Litteratur på omvägar. Tre perspektiv på indirekta romanöversättningar till svenska 2000–2015

Abstract

Indirect translation, translating from another translation, has been an important part of intercultural communication for millennia. Yet, the ways in which it functions are still not fully understood. This thesis sets out to explore indirect translation (ITr) in the context of present-day literary translation in Sweden.

The thesis is structured around three empirical studies. The first study establishes the original source languages and mediating languages of ITrs into Swedish 2000–2015. The second study is based on a questionnaire with the publishers of ITrs, where their views on ITr are investigated. The third study is a textual comparison between an original Afrikaans-language novel, its intermediate translation into English, and the indirect translation into Swedish.

The results show that while the number of indirect translations is modest, the variety of ultimate source languages and cultures contributes to the overall diversity of the Swedish literary market. The publishers are aware of the norm of direct translation and juggle carefully between different options, choosing ITr when relevant. The study also shows that it is possible for an indirect translation to follow the original quite closely, albeit with some toning down of specific features of the text. All in all, the thesis increases our understanding of indirect translation and the ways in which it functions in present-day Sweden, contributing thus to a wider global grasp of the phenomenon in question.