Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the main objective of translating a play for the stage?
What is the main objective of translating a play for the stage?
Who plays a significant role alongside the translator during the theatrical translation process?
Who plays a significant role alongside the translator during the theatrical translation process?
What must a translator provide to aid the transition from paper to performance?
What must a translator provide to aid the transition from paper to performance?
In what context is candomblé mentioned in the content?
In what context is candomblé mentioned in the content?
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What type of dramas are often adapted instead of translated?
What type of dramas are often adapted instead of translated?
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What should be the translator's focus when adapting humor or satire in a play?
What should be the translator's focus when adapting humor or satire in a play?
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Why are retranslations of classics commissioned for new productions?
Why are retranslations of classics commissioned for new productions?
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What is implied as a challenge for the translator in the process described?
What is implied as a challenge for the translator in the process described?
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What is the primary characteristic of theatrical translation from the perspective of the spectator?
What is the primary characteristic of theatrical translation from the perspective of the spectator?
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Which type of rendering allows for significant liberties, such as cuts and style changes, while being based on the original text?
Which type of rendering allows for significant liberties, such as cuts and style changes, while being based on the original text?
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According to Victor Dixon, which type of rendering can honestly be called a translation?
According to Victor Dixon, which type of rendering can honestly be called a translation?
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What distinguishes the fifth type of rendering, termed 'variation', from other types of translations?
What distinguishes the fifth type of rendering, termed 'variation', from other types of translations?
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What must sometimes yield to the reality of actors delivering lines in a convincing manner?
What must sometimes yield to the reality of actors delivering lines in a convincing manner?
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What does Eric Bentley suggest about a play in 'The Life of the Drama'?
What does Eric Bentley suggest about a play in 'The Life of the Drama'?
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Which type of rendering is characterized by its meanly literal translation style, often referred to as Pidgin English?
Which type of rendering is characterized by its meanly literal translation style, often referred to as Pidgin English?
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What is the translator's primary duty when translating a theatrical play?
What is the translator's primary duty when translating a theatrical play?
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Study Notes
Drama Translation: Principles and Strategies
- Drama translation differs significantly from other genres, prioritizing speakability from the audience's perspective.
- Meaning, fidelity, and precision are secondary to the play's ability to be delivered convincingly and naturally by actors.
- Style in drama translation may need to adjust to the actors' needs.
- Eric Bentley identified four types of "translations":
- Literal rendering: Using Pidgin English—extremely literal, often sacrificing vocabulary and style for an exact word-for-word rendering..
- Correct/convincing English: Preserves accuracy and fluency in the target language, staying close to the original. Adaptability is prioritized here.
- Adaptations: Can involve significant changes in style, tone, or omission of material to improve the target language version's impact.
- Variations: May be seen as more creative writing than translation, heavily altering the original play to make it feel unique or different. The focus is on fresh expression or adaptation.
- Victor Dixon noted that all but the first type of translation potentially can be performed. However, the second translation is the only translation method that honors fidelity to the original work while staying true to its source material.
- Plays exist as both a written text and a performance. The translator's job is to make the translated version feel as impactful as a performed work.
- A translator needs to consider the culture-specific elements and paraverbal elements of the original, which then needs to be reconstituted or recreated in the new language.
- Light dramas like comedies (farces) are often adapted rather than translated. The focus in these types of translations is retaining the play's core humor or other effects.
- Retranslations are often commissioned for new productions of existing classics.
- Students intending to translate drama should study successful translated plays within the target language and existing translated works from successful play translators.
- Exercises to better understand drama translation include reading a Turkish translation of a play in English, and deciding if the Turkish translator was accurate to the original work, and also translating an English play into Turkish, applying the tips for translating drama. Conversely, translating a Turkish play into English can be used as another tool for practicing the principles of drama translation.
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Description
Explore the essential principles and strategies of drama translation in this quiz. Understand the significance of speakability and the various types of translations identified by Eric Bentley, including literal rendering, convincing English, adaptations, and variations. This quiz will enhance your knowledge of how to effectively translate drama for performance.
