A CASE STUDY IN LITERARY TRANSLATION

Resumo

This article constitutes an argument for the belief that translation studies cannot afford to ignore concepts from adjacent disciplines. Among other fields of knowledge, translation studies should also be viewed in their connections with literary criticism. However different, the potential new meanings released in the target language, they must have their bearings on the literariness of the source text. In the light of the considerations above, what follows are notes written during the translation process of the Narayan’s novel The Guide1. In his numerous novels and short-stories, Narayan showed a special ability to make the rhythms and intricacies of South Indian life accessible to readers of other cultures inside India and indeed to readers everywhere else round the world. Central to this achievement was the creation of Malgudi, the fictional South Indian town, which he peopled with ordinary men and women’s entangled emotions made unforgettable by his writing.