20th century lipogrammatic novels and their translations

Radionovas, I

Abstract

A lipogram is a text that is written without the use of one or several letters of the
alphabet, which means that words that contain the "forbidden" letter(s) are avoided. This formal
constraint implies a strong link between source text and source language. Furthermore, the
lipogrammatic form supports the content of such texts, and an inseparable connection between
form and content makes both aspects equally important. These characteristics of lipograms
provide the translator with specific problems. In Translation Studies, it is often suggested that in
such cases the limits of translatability are reached. The translator has to take decisions, evaluate
the importance of the individual aspects of individual ST items and try to render as much as
possible. However, while fidelity to the ST seems important, the target culture and the target
readers' expectations cannot be ignored either. This study investigates the stylistic implications of
this formal constraint and the possibilities and limitations of translating lipogrammatic prose.
Parallels are drawn between the process of writing a lipogram and the process of translation in
general, and the translatability of such texts is discussed with the help of different Translation
Studies viewpoints, including intralingual translation, translatability (with considerations of the
target polysystem, the difference between translation and adaptation as well as different
translation strategies and their impact on fidelity) and hermeneutic considerations in translation.
The corpus of lipograms since the 20th century in the languages English, French and German
includes two French originals and their German and English translations, one untranslated
German novel and two English works, one of which has been translated into German. Although
extensive literature can be found about George Perec's l^a disparition, the analyses of its
translations that have been conducted are relatively selective and of limited value for Translation
Studies purposes. Moreover, other lipograms have not been studied and considered yet to create
a broader picture of the implications of this very particular form in literature.

Citation

Radionovas, I. 20th century lipogrammatic novels and their translations. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 29, 2021
• Award Date: Jun 1, 2012