Nelia. Scott, Maria
(1998)
Normalisation and readers' expectations : a study of literary translation with reference to Lispector's A Hora da Estrela.
PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.
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Abstract
The topic of this thesis is the process of'normalisation' by which a translator accommodatesa sourcet ext to the norms of the target languagea nd culture. The researchi nvestigatest his phenomenonin two ways: first, through text analysis identifying features in the target text which potentially contribute to easy readability, and, subsequentlyt,h rough readersr espondingt o the translation and the sourcet ext. Computer tools were used to compare the source text and the target text, resulting in a list of eleven identifiable main features which were found to contribute to a normalising effect. One of the features, 'patterns of repetition', was examined in detail. The translation had less repetition in part because of systemic differences but also due to the translator's choice, whether conscious or unconscious, to use variant terms. A section of the thesis investigates negativity which is of considerable literary relevance in the case of A Hora da Estrela, and evidence is supplied that negativity is reduced in the translation. Other featuresi n the sourcet ext which are mostly associatedw ith spoken aspects of language were found to have shifted to a written style, contributing to a normalising shift from spoken to written register. Such features suggest that the translation hasb een 'domesticatedt' o suit the English-speakingr eader. The second way in which normalisation was investigated was via readers' responses. A number of studies were carried out, using non-specialists and'semi-specialised readers' (students of literature). Critical reactions to the various translations of the novel suggested that normalisation was perceived when the source and the target were compared, but not by readers of the target version alone. iii
| Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) |
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| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Oct 2023 18:30 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Oct 2023 18:30 |
| DOI: | 10.17638/03175421 |
| Copyright Statement: | Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis and any accompanying data (where applicable) are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3175421 |
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