Wpływ tłumaczenia na interpretację tekstu

Abstract

Translations of works written in foreign languages may be the only possible way for some scholars to familiarize themselves with a given text. However, it may happen that the translated text contorts the original to such an extent that it may significantly influence the analysis and interpretation not only of a part of a given literary piece, but also the whole text. On the basis of some examples from Haruki Murakami’s 世界の終 わりとハードボイルドワンダーランド (Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World ), the article shows how over-interpretation in the English translation may influence reception of characters and the analysis of the novel. Comparing English and Polish translations with the Japanese original, the article presents how the overall tone of the novel has changed. Moreover, on the basis of an example from Tetsuya Honda’s ストロベリーナイト (The Silent Dead), the article points out how important it is to translate directly from the original, and not indirectly via a translation from another foreign language.