Untranslatability and comparative literature

Streszcz. po ang.

The author of this paper discusses a number of issues connected with translation problems and comparative studies. First of all, the paradigm of comparative reading of the original and the translated text in terms of its ‘fidelity’ and ‘adequacy’ is discussed, after which follows a discussion on the role of translation in creating national literary canons. The untranslatability of a text and its relation to its reception and/or its rejection from a culture also receives much attention. The author also considers untranslatability in poetics, claiming that such a text is not easily transferable and requires complex translation strategies - it compels both the translator’s linguistic and cultural competences. Moreover, the author comments on untranslatability in the case of transmutation, e.g. in fi lm adaptations the plot is easily translated while the ideological and philosophical contents become “lost in translation”. Untranslatability and Comparative Literature shows how translation studies are vital for comparative literature.