DCML Digest, Vol 52, Issue 8 (Scrooge's Quest)

[Travis Seitler]

kimba1962 at comcast.net wrote:

> PS:  Jonathan: Another thumbs up for your work on "Gawrsh-Durn
> Champion".  It was great.

Francesco Spreafico <francesco.spreafico at gmail.com> replied:
> if there is no reference in the original, then there must be
> no reference in the translation, no matter what. Not even the
> Phantom Blot reference later on in the story, there is no such
> thing in the original.



To which I would reply, "it depends." Specifically, it depends on
whether the publisher's intent is to republish an old story _as an old
story_, or rather to reinterpret an old story in a new light so that
new audiences will find it as engaging as the original was to its
intended audience.

This is actually quite similar to the ongoing debates I've read as to
what constitutes the "best" Bible translation. Scholars tend to desire
a word-for-word literal translation, while those engaging directly
with new and potential converts desire a more dynamic translation
which gets the main ideas across without the baggage of ancient idioms
and turns of phrase, which act as roadblocks for those who are new to
the material.

So to bring it back to the topic being discussed here: if we had
printed "The Great Gawrsh-Durn Champion" in a collected archive of
Scarpa material (a la the CBL) then I would agree with you--a direct
translation would be preferred. On the other hand, since we published
the story in a monthly pamphlet (a pamphlet which, whether anyone here
likes it or not, is seen as "kiddie comics" in this country) it makes
more sense to update the dialog and thematic elements where it's
feasible, creating more of a "dynamic equivalent" of Scarpa's tale.

And I also thought Jonathan's rewrite was wonderful!

// Travis Seitler :: travis at webseitler.com :: http://travis.webseitler.com