Women in contemporary English drama translation: enhancement and downplay mechanisms to portray Golden Age damas

Article Sidebar

PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2011.3.9
Keywords:
Drama translation studies, Woman, Sexuality, Enhancement, Downplay

Main Article Content

Jorge Braga Riera

Abstract

In the last two decades British and American drama translators have shown a growing interest in the Spanish classics, resulting in English versions exclusively intended for the stage. Within this particular context, this paper is intended to provide a general view on how a motif present in the source texts, i.e. the role of women, is transferred into the target plays. A close analysis of the translated works reveals how women’s acts can be enhanced or downplayed in order to accommodate them to the recipient culture. Hence, political correctness, reaction to male domination, moral squeamishness and honour emerge as important elements to be taken into account. Conclusions will ultimately provide us with information about the current vision of Spanish Golden Age drama through English translation, and will hopefully invite discussion on the validity of these mechanisms to guarantee its reception in the Anglo-Saxon theatre world.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Braga Riera, J. (2014). Women in contemporary English drama translation: enhancement and downplay mechanisms to portray Golden Age damas. MonTI. Monographs in Translation and Interpreting, (3), 231–255. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2011.3.9
Issue
No. 3 (2011): Woman and Translation: Geographies, Voices and Identities/Mujer y Traducción: Geografías, Voces e Identidades
Section
Articles

The documents contained in these directories are included by the contributing authors as a means to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work on a non-commercial basis. It is understood that all persons copying this information will adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

References

PLAY EDITIONS

Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. (1994) La vida es sueño. Ed. by José M. Ruano de la Haza. Madrid: Castalia.

Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. (1990) Life is a Dream. Translated by Adrian Mitchell and John Barton. Woodstock: Dramatic Publishing.

Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. (1999) Sueño: A Play in Three Acts. Translated by José Rivera. Woodstock: Dramatic Publishing.

Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. (2007) Life is a Dream. Translated by John Clifford. London: Nick Hern Books.

Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. (2008) Life is a Dream. Translated by Nilo Cruz. New York: Dramatists Play Service.

Cervantes, Miguel de. (1997) “La elección de los alcaldes de Daganzo”. In: Entremeses. Ed. by Javier Huerta Calvo. Madrid: Edaf.

Cervantes, Miguel de. (2007) Electing a Sheriff in Podunk County, Florida. Translated by Ben Gunter. Internet edition at http://spanish-golden-age-plays.wikispaces.com/Cervantes +on+Stage+Project+(Ben+Gunter).

Lope de Vega, Félix. (1987) Peribáñez y el comendador de Ocaña. Ed. by Juan María Marín. Madrid: Cátedra.

Lope de Vega, Félix. (2003) Peribanez. Translated by Tanya Ronder. London: Nick Hern Books.

Molina, Tirso de. (1999) El burlador de Sevilla. Ed. by Héctor Brioso. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Molina, Tirso de. (2004) Don Juan, Ladykiller of Seville. Translated by Michael Kidd. Unpublished.

Molina, Tirso de. (2006) Don Juan, the Trickster of Seville. Translated by Dakin Matthews. North Hollywood: Andak Theatrical Services.

Ruiz de Alarcón, Juan. (1990) La verdad sospechosa. Ed. by Juan María Marín Martínez. Madrid: Espasa Calpe.

Ruiz de Alarcón, Juan. (2000) The Truth Can’t Be Trusted. Translated by Dakin Matthews. North Hollywood: Andak Theatrical Services.

Zayas, María de. (1994) La traición en la amistad. Ed. by Felicidad González & Fernando Doménech. Madrid: Asociación de directores de escena de España.

Zayas, María de. (1999) Friendship Betrayed. Translated by Catherine Larson. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press.

GENERAL

Aaltonen, Sirkku. (2004) “Olga’s Eightsome Reel in Edinburgh: A Case Study of Finnish Drama in English Translation”. In: Drama Translation and Theatre Practice. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. pp. 121-135.

Avellone, Jesica. (2007) “Life is a Dream”. Mytheatre.com Review, June 8. http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showrevprint.php?t=life5350. (Accessed in June 2010)

Bayliss, Robert. (2006) “Ancients, moderns, and the authenticity issue in the comedia performance scholarship”. Comedia Performance 3:1. pp. 121-145. Bechtel, Roger. (2000) “Review of Life is a Dream”. Theater Journal 52: 3. pp. 405-407.

Bobes Naves, Carmen. (2004) “Comedias de honor y celos”. In: Largo mundo alumiado. Estudos em homenagem a Vitor Aguiar e Silva. Braga: Centro de Estudios Humanísticos, volume 2. pp. 745-750.

Boyle, Catherine & David Johnston (eds.) (2008) The Spanish Golden Age in English: Perspectives on Performance. London: Oberon Books.

