Translation and the reader : a survey of British book group members' attitudes towards translation
In commercial book translation, the reader is the end-user of the translated text; it is for his or her benefit that the translation has been produced, and it is the reading public whose money ultimately goes towards paying the translatorâs wages. Nonetheless, in Translation Studies, far more attention has been paid to the processes of translation or the finished translation product (see Saldanha and OâBrien 2013) than to the users of such products, with reader-based studies few and far between. For this reason, there is little empirical evidence that the 'effects' and 'meanings' discussed by scholars in analyses of translated texts have any meaningful existence in actual reading situations, while the opinions and preferences of readers with regards to translation are virtually unknown (Leppihalme 1997; Kruger 2013). The present thesis therefore takes a first step in examining the attitudes of non-professional readers (that is, readers who are reading for pleasure rather than for criticism or analytical purposes) to translated books. The project reports on members of book groups in four UK cities, whose thoughts and opinions regarding translated texts, the act of translation and the role of translators
Campbell, Catherine SiĂąn Greenslade
translation ; reader ; reader research ; survery ; literature
Translation and the reader : a survey of British book group members' attitudes towards translation. In commercial book translation, the reader is the end-user of the translated text; it is for his or her benefit that the translation has been produced, and it is the reading public whose money ultimately goes towards paying the translatorâs wages. Nonetheless, in Translation Studies, far more attention has been paid to the processes of translation or the finished translation product (see Saldanha and OâBrien 2013) than to the users of such products, with reader-based studies few and far between. For this reason, there is little empirical evidence that the 'effects' and 'meanings' discussed by