The Translation of Joyce's Letters into Catalan

Pujol, Dídac

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jjq.2024.a941496

The Translation of Joyce's Letters into Catalan

Citation

Pujol D. The Translation of Joyce's Letters into Catalan. James Joyce Q. 2024 Spring-Summer;61(3-4):247-56. DOI: 10.1353/jjq.2024.a941496

Abstract

This essay focuses on the Catalan translation of a selection of James Joyce's letters, Cartes antologia. The essay discusses the main translation problems the translator encountered and the strategies and methods deployed to solve them. The difficulties analyzed center around the translation of 1) quotations from Joyce's own works, including those of works in the pre-publication stages of writing; 2) literary allusions to Homer's Odyssey and Joyce's Ulysses; 3) the combination of high and low registers; 4) wordplay; 5) idioms; and 6) metaphorical language. Natural, idiomatic language was required when translating idioms and metaphorical language. A sense of rhythm and poeticality was indispensable when translating the coalescence of high and low registers. Being able to create alliterations and near-homophones was of vital importance to convey wordplay. Familiarity with Joyce's works, especially Ulysses and its Catalan translation, was essential to translate urtexts. And, finally, a sound knowledge of the Catalan literary tradition, especially regarding the translations of the Odyssey, proved useful when translating literary allusions. In all, translating Joyce's letters is regarded as an act of literary translation, a creative process that demanded the ability to fashion a fresh, vibrant new text that had to live up to the original.