Cracks and Patinas: Translation from Italian to Korean, and to English

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A research seminar as part of the Translation, Adaptation and Performance research theme at the School of Modern Languages with speaker Dr Liz Wren-Owens (Cardiff University).

Abstract

Antonio Tabucchi is a canonical figure in Italian literature, with works ranging from politically-engaged novels, to postmodern fiction, to critical essays, to translations. But with his works translated into 39 languages across the globe, Italian is no longer the lingua franca of his readers. Tabucchi is a writer speaking to a primarily western, Enlightenment tradition, yet as his texts travel through translation, the Italian (and European) cultural, political, and historical landscape is no longer a given, shared understanding.

This paper takes Korean and English translations as case-studies to interrogate the way that his works are leveraged to other agendas, both political and artistic, as they cross linguistic and cultural borders. In Heilbron’s model of languages, English is a (hyper) central language, Italian a semi-peripheral language, and Korean a peripheral one. How are these power dynamics played out through the translation process, what challenges and opportunities to they present with to translators? What happens when two languages on the periphery speak directly to each other?

The paper draws on a new body of translator interviews, undertaken for the monograph In, on and through translation: Tabucchi’s travelling texts (Peter Lang 2018), exploring the reactions of translators from very different linguistic and cultural contexts, all working on the same body of source texts, and each finding new values in the texts and the process of translation itself.

Biography

Dr Liz Wren-Owens is Reader in Italian and Translation Studies at Cardiff University, UK. Her most recent monograph In, on and through translation: Tabucchi’s Travelling Texts (Peter Lang, 2018) focusses on the global translations of the works of Italian writer Antonio Tabucchi. Previous publications address memories of fascism in Italian-Scottish and Italian-Welsh narrative, class and ethnic identity in Italian-Welsh narratives and café culture, first-wave Italian-American and African-Italian migrant narrative, race and ethnic identity in Italian narrative, socio-political engagement in Tabucchi and Sciascia, postcolonial memories of Italian and Portuguese empire in Tabucchi, and detective fiction.

Simultaneous Translation

The event will be delivered in the medium of English. You are welcome to ask questions in the medium of Welsh during the QandA session. If you intend to do this, please contact mlang-events@cardiff.ac.uk by Wednesday 27 February to request simultaneous translation. Please note that 10% or more of those planning to attend will need to request this provision in order for it to be sourced and will be subject to resource availability.

Registration

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