Translation Criticism and Unknown Source Texts
Perspectives-Studies in Translatology, (2005)Abstract
This article focuses on translation criticism executed by parties who do not know the source text. This is normally the case with most translations, since they are produced for and used by audiences without access to the source texts, but the approach is disregarded as superficial and anecdotal in serious Translation Studies. Using three Danish translations of the Old English poem of Beowulf, this study discusses whether it is possible to criticise and pass judgement on translations when the source text is not available for consultation - in the case in hand because I do not understand Old English. It is shown that, by setting up precise parameters and a procedure for such an analysis, one can indeed make tentative comments. The study focuses on the possibilities and limitations of translation criticism when a translation is read independently of the source text, but possibly in combination with other translations. It is small surprise that the results are few, but the very fact that tentative conclusions can be reached, suggests that impressionistic comments may sometimes be based on demonstrable facts. Furthermore, there are areas in which serious work and criticism are based on translations without access to source texts: the approach is used in serious scholarship.