Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Literary Translation In brief Speaker - Rachel Rankin (University of Edinburgh) Chair - Theme - Literary Translation Title - The (Un)Translatability of Poetry: Hermeneutics and Hybridit Attend the seminar on Collaborate Learn Abstract The (Un)Translatability of Poetry: Hermeneutics and Hybridit By Rachel Rankin According to Francis R. Jones, the existing scholarship surrounding poetry translation is valuable, but the field in general is largely unanalysed and highly fragmented in nature (“Unlocking” 59). This naturally means that there is scope for research into the areas of poetry translation which have not been historically addressed to the same extent as others. The focus of my research – that is, the translation of hybrid and genre-bending poetic texts – is one such area. My research is practice-led, focusing on practical translations of works by two canonical Norwegian poets whose styles are contrastive: Halldis Moren Vesaas [1907-1995], whose poems are largely characterised by their formal and metrical elements, and Cecilie Løveid [1951-], a genre-transgressor whose works often elude traditional categorisation. By using a case-study based approach, I aim to explore whether the strategies used to translate more formal poetry can inform the strategies we use to translate more poetically hybrid texts. As an interdisciplinary piece of research, I will engage with a number of theoretical frameworks, namely poetry translation theory, translation as criticism, translation as creative writing, and the tension between hermeneutic and instrumentalist approaches to translation. This presentation will focus on the latter, engaging with one of the most prevalent and polarising debates among poets, poetry translators and translation scholars – that is, the question or whether or not poetry can in fact be translated. By drawing on Venuti’s 2019 polemic Contra Instrumentalism, I will outline and evaluate both the instrumentalist and the hermeneutic approaches found within poetry translation scholarship and explain why a hermeneutic approach is essential to my research into hybrid poetic texts. About the speaker Rachel Rankin is currently in the second year of her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, which she is undertaking with the support of the Northern Scholars PhD Scholarship. Her research into hybrid poetic texts is practice-led and interdisciplinary, encompassing Translation Studies, Scandinavian Studies and Creative Writing. Rachel is also a literary translator working from Norwegian into English, and she has also worked as a Tutor in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, teaching Norwegian language and Scandinavian literature. About the seminar series Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a seminar on their work in translation. Our seminar series is run collaboratively by staff and postgraduate students, enabling our early career researchers to build networks and experience. This Semester, the students are Wang Hanyu and Aaliyah Charbenny. Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome. Are you interested in Translation Studies at Edinburgh? Providing excellent teaching and supervision, our postgraduate MSc and PhD programmes are among the UK's most comprehensive and flexible. Our expertise covers a wide range of research areas and many languages, of which you can choose to work with two. Find out more about postgraduate programmes in Translation Studies Oct 20 2021 16.00 - 17.00 Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Literary Translation Join us for a free online seminar by PhD student Rachel Rankin (University of Edinburgh) on the theme of Literary Translation. Online via Collaborate Learn Attend the seminar on Collaborate Learn
Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Literary Translation In brief Speaker - Rachel Rankin (University of Edinburgh) Chair - Theme - Literary Translation Title - The (Un)Translatability of Poetry: Hermeneutics and Hybridit Attend the seminar on Collaborate Learn Abstract The (Un)Translatability of Poetry: Hermeneutics and Hybridit By Rachel Rankin According to Francis R. Jones, the existing scholarship surrounding poetry translation is valuable, but the field in general is largely unanalysed and highly fragmented in nature (“Unlocking” 59). This naturally means that there is scope for research into the areas of poetry translation which have not been historically addressed to the same extent as others. The focus of my research – that is, the translation of hybrid and genre-bending poetic texts – is one such area. My research is practice-led, focusing on practical translations of works by two canonical Norwegian poets whose styles are contrastive: Halldis Moren Vesaas [1907-1995], whose poems are largely characterised by their formal and metrical elements, and Cecilie Løveid [1951-], a genre-transgressor whose works often elude traditional categorisation. By using a case-study based approach, I aim to explore whether the strategies used to translate more formal poetry can inform the strategies we use to translate more poetically hybrid texts. As an interdisciplinary piece of research, I will engage with a number of theoretical frameworks, namely poetry translation theory, translation as criticism, translation as creative writing, and the tension between hermeneutic and instrumentalist approaches to translation. This presentation will focus on the latter, engaging with one of the most prevalent and polarising debates among poets, poetry translators and translation scholars – that is, the question or whether or not poetry can in fact be translated. By drawing on Venuti’s 2019 polemic Contra Instrumentalism, I will outline and evaluate both the instrumentalist and the hermeneutic approaches found within poetry translation scholarship and explain why a hermeneutic approach is essential to my research into hybrid poetic texts. About the speaker Rachel Rankin is currently in the second year of her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, which she is undertaking with the support of the Northern Scholars PhD Scholarship. Her research into hybrid poetic texts is practice-led and interdisciplinary, encompassing Translation Studies, Scandinavian Studies and Creative Writing. Rachel is also a literary translator working from Norwegian into English, and she has also worked as a Tutor in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, teaching Norwegian language and Scandinavian literature. About the seminar series Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a seminar on their work in translation. Our seminar series is run collaboratively by staff and postgraduate students, enabling our early career researchers to build networks and experience. This Semester, the students are Wang Hanyu and Aaliyah Charbenny. Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome. Are you interested in Translation Studies at Edinburgh? Providing excellent teaching and supervision, our postgraduate MSc and PhD programmes are among the UK's most comprehensive and flexible. Our expertise covers a wide range of research areas and many languages, of which you can choose to work with two. Find out more about postgraduate programmes in Translation Studies Oct 20 2021 16.00 - 17.00 Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Literary Translation Join us for a free online seminar by PhD student Rachel Rankin (University of Edinburgh) on the theme of Literary Translation. Online via Collaborate Learn Attend the seminar on Collaborate Learn
Oct 20 2021 16.00 - 17.00 Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Literary Translation Join us for a free online seminar by PhD student Rachel Rankin (University of Edinburgh) on the theme of Literary Translation.
