The Test of Time
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2013
Location
Room E103, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-20-2013 11:00 AM
End Date
4-20-2013 12:00 PM
Abstract
The practice of translation is perhaps one of the often overlooked arts to which we owe much of our knowledge of history, literature, and indeed the spread of some of the greatest intellectual cornerstones of the modern world. And, behind it all, the unsung hero: the translator. Literature’s multilingual mouthpiece. Yet, for all its good intentions, it is a profession plagued with the infamous “Traduttore, tradittore” – “Translator, traitor.” Studies in translation theory have divided translators and translation theorists into debates over the “better” approach to translation practice or indeed, whether to translate at all. Texts of the medieval period pose an interesting task for the translator of any theoretical persuasion. One must consider spanning not only cultural-linguistic boundaries, but also a considerable temporal gap. Thankfully, some have braved the task and carried these texts to our American, 21st century bookshelves. But each passing decade poses new threats of extinction. This study examines a new approach to preserving these historical masterpieces, aimed at not only transmitting the historical intrigue of centuries ago to a modern audience, but also bringing new life to works by making them accessible to more than the doctoral medievalist – and hopefully, keeping them around for a few more centuries to come.
The Test of Time
Room E103, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
The practice of translation is perhaps one of the often overlooked arts to which we owe much of our knowledge of history, literature, and indeed the spread of some of the greatest intellectual cornerstones of the modern world. And, behind it all, the unsung hero: the translator. Literature’s multilingual mouthpiece. Yet, for all its good intentions, it is a profession plagued with the infamous “Traduttore, tradittore” – “Translator, traitor.” Studies in translation theory have divided translators and translation theorists into debates over the “better” approach to translation practice or indeed, whether to translate at all. Texts of the medieval period pose an interesting task for the translator of any theoretical persuasion. One must consider spanning not only cultural-linguistic boundaries, but also a considerable temporal gap. Thankfully, some have braved the task and carried these texts to our American, 21st century bookshelves. But each passing decade poses new threats of extinction. This study examines a new approach to preserving these historical masterpieces, aimed at not only transmitting the historical intrigue of centuries ago to a modern audience, but also bringing new life to works by making them accessible to more than the doctoral medievalist – and hopefully, keeping them around for a few more centuries to come.