15, 40, 41, 49.

[22] Rodari. X., 1966. Ç’erë Kanë Zanatet. (What Do Crafts Smell Like). Ministria e Arsimit e Kulturës: Tirana, Albania. pp. 1−9.

[23] Rodari. X., 1958. Aventurat e Çipolinos (The Adventures of Cipollino). Naim Frashëri: Tirana, Albania.

[24] Rodari. X., 1956. Rrugaçët e Vegjël (Little Wanderers). Naim Frashëri: Tirana, Albania.

[25] Rodari. X., 1970. Udhëtimi i Shigjetës së Kaltër (Journey of the Blue Arrow). Naim Frashëri: Tirana, Albania.

[26] Rodari. X., 1959. Aventurat e Tonino të padukshmit (The Adventures of Tonino the Invisible). Naim Frashëri: Tirana, Albania.

[27] Bishqemi, A., 2009. Le t’u Themi ‘Puna e Mbarë!’ Studiuesve të Letërsisë për Fëmijë e të Rinj (Let’s Say ‘Good Luck!’ to the Scholars of Children’s and youth Literature). In: Deva, A. (ed.). Letërsia Shqipe për Fëmijë dhe Kritika për të (The Caravan of Children’s Writers 'Agim Deva'. Albanian Children’s Literature and Criticism About It). Karvani i Shkrimtarëve për Fëmijë “Agim Deva”: Prishtinë, Kosovo. pp. 47−63.

[28] Roberti, A., 2020. Cipollino nei Paesi dei Soviet, La fortuna di Gianni Rodari in URSS (e in Russia (Cipollino in the Soviet Countries, The Fortune of Gianni Rodari in the USSR (and in Russia). Available from: https://pid.uba.uva.nl/ark:/88238/b19940458826705131 (cited 21 November 2024).

[29] Shavit, Z., 1986. Poetic’s of children’s Literature. The University Georgia Press: Athene and London, UK. pp. 33, 111, 133.

[30] Zohar, I.E., 1990. Polysystem Theory. Poetics Today. 11(1), 9–26. Available from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1772666 (cited 21 November 2024).

[31] Tabaku, F., Kosturi, D., 1974. Bibliografia e Letërsisë për Fëmijë dhe të Rinj, Vol III ( Bibliography of Children's and Youth Literature, Vol III). Naim Frashëri: Tirana, Albania. pp. 61−62.

[32] Nasi, F., 2015. Traduzioni Estreme (Extreme Translations). Quodlibet Studio: Macerata, Italy. p. 77.

[33] Newmark, P., 1988. A textbook of translation. Prentice HaH International: Hempstead, Great Bretain. p. 119.

[34] Nida, E., 1964. Towards a Science of Translating. With Special Reference to Principles and Procedures Involved in Bible Translating. E.J. Brill: Leiden, The Netherlands.

[35] Ippolito. M., 2008. The Relationship Between Text and Illustration: Translating Beatrix Potter’s Little Books into Italian, in Whose Story? Translating the Verbal and the Visual in Literature for Young Readers. Maria González Davies and Riitta Oittinen, Cambridge Scholars Publishing: New Castle, UK. pp. 86−96.

[36] Greco, P., 2010. Dizionario Cosmico (Cosmic dictionary). In: Forlizzu, M., (ed.). L’Universo a Dondolo. La Scienza Nell’Opera Di Gianni Rodari. Springer (The Rocking Universe: Science in the Work of Gianni Rodari. Springer): Napoli, Italy. pp. 5−7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1708-5

[37] Tirana, I., 2024. Alcune Riflessioni sulle Traduzioni in lingua albanese delle filastrocche di Rodari: Un’Impresa Tra Creatività, Invenzione e Ideologia (Some Reflections on the Albanian Translations of Rodari's Nursery Rhymes: An Endeavor Among Creativity, Invention, and Ideology). In: Papa, M. (ed.). Letteratura, Didattica e Traduzione. Filara: Tirana, Albania. pp. 325−326.

[38] O'Sullivan, 1999. Translating Pictures. Signal. (90), pp. 167–175. Available from: http://fox.leuphana.de/portal/en/publications/translating-pictures(a9944779-29ca-4f1a-829e-44c6e4c932a4).html (cited 1 September 2024).

Downloads

How to Cite

Tirana, I., & Brahimi, D. (2024). The Visual Text Importance in Translation and the Text Manipulations: Case Study of Works by Rodari Translated into Albanian Language. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(6), 1150–1163. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i6.7041

Issue

Vol. 6 , Iss. 6 (December 2024)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2024 Moussa Diagne Faye, Vini Yves Bernadin Loyara, Amadou Keita, Mamadou Diop, Angelbert Chabi Biaou, Mahamadou Koita, Hamma Yacouba

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.