Translating Robert Schumann : methodology as self-exposure and defense

This paper is part of a broader research project, which involves the Brazilian Portuguese translation, with notes and commentaries, of the 'Gesammelte Schriften über Musik und Musiker' (On Music and Musicians) by the German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856). In such a study, located on the border of language, literature, and music, methodology gains a double significance: firstly, the nature and extent of the incursions through fields which are autonomous in themselves, but connected in the document to be translated, not only requires unity, but also reveals the gaps the translator is exposed to; and secondly, the methodology not only defines the scientific premises of the work, but also brings to light its ethical dimension. With this in mind I have chosen a methodological approach which works in two complementary ways, with the act of translating always being the point of departure and arrival: (1) from the experience of translation and the identification of gaps and problems, followed by the registration of the first notes and comments, through systematic research in connected areas; and (2) the opposite way: from the research in related fields back to the translation and to the editing of notes and comments. Each step of the process is carefully registered, as well as the different versions of the translated text. Allowing methodology to take precedence is therefore an act of self-exposure and defense: on the one hand, it is a means of assuring visibility for the translator; on the other hand, it secures concrete parameters for judgment both by readers and critics

A tradução para a criança e para o jovem: a prática como base da reflexão e da relação profissional

This article deals with the attempt of systematizing my experience as translator of literature written for children and young people. On the basis of some considerations about aspects shared by both, the production and the translation of this kind of literature, this article presents a number of examples taken from translations of German texts into Brazilian Portuguese. Consequences concerning the importance of concepts like interaction and creativeness in translation are then briefly discussed. A claim for a more systematic consideration of the question by Translation Studies and for a special position to be occupied by this genre of texts in the professional field is the background of the article.Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt den Versuch dar, meine Erfahrungen als Übersetzer von Kinder- und Jugendliteratur zu systematisieren. Von Aspekten ausgehend, die sowohl für die Produktion als auch für die Übersetzung von Kinder- und Jugendliteratur von entscheidender Bedeutung sind, werden Begriffe wie Interaktion und Kreativität bei der Übersetzung dieser Textsorte kurz erörtert. Dies geschieht anhand von Beispielen, die vom Deutschen ins brasilianische Portugiesische übersetzt wurden. Forderungen nach einer systematischeren Berücksichtigung dieser Frage seitens der Übersetzungstheorie und nach einer besonderen, noch zu definierenden Stelle für diese Übersetzungsart in der Berufspraxis liegen dem Beitrag zugrunde

Robert Schumann and translation : poetic creativity, simultaneity and movement

This study examines "On Music and Musicians", by the German composer Robert Schumann, with special emphasis on the reviews written between 1834 and 1836, in order to identify echoes of the main ideas on language and translation developed in Germany between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. The bases for the study are, firstly, that of the subject, and, secondly, time imbued with the notion of movement. The subject is anchored vertically and in a very personal way, operating within the subject that moves from one system of signs to another, or from one language to another. The second theme takes into account the shaping of the immersion into an element which will break down the barriers of time and, at a stroke, bring the past into the present and include the future.Este trabalho examina os "Escritos sobre a Música e os Músicos", do compositor alemão Robert Schumann, em especial as resenhas escritas entre 1834 e 1836, com vistas a identificar ecos das principais ideias sobre linguagem e tradução desenvolvidas na Alemanha entre o final do séc. XVIII e o início do séc. XIX. Os eixos escolhidos para construir essa ideia são os eixos do sujeito e do tempo perpassados pela noção de movimento. Do primeiro, destacase a ancoragem vertical, personalíssima, operada no interior do sujeito que transita de um sistema sígnico para outro, que traduz seus pensamentos, ou ainda que empreende a passage de uma língua para outra. Do segundo, tem-se em conta a configuração desse mergulho num produto que desmantela as barreiras do tempo e, de um só golpe, contemporiza o passado e inclui o futuro

Text Linguistics and translation: Redefining the concept of "cultural mark"

