ANTR52401 Drama in Translation/sp10
Required optional, esp. transl. spec.
old system, 4th – 5th year
seminar + tutorials, graded
Bertha Csilla
Office: 105
Office hours:Wed. 15.00-15.50
Thu: 15.00–15.50
csillabertha@gmail.com
In addition to discussing the changing views on translation in general in the last 30 years
or so, such as moving away from the fidelity principle and the requirement of linguistic
equivalence towards broader cultural equivalence and accepting shared authorship of
writer and translator, in the course we will raise questions about the specific problems
concerning drama translation. Since written language, dialogues are only one component
of the overall effect of a theatrical performance, the transplantation of a dramatic text into
the cultural context of the “target language” is an even more complex task than in other,
only written forms of literature, not to speak about such practical considerations as
playability and performability. Close study of existing translations and the juxtaposition
of different translations of twentieth-century Irish plays will constitute the core of the
course, with a few occasions when students will try their hand at translation.
1.
2.
Introduction, distribution of tasks
Read J.M. Synge, The Playboy of the Western World (in English);
Hungarian trans. of Act I by Tamás Ungvári: A nyugati világ bajnoka;
Hung. trans. of Act I by Ádám Nádasdy: A nyugat hőse
Excerpts from Bassnett, Translation Studies (in c.p.)
Discussion of the two different translations of Act I
3-4.
individual work, tutorials. Essay-writing on the two translations of The Playboy
Essay deadline: March 5. Please, use some ideas and approaches on
translation criticism in the excerpt from P. Newmark’s book (in c p.)
5.
Read: Brian Friel, Philadelphia, Here I Come! (in English)
Act I of Nové Béla’s transl.: Philadelphia, itt vagyok!
Act I of Hamvai Kornél’s transl.: Philadelphia, nincs más út!
Discussion of the two different translations of Act I
6.
individual work: translation of short excerpts from Philadelphia.
Deadline: March 19. Please, send your translation to me and to the other
students in the group by email
7.
Discussion of individual translations of excerpts from Friel’s Philadelphia
Please, bring your comments on the others’ translations to the class.
8. --------------------------
Consultation week --------------------------------------
9.
Read: Brian Friel: Translations (in English)
Act I of Mesterházi Márton’s transl. Helynevek
Act I of Mihálycsa Erika’s transl. Fordítások
Mesterházi Márton, “The Hungarian Translator’s View …”
Discussion of the two different translations of Act I
10.
Individual work, tutorials. Essay-writing on the two translations of
Translations. Deadline: April 20..
11.
Individual work, tutorials. Essay-writing on the two translations of S. Beckett’s
Waiting for Godot. Essay deadline: April 29.
12
Read: S. Beckett: Waiting for Godot (in English)
Act I of Kolozsvári Grandpierre Emil’s transl.: Godot-ra várva
Act I of Pinczés István’s (new, yet unpublished) transl. Godot-ra várva
Discussion of the two different translations of Act I of Beckett’s Waiting
for Godot
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REQUIREMENTS
Reading. Students are required to read all the assigned plays in the original (in most
cases in English, in one case in Hungarian) and both of their Hungarian
translations (and the one English translation of the Hungarian play) along with
assigned chapters/articles on translation theory and practice. Note: for the
translation-discussion classes you have to read the full original play but we will
discuss only the translations of Act I. For your essays evidently you will have to
read the translations of the full texts.
Class participation. Students should participate in the discussions of both the
professional translations and of each others’ attempts at translation.
Essays. Everybody has to write three 5-6 pages long (approx. 1500 – 2000 words) takehome essays, a comparative analysis of the two translations of each of the
assigned three plays (Playboy, Translations and Godot).
Translation. Everybody will be asked to translate a short excerpt from one or two plays
(depends on when the term finishes). You are requested to send the translations to
the others in class and evaluate the others’ translations. Dates and details will be
agreed upon later.
Grades will be given on the basis of class participation (approx. 25%), the three essays
(15 + 15 + 20%) and the translation + comments on other translations (25%).
Texts:
Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot, 1952 (any edition)
Godot-ra várva. transl. Kolozsvári Grandpierre Emil (any edition)
Godot-ra várva. transl. Pinczés István, MS, 2008.
Friel, Brian, Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964) Selected Plays. London: Faber, 1984.
23-99.
Philadelphia, itt vagyok! transl. Nóvé Béla, Brian Friel. Philadelphia, itt vagyok!
Budapest: Európa (Modern Könyvtár), 1990. 5-98.
Philadelphia, nincs más út! transl. Hamvai Kornél, playscript, Kaposvár: Csíki
Gergely Színház, 2001.
Friel, Brian, Translations (1981). Selected Plays. London: Faber, 1984. 377-451.
Helynevek, transl. Mesterházi Márton, Brian Friel. Philadelphia, itt vagyok!
Budapest: Európa (Modern Könyvtár), 1990. 99-186.
Fordítások. transl. Miháycsa Erika, playscript, Kolozsvár: Kolozsvári Állami
Magyar Színház, 2001
Synge, John Millington, The Playboy of the Western World 1907, (any edition)
A nyugati világ bajnoka. transl. Ungvári Tamás. XX. századi angol drámák.
A nyugat hőse. transl. Nádasdy Ádám, playscript, 2004.
Essays:
Susan Bassnett-McGuire. Translation Studies. London: Routledge, 1980. (excerpts)
Peter Newmark, A Textbook on Translation. Hempstead: Phoenix, 1995. (excerpts)
Mesterházi Márton, “The Hungarian Translator’s View of Brian Friel’s Translations and
the Problems in Translating it into Hungarian.“ HJEAS 5.1.1999, 97 – 107.
The plays are available in the Institute library. The essays are collected in the course
packet.