TRANSLATING THE UNTRANSLATABLE: THE VERNACULAR IN TRANSGRESSIVE FICTION OF IRVINE WELSH AND MARTIN AMIS
TRANSLATING THE UNTRANSLATABLE: THE VERNACULAR IN TRANSGRESSIVE FICTION OF IRVINE WELSH AND MARTIN AMIS

Summary/Abstract: Standard English seems to reign supreme in ESL classes. A vernacular is occasionally present in translation classes, albeit to a limited extent. However, the introduction of colloquial language into English courses might enrich both standard and specialised courses, particularly those that focus on dialect translation. The article examines excerpts from two novels (Irvine Welsh’s Glue and London Fields by Martin Amis) in which protagonists speak in vernacular and use slang. The passages have been compared with their Polish translations. The aim of the article is to show that colloquial language used in transgressive fiction can be effectively ana- lysed in class. The article also presents transgressive fiction as a valuable source of language teaching materials.

• Details
• Contents