Since the works of Nida and Taber (1964, 1969) on the influence of target cultures on texts to be translated, theoretical considerations on the presence of ‘cultural marks’ and consequently on analytical procedures that would serve to identify these marks have been more systematically studied as a result of the so-called ‘cultural turn’ in Translation Studies (Reiss 1971, 1983; Nord 1988, 1993; Snell-Hornby 1986) and heavily criticized by the Deconstruction approach to translation (for instance, Arrojo 1986, 1992). The development of Text Linguistics has also contributed to enlarge the boundaries of the concept, bringing it, so to speak, from the outside world – where it seemed to be embedded in the 60s – to the inner domain of the text itself and discourse. This paper aims at briefly revising this conceptual turn and at discussing its consequences for translation teaching. Examples taken from German texts translated by Brazilian students shall demonstrate how efficient the systematic use of text linguistics concepts can be to help students in identifying layers of meaning which, distant from the idea of ‘cultural marks’ as a reference to a concrete reality, define a point of view in the source text, legitimate interpretations that demand shifts in the target text and therefore can also be taken as cultural in a broader sense.Since the works of Nida and Taber (1964, 1969) on the influence of target cultures on texts to be translated, theoretical considerations on the presence of ‘cultural marks’ and consequently on analytical procedures that would serve to identify these marks have been more systematically studied as a result of the so-called ‘cultural turn’ in Translation Studies (Reiss 1971, 1983; Nord 1988, 1993; Snell-Hornby 1986) and heavily criticized by the Deconstruction approach to translation (for instance, Arrojo 1986, 1992). The development of Text Linguistics has also contributed to enlarge the boundaries of the concept, bringing it, so to speak, from the outside world – where it seemed to be embedded in the 60s – to the inner domain of the text itself and discourse. This paper aims at briefly revising this conceptual turn and at discussing its consequences for translation teaching. Examples taken from German texts translated by Brazilian students shall demonstrate how efficient the systematic use of text linguistics concepts can be to help students in identifying layers of meaning which, distant from the idea of ‘cultural marks’ as a reference to a concrete reality, define a point of view in the source text, legitimate interpretations that demand shifts in the target text and therefore can also be taken as cultural in a broader sense

O texto como unidade de trabalho no ensino de línguas e de tradução

Since the mid 1980's, a paradigm change has taken place in Translation Studies: the primacy of the text to be translated gradually loses terrain to the reception conditions of the translated text. Such a change brought consequences to the concept of translation competence itself: translation students have to be able not only to show a good command of the languages involved, but also to activate other kinds of knowledge, in order to comprehend the text in the source language, and to design translation strategies which enable them to comply with the requirements of the translation task. The article argues that the systematic application of concepts taken from contrastive linguistics research (German/Portuguese), as well as from text linguistics, can help students to improve their knowledge of the foreign language and guide them in their first steps as translators. The theoretical considerations (Part I) are illustrated by an example taken from a translation course (Part II).A partir de meados da década de 1980, observa-se uma mudança de paradigma na pesquisa sobre tradução: a primazia reservada até então ao texto de partida cede lugar paulatinamente aos fatores que coatuam na recepção do texto traduzido. Tal mudança tem conseqüências para a noção de competência tradutória: dos tradutores iniciantes não se espera apenas que tenham bons conhecimentos das línguas com as quais trabalham, mas também que sejam capazes de, na fase de compreensão do texto a ser traduzido, ativarem outras formas de conhecimento e, na fase de retextualização, traçarem estratégias que lhes possibilitem preencher lacunas adequadas à tarefa de tradução. Este artigo visa a demonstrar que a aplicação sistemática de conceitos da pesquisa lingüística de base contrastiva para o par de línguas alemão-português, bem como de conceitos da lingüística textual, pode contribuir para que os tradutores iniciantes ampliem e aprofundem seus conhecimentos na língua estrangeira, ao mesmo tempo em que são orientados nos primeiros passos da tradução. As considerações teóricas sobre o tema (Parte I) são ilustradas por um exemplo de aplicação (Parte II).Seit Mitte der 80er Jahre hat sich ein Paradigmenwechsel in der Übersetzungsforschung vollzogen: Der bis dahin vorrangig behandelte Ausgangstext tritt nun in den Hintergrund, um den verschiedenen Faktoren Raum zu geben, die bei der Rezeption des übersetzten Textes eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Dieser Wechsel hat Folgen für den Begriff der Übersetzungskompetenz: von angehenden ÜbersetzerInnen wird nicht nur verlangt, dass sie über ausreichende Sprachkentnisse verfügen, sondern auch, dass sie bei der Rezeption des zu übersetzenden Textes andere Wissensbestände aktivieren und bei der Verfassung des Zieltextes Strategien entwickeln, die ihnen ermöglichen, Probleme, die ihnen aus mangelnden Sprachkenntnissen erwachsen, auftragsgemäß zu lösen. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, aufzuzeigen, dass die systematische Anwendung von Konzeptionen der kontrastiven Sprachforschung (Deutsch/Portugiesisch) sowie der Textlinguistik im Übersetzungsunterricht dazu beitragen kann, den Studenten sowohl bei der Erweiterung und Vertiefung ihrer Deutschkenntnisse, als auch im Anfangsstadium ihrer Übersetzerausbildung zu helfen. Die theoretischen Erwägungen (Teil I) werden durch ein exemplarisches Beispiel (Teil II) erläutert

