Prenapučeni arhipelag: pojava, prerade i prevodi Robinsona Crusoea u (južno)slavenskom kulturnom prostoru
The overcrowded Archipelago: Appearance, Adaptations and Translations of Robinson Crusoein (Southern)Slavic Cultural Space

Summary/Abstract: The publication of Daniel Defoe's first ever novel Robinson Crusoe in 1719 in London triggered an unprecedented series of activities aimed at translating this work into a number of European languages. Quite often the translatations were either abridged versions of the original, or adaptations, with the emphasis of providing a suitable moral religious and educational framework for children within the context of promoting the story of a prodigal son in the developing production of new literary genre. The paper deliberates upon, in addition to diverse abridgments and adaptations, numerous creative imitations(rewrites), as well as continuations in the form of sequels, spinoffs, or as retranslations, in particular those that had emerged on the backdrop of the novel by the German educator Joachim Heinrich Campe Le Nouveau Robinson or Robinson der Jüngere (The Younger Robinson, published in 1779-1780). The role of Dositej Obradović as the main proponent of the idea of Enlightenment was underlined, since he wanted to make the major works by English authors, such as Pamela by Samuel Richardsona and Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe closer to its readers in the Balkans. The paper refers to various editions of the latter book in different European, and notably, Slavic languages, with the particular emphasis on publications that have appeared in South Slavic languages in the time span of almost 300 years. The paper traces different translations and adaptations across Europe, such as France, germany, or Russia, and places a special emphasis on the edition having been translated allegedly from French, and published in Mostar in 1875 by don Franjo Milićević. The author of the paper challenges the notion that Jovo Ljepava, a Serbian teacher from Herzegovina, could have been attributed as the translator of Defoe's book. Finally, the paper offers a review of newer translations of Robinson Crusoe in the editions in Southern Slavic languaes, which apperead mostly as translations from languages other than the original English, even in the second half of 20th century, when the publishing industry in former Yugoslavia issued a number of editions dedicated to this book.

• Details
• Contents