Building Cultural and Linguistic Bridges: Interpersonal Relationships and the Brontë Sisters in German Translation

Author

Jasmin Farsi, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

8-1-2014

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

English

First Advisor

Collins, K.

Abstract

Literary translation has become a part of our culture that we often do not recognize and rather take for granted. In fact, most readers of translated novels do not see or understand the complicated process that lies behind transferring someone else's work from its source language into the target language and culture. During this process, the translator faces linguistic and cultural obstacles that need to be overcome, and often require the translator to do extensive research on the novel's culture, time period, and the author's particular style. Interpersonal relationships between literary characters are arguably one of the most difficult aspects to translate, as they often contain a lot of nuance and expressions of strong emotions. With regards to the translators' problem-recognition abilities and problem-solving techniques, this thesis examines the emotional conflict between literary characters in three novels by the Brontë sisters--Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall--with the attempt to identify the difficulties of the translation process and highlight particularly adept solutions.