Ilha do Desterro (Apr 2008)
Shakespeare translations in Spain Shakespeare translations in Spain
Abstract
As Shakespeare’s conception of man and of the world is timeless and universal, his literary works are appropriated by different cultures and generations, which understand, interpret and respond to them according to their own parameters. Translation into another language is an important part of the process of appropriation, as it is not only a simple linguistic transcoding (Delabatista and D’Hulst: 21) but also an intercultural activity. In translation there is an interplay not only of linguistic but also of socio-cultural factors. The role of translators as both recipients of the source text–and thus interpreters–and writers of the target text is crucial in configuring the way in which the source text will reach the ultimate receivers. Translators recreate a literary work influenced by and at the same time influencing the culture in which they live, and conditioned by their own individual interpretation and the constraints imposed by the target language. As Shakespeare’s conception of man and of the world is timeless and universal, his literary works are appropriated by different cultures and generations, which understand, interpret and respond to them according to their own parameters. Translation into another language is an important part of the process of appropriation, as it is not only a simple linguistic transcoding (Delabatista and D’Hulst: 21) but also an intercultural activity. In translation there is an interplay not only of linguistic but also of socio-cultural factors. The role of translators as both recipients of the source text–and thus interpreters–and writers of the target text is crucial in configuring the way in which the source text will reach the ultimate receivers. Translators recreate a literary work influenced by and at the same time influencing the culture in which they live, and conditioned by their own individual interpretation and the constraints imposed by the target language.
