Translating Peripheral Languages and Cultures: A Contract with God

Abstract

[eng] This undergraduate dissertation revolves around the translation of Will Eisner’s graphic novel A Contract with God (Eisner 1978), a collection of four short stories set in the historical context of the 1930’s in New York. This work will attempt to provide insight into the translation of peripheral languages and cultures such as Yiddish into a dominant language and culture such as Spanish. What the standard linguistic approach(es) employed may be in these settings and what may the translator’s role be when translating peripheral languages and cultures into dominant ones. This dissertation contains four parts. The introduction explains what differentiates a graphic novel from a comic, what is the global context of the industry, and what is the current situation of said industry in Spain. The main body of the text contains the translation, which is complemented with a glossary that clarifies obscure terms and names for the potential reader. After the practical case, a commentary is presented, which illustrates the approach, strategies and procedures employed, as well as a brief comparison between this translation and the official translation produced by Norma Editorial and the justification for various divergences encountered amongst both. After the final section of dissertations, a series of conclusions are presented. The main conclusion observed is that there may not be a standard approach, set answer or formula when translating from minor languages and cultures into dominant languages and cultures. The approach should be connected to the work to be translated, the source language, the target language and the translator’s personal ideology towards the translation. The research for this dissertation brought forth that the predominant trend, that began at the end of the last century, has been shifting the focus from language to culture; this has been called “the cultural approach or cultural turn,” (Marinetti 2011, 26-27), where translators, were becoming aware of their personal ideology and influence over the translation, and their role as mediators between the two cultures. It appears that this role is supported by political or personal ideologies rather than by linguistic reasons. This view is based on the rejection of the concept that defines some cultures and languages as dominant and some cultures and languages as secondary or minor ones, and so, by employing this approach the translators are contributing to a more balanced and egalitarian view of global society. Thus, the translator’s role is revealed as a “cultural equalizer” that does not regard any society as superior or as inferior, rather as equal members of a diverse whole