Literature in and through Translation: Literary Translation as a Pedagogical Resource

Abstract

This article is the revised version of the paper that I presented at the 5^th APTIS (Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies) 2023 conference (“The teaching and learning that matter today”), whose proceedings were never published. As a result of globalisation, the number of books requiring translation considerably increased. Nevertheless, readers do not always acknowledge translations as such, and literary translators do not generally obtain the recognition they deserve. Academia may be partly responsible for that: on the one side, indeed, literary translation is not as discussed as other topics within the broader field of Translation Studies; on the other, whilst teaching texts in translation is becoming increasingly common, translated literature is not generally considered as an academic discipline on its own. To promote a wider circulation and appreciation of translated literature in and beyond academia, translated literary texts could be systematically introduced into the curricula of courses in literature and literary translation. This could be achieved through the compilation and use of parallel corpora, namely collections of source texts and respective translations. In this light, this paper has two main objectives: explaining how courses in literature and literary translation could be taught using parallel corpora; showcasing the pedagogical advantages that such an approach may have on different levels. As for courses in literature it would provide students with an understanding of the mechanisms behind the production of literary translations and their relevance within the broader literary system. On what concerns courses in literary translation, it may represent a compromise between theory and practice, and between the research-orientated environment of academic settings and the commercially-orientated publishing industry. The study was conducted through the review of pedagogical practices and contexts where literary texts are taught in translation. The paper concludes with the observation that this corpus-based teaching approach may have some positive repercussions outside academia: it would not only contribute to a broader appreciation of translated literary texts among the general public but also foster a broader recognition of the role of the literary translator in shaping and constructing foreign literature.