Won in Translation: Textual Mobility in Early Modern Europe

Translation is the agent of mobility and plurality in the early modern text, giving new meaning or status to what is translated. Four case studies illustrate this, including Bartolomé de Las Casas' Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias, Baltasar Gracián's Oráculo Manual, Lope de Vega's Fuente Ovejun a, and Antônio José da Silva's Vida do Grande D. Quixot e. Even when the texts remain fixed, their readers give them different or inverted meaning.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 24 May 2022
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Roger Chartier, a renowned historian of books, publishing, and reading, delves into the fascinating phenomenon of the mobility of early modern texts and the multiplicity of circulating versions of the same work. He attributes this mobility to translation, as translators, through their lexical, aesthetic, and cultural choices, assign new meaning or new status to the texts they translate.

Won in Translation unfolds through four case studies, three focusing on Spanish originals, and the fourth on a Portuguese dramatic adaptation of Don Quixote. The first case study examines Bartolomé de Las Casas' Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias, first printed in 1552. This work played a crucial role in constructing the black legend of Spanish monarchy. Baltasar Gracián's Oráculo Manual, published in 1647, became the most renowned courtier's manual in Europe. Both Las Casas' account and Gracián's book traveled extensively and were translated more frequently than any other books of their era. Chartier views these works as exemplifying the immense power of translation, enabling Las Casas' account to be placed in various contexts and allowing Gracián's book to assume diverse meanings it had not initially possessed.

Chartier's subsequent two chapters explore plays by Lope de Vega and Antônio José da Silva. In the case of Lope de Vega's Fuente Ovejun a, the translation involved transitioning from a historical chronicle to a dramatic performance. On the other hand, Antônio José da Silva's Vida do Grande D. Quixot e showcases a twofold textual migration, as Cervantes' hero transitions from Spanish to Portuguese and from novel to play.

In an Epilogue, Chartier takes us three centuries forward to contemplate a paradox: it is the absolute immobility of the text, reinvented word for word, that engenders its mobility in Jorge Luis Borges' fiction Pierre. This thought-provoking conclusion underscores the enduring influence of translation on the dissemination and interpretation of ideas across languages and cultures.

In conclusion, Won in Translation offers a captivating exploration of the dynamic relationship between translation, mobility, and the construction of meaning. Chartier's insightful analysis sheds light on the profound impact of translators on the evolution and transformation of literary works, highlighting the power of translation to bridge linguistic and cultural barriers and shape the cultural landscape.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812253832