Braga Riera, Jorge. (2009) Classical Spanish Drama in Restoration English (1660-1700). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Brantley, Ben. (1999) “Metaphysical Wrestling, With No Holds Barred”. The New York Times, October 1999 http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=&tols_title=LIFE%20IS%20A%20DREAM%20(PLAY)&byline=By%20BEN%20BRANTLEY&pdate=19991014&id=1077011430574. (Accessed in June 2010)

Brioso, Héctor. (2007) “Del arte nuevo de deshacer comedias en este tiempo o la adaptación del teatro clásico a la escena actual”. In: Brioso, H. & J. V. Saval (eds.) Nuevas aportaciones a los estudios teatrales (del Siglo de Oro a nuestros días). Alcalá: Universidad. pp. 11-24.

Cruz, Anne J. (2001) “American Calderón: A Prelude.” Bulletin of the Comediantes 53:1. pp. 9-13.

Doležel, Lubomír. (1990) Occidental Poetics: Tradition and Progress. Lincoln & London: University of Nebraska Press.

Fischer, Susan L. (2007) “Aspectuality, Performativity and ‘Foreign’ Comedia: (Re)iteration of meaning for the stage”. In: Boyle, C. & D. Johnston (eds.) The Spanish Golden Age in English. London: Oberon Books. pp. 31-48.

Gunter, Ben. (2008) “Translation as relocation”. In: Paun de García, Susan & Donald R. Larson (eds.) The Comedia in English: Translation and Performance. Woodbridge: Tamesis. pp. 108-124.

Gunter, Ben. (s.a.) Targeting re-production of the ‘untranslatable’: using reproduction conceptualization to transmit non-verbal performance information. Unpublished dissertation.

Hermans, Theo. (1988) “On Translating Proper Names, with reference to De Witte and Max Havelaar”. In: Wintle, Michael (ed.) Modern Dutch Studies. Essays in Honour of Peter King. London: Athlone Press. pp. 11-24.

Lauer, Robert. (2008) “Anne McNaughton’s Don Juan: A Rogue for All Seasons”. In: Paun de García, Susan & Donald R. Larson (eds.) The Comedia in English. Translation and Performance. Woodbridge: Tamesis Books. pp. 202-213.

López-Mayhew, Barbara. (2004) “Review of Friendship Betrayed”. Comedia Performance 1:1. pp. 266-273.

Mateo, Marta. (2002) “Power Relations in Drama Translation”. Current Writing 14:2. pp. 45-63.

Mountjoy, Kathleen. (2005) “Interview with Laurence Boswell”. Comedia Performance 2:1. pp. 171-192.

Mujica, Barbara. (1999) “Early Modern Theater: Comedia Studies at the End of the Century”. Hispania 82:3. pp. 397-407.

Mujica, Barbara. (2008) “María de Zayas’s Friendship Betrayed à la Hollywood: Translation, Transculturation, and Production.” In: Paun de García, Susan & Donald R. Larson (eds.) The Comedia in English. Translation and Performance. Woodbridge: Tamesis Books. pp. 240-253.

O’Connor, Patricia. (2006) “Translating Plays: The Juggling of Knowledge, Creativity and Public Relations”. Paper read at the University of Oviedo, Spain, November 2006.

Oliver, William I. (1991) “Lope de Who? (A Director Do’s, Don’ts, and Headaches)”. In: Fothergill-Payne, Louise & Peter (eds.) Prologue to Performance: Spanish Classical Theater Today. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press. pp. 153-167.

Paun de García, Susan & Donald R. Larson (eds.) (2008) The Comedia in English: Translation and Performance. Woodbridge: Tamesis Books.

Ruano de la Haza, José María. (2005) “Spanish Classical Theory in Britain and North America”. Romance Quarterly 52:1. pp. 2-12.

Schizzano Mandel, Adrienne. (2003) “La vida es sueño: nuevas interpretaciones escénicas”. In: Teatro calderoniano sobre el tablado: Calderón y su puesta en escena a través de los siglos. Stutgart: Franz Steiner. pp. 443-454.

Thacker, Jonathan. (1999) “Rethinking Golden-Age drama: The Comedia in its Contexts”. Paragraph 22. pp. 14-34.

Thacker, Jonathan. (2004a) “Puedo yo con sola la vista oír leyendo: Reading, Seeing and Hearing the Comedia”. Comedia Performance 1:1. pp. 143-173.

Thacker, Jonathan. (2004b) “Review of Peribáñez”. Comedia Performance 1:1. pp. 260-265.

Voros, Sharon D. (2008) “Zayas’s comic sense”. In: Paun de García, Susan & Donald R. Larson (eds.) The Comedia in English: Translation and Performance. Woodbridge: Tamesis. pp. 229-239.

Weimer, Christopher. (2005) “Review of Life Is a Dream”. Comedia Performance 2:1. pp. 229-233.

Wilks, Kerry. (2001) “Interpreting ideas: Court Theatre’s production of Life is a Dream”. Bulletin of the Comediantes 53:1. pp. 57-82.

Zatlin, Phyllis. (2005) Theatrical Translation and Film Adaptation. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Zuber-Skerrit, Ortrun (ed.) (1984) Page to Stage. Theatre as Translation. Amsterdam & Atlanta: Rodopi B. V.