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Abstract

This dissertation takes the form of a translation and commentary, discussing my translation of selected chapters of Desirée Bela-Lobedde’s (2018) book Ser mujer negra en España [Being a Black Woman in Spain] in light of my hypothesis that the disparity of author and translator identities poses a constraint to the translation process. Following Hermans (2014), I argue that the translator’s stance is reflected in her translation decisions, and that this stance is inevitably affected by the translator’s identity and experiences. I consider this case as particularly problematic, as the source text is a personal account of being racialised as ‘other’ by a black woman, and I, as a white translator, have been socialised in a society which considers the ‘white worldview’ as universal. In an effort to prioritise the voice and message of the source text author, I draw on Venuti’s (1995) notion of simpatico. However, whilst Marshall (2013) posits the possibility of a translator bridging the gap between her own identity and that of the author through a process of empathetic identification —on both an intellectual and experiential level— I conclude that, in this case, the former is more achievable than the latter. Thus, the disparity of author and translator identity is experienced as a constraint to some extent. Recognising the intrinsic subjectivity of this study, I suggest further research into readers’ perceptions of the translator’s imprint on the translated text.

Course: Translation Studies - MA/PGD - C0680

Date Deposited: 2020-01-15

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13517.html