Ruth Cerqueira de Oliveira Röhl : 1941 - 2005 : in memoriam

Hommage an Ruth RöhlHomenagem a Ruth Röh

O livro dos sonhos

Klute, Johanna; Küpper, Klaus – Kinder- und Jugendbücher aus Lateinamerika. Kommentierte Bibliographie der deutschen Übersetzungen. Mit einem Vorwort von Thomas Sträter. [Livros para Crianças e Jovens da América Latina. Bibliografia comentada das traduções alemãs. Com um prefácio de Thomas Sträter]. Köln: Verlag Klaus Küpper, 2015 (Archiv für übersetzte Literatur aus Lateinamerika und der Karibik. Bibliographien, Bd. 3Klute, Johanna; Küpper, Klaus – Kinder- und Jugendbücher aus Lateinamerika. Kommentierte Bibliographie der deutschen Übersetzungen. Mit einem Vorwort von Thomas Sträter. [Livros para Crianças e Jovens da América Latina. Bibliografia comentada das traduções alemãs. Com um prefácio de Thomas Sträter]. Köln: Verlag Klaus Küpper, 2015 (Archiv für übersetzte Literatur aus Lateinamerika und der Karibik. Bibliographien, Bd. 3.[Arquivo para literatura traduzida da América Latina e do Caribe. Bibliografias, Tomo 3]

Robert Schumann e a tradução: criação poética, simultaneidade e movimento

Este trabalho examina os Escritos sobre a Música e os Músicos, do compositor alemão Robert Schumann, em especial as resenhas escritas entre 1834 e 1836, com vistas a identificar ecos das principais ideias sobre linguagem e tradução desenvolvidas na Alemanha entre o final do séc. XVIII e o início do séc. XIX. Os eixos escolhidos para construir essa ideia são os eixos do sujeito e do tempo perpassados pela noção de movimento. Do primeiro, destaca-se a ancoragem vertical, personalíssima, operada no interior do sujeito que transita de um sistema sígnico para outro, que traduz seus pensamentos, ou ainda que empreende a passagem de uma língua para outra. Do segundo, tem-se em conta a configuração desse mergulho num produto que desmantela as barreiras do tempo e, de um só golpe, contemporiza o passado e inclui o futuro.In diesem Aufsatz werden die Gesammelten Schriften über Musik und Musiker von Robert Schumann untersucht, insbesondere die Rezensionen, die der Komponist zwischen 1834 und 1836 verfasst hat. Es soll festgestellt werden, inwiefern sich darin die wichtigsten Auffassungen über Sprache und Übersetzung, die Ende des 18. und Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts in Deutschland entstanden, wiederfinden. Im Vordergrund der Untersuchung steht die Dimension der Bewegung, die sich sowohl im Individuum als auch in der Zeit festmachen lässt. Im Individuum manifestiert sich die Bewegung als ein sehr persönlicher Vorgang, da es sich innerhalb verschiedener Zeichensysteme bewegt, die seine Gedanken ausdrücken; oder aber es bewegt sich innerhalb verschiedener Sprachen. Die Zeitdimension wiederum bedeutet, in ein Umfeld einzutauchen, das die Zeitbarrieren überwindet und die Vergangenheit auf einen Schlag mit der Gegenwart und der Zukunft verbindet.This study examines On Music and Musicians, by the German composer Robert Schumann, with special emphasis on the reviews written between 1834 and 1836, in order to identify echoes of the main ideas on language and translation developed in Germany between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. The bases for the study are, firstly, that of the subject, and, secondly, time imbued with the notion of movement. The subject is anchored vertically and in a very personal way, operating within the subject that moves from one system of signs to another, or from one language to another. The second theme takes into account the shaping of the immersion into an element which will break down the barriers of time and, at a stroke, bring the past into the present and include the future

Transferência cultural em tradução: contextualização, desdobramentos, desafios

This article deals with some elements related to the notion of “cultural transfer” in translation. In order to draw the borders of a context, the considerations go back to the decade between 1970 and 1980, approximately, a period traditionally reserved by the historiography of Translation Studies for a paradigm change in Translation Studies: the primacy of the text to be translated slowly loses terrain to the reception conditions of the translated text. Such a change, carried out pari passu with other analog evolutions in correlated areas of knowledge, reached translation as a whole. Although more easily identified (and acceptable) in the domain of literary translation, the notion of cultural transfer becomes also a fundamental element in the translation of scientific and technical texts. The present article aims at sensitizing translation students for some features of this question by offering a panorama of the theoretical premises for its treatment in academic works.Este artigo discute alguns elementos pertinentes à compreensão da noção de “transferência cultural” em sua relação com a tradução. Para a definição de um contexto, as considerações remetem à década compreendida entre 1970 e 1980, aproximadamente, período que a historiografia dos Estudos da Tradução costuma reservar a uma mudança de paradigma operada em tradução: a primazia do texto a ser traduzido cede lugar paulatinamente às condições de recepção do texto traduzido. Tal mudança, levada a cabo pari passu com evoluções correlatas em áreas afins, atingiu a reflexão sobre tradução como um todo. Embora mais facilmente perceptível (e aceitável) no domínio da tradução literária, a noção de transferência cultural passa a ser elemento fundamental também da tradução de textos técnicos e científicos. Sensibilizar estudantes de tradução para algumas características dessa questão e oferecer um breve panorama das premissas teóricas para o seu tratamento em trabalhos de grau são os objetivos deste estudo

A escrita crítica de Robert Schumann: polifonia, elisão e subjetividade

This paper is part of a broader research project, which aims at the historical revitalization of a 19th Century document: the translation into Brazilian Portuguese, with the notes and comments of Martin Kreisig (1914), of the Gesammelte Schriften über Musik und Musiker (Collection of Writings on Music and Musicians) of the German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856). Sharply attuned to the aesthetic ideals of his time – the fluid transition from Classicism to Romanticism in Germany – Schumann registers in his writings his impressions and comments about the musical scene from the first half of the 19th Century in Germany. As in the composer’s musical pieces, the critical texts reveal an assemble of voices, which contend for primacy in text, as well as the impatience of an author, expressed between lines, that had in mind a public composed by a small group of coreligionists, by the adepts of the old times and by those who cultivated virtuosity and music for entertainment.Este trabalho é parte de uma pesquisa de maior abrangência, que visa à revitalização histórica de um documento e tem por núcleo a tradução ao português do Brasil dos Escritos sobre a música e os músicos, do compositor alemão Robert Schumann (1810-1856), acrescida das notas da edição crítica de Martin Kreisig (1914). Em perfeita sintonia com os ideais de seu tempo – a fluida transição entre o classicismo e o romantismo alemães –, Schumann registra em seus escritos suas impressões e comentários sobre o cenário musical da Alemanha na primeira metade do século XIX. Como nas peças musicais do compositor, as resenhas críticas revelam um conjunto de vozes que disputam a primazia no texto, bem como a impaciência de um autor, expressa nas entrelinhas, que tem em mira um público composto por um pequeno grupo de correligionários, pelos adeptos dos velhos tempos e por aqueles que cultivam o virtuosismo e a músicade entretenimento