How to Translate Dialect in Italian Theatre Texts Cover Image

Jak tłumaczyć dialekt we włoskich tekstach teatralnych
How to Translate Dialect in Italian Theatre Texts

Author(s): Jadwiga Miszalska
Subject(s): Translation Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: translation; dialect; diatopic variety; theatre texts; Emma Dante

Summary/Abstract: The translation of dialect as a diatopic variety is one of the most difficult problems which the translator has to solve. Dialect, more than the standard language, refers to culture-specific elements. Considering its semantic valence it is necessary to take it into account while translating. On the other hand, translation of theater texts is under special pressure of the cultural context of the target system and the target text has to establish a direct contact with the public. The paper presents different circumstances of using dialect in source texts and different translation strategies applicable in target texts. Then it provides examples of an Italian drama (La carnezzeria by Emma Dante) in which the use of Sicilian dialect has a very specific function. The Polish translator replaces dialect with a distorted version of language based on a colloquial variety, which is one of the possible solutions since there are no general nor precise rules of dialect translation. The case study proves that it is always important to consider the function of dialect in theater text in the contexts of translation.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 31
  • Page Range: 154-168
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish