*Warning: this post contains a couple of the above mentioned terms. Read at your own risk.
Not so long ago, translators would frown upon the Italian "bastardo" as a translation of the English "bastard". They were right, of course. Despite the fact that both terms point to the unconventional origin of one's offspring, the English one was much more widely used and had therefore acquired a different derogatory force, let alone a different meaning. On the contrary, the Italian term was still strongly associated to old "cowboys & Indians" films and high noon duels. Translators' indignation was in this case unproductive, since "bastardo" became quite successful in Italian, and in my opinion its use in translation currently doesn't sound as conflicting and "johnwaynish" as it used to. Could it be that "bastardo" had taken on some of the features of a loan words? It could.
The insult "bitch", however, followed a different path. Despite the initial temptation of modelling it on its literal meaning and giving it a derogatory sexual connotation, it soon became clear that adopting such translation would have been too much even for a nation where gender correctness has yet a long way to go. So the term "stronza" was by and large preferred to try and capture the idea of a nasty, spiteful or simply unkind woman whose sexual patterns were however not under attack. (As they would with terms like "cagna", for instance.)
Saying that there often is a wide gap between the literal meaning of a term of abuse and its derogatory force does sound banal and overstated, yet it may still be useful to bear it in mind. At least, if we hope to change the awful tendency to translate "cow" as "vacca", and make the character of an otherwise pleasant short story sound as if she's been morally judged, instead of just criticised for her unfriendly behaviour.
Not so long ago, translators would frown upon the Italian "bastardo" as a translation of the English "bastard". They were right, of course. Despite the fact that both terms point to the unconventional origin of one's offspring, the English one was much more widely used and had therefore acquired a different derogatory force, let alone a different meaning. On the contrary, the Italian term was still strongly associated to old "cowboys & Indians" films and high noon duels. Translators' indignation was in this case unproductive, since "bastardo" became quite successful in Italian, and in my opinion its use in translation currently doesn't sound as conflicting and "johnwaynish" as it used to. Could it be that "bastardo" had taken on some of the features of a loan words? It could.
The insult "bitch", however, followed a different path. Despite the initial temptation of modelling it on its literal meaning and giving it a derogatory sexual connotation, it soon became clear that adopting such translation would have been too much even for a nation where gender correctness has yet a long way to go. So the term "stronza" was by and large preferred to try and capture the idea of a nasty, spiteful or simply unkind woman whose sexual patterns were however not under attack. (As they would with terms like "cagna", for instance.)
Saying that there often is a wide gap between the literal meaning of a term of abuse and its derogatory force does sound banal and overstated, yet it may still be useful to bear it in mind. At least, if we hope to change the awful tendency to translate "cow" as "vacca", and make the character of an otherwise pleasant short story sound as if she's been morally judged, instead of just criticised for her unfriendly behaviour.
0 commenti:
Post a Comment