Translating Literature: Strategies and Tips

Are you often enraptured by literature works, even more by the idea of translating them?

Do you usually translate technical or commercial texts but your dream is to get into publishing and translate books, plays, essays, etc.?

If the answer is yes…well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this course, you’ll learn how to read and work on a literary text to be translated, analyzing the key components and identifying some of the tricky elements that a translator – and also a reader – might face and some useful strategies to sort them out.

In particular, we’ll talk about:

– the concepts of domestication and foreignization;

– the essentials of a fiction and literary non-fiction translator;

– the characteristics of fiction and non-fiction texts;

– how to structure the preliminary work to a translation;

– the importance of the author, the reader, the language, and the culture in a text;

– the tricky elements a translator might find while working on a text.

We’ll examine together some passages taken from fiction and non-fiction works and we’ll compare their translations, identifying the strategies and peculiarities of each text.

The course also includes exercises to test yourself and put into practice what you’ll learn throughout the lessons.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to recognize those key elements of fiction and literary non-fiction texts useful for the translation, apply practical strategies, and efficiently organize your translation work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have access to the course materials?

You can view and review the lecture materials indefinitely, like an on-demand channel.

Can I take my courses with me wherever I go?

Definitely! If you have an internet connection, courses on Udemy are available on any device at any time. If you don’t have an internet connection, some instructors also let their students download course lectures. That’s up to the instructor though, so make sure you get on their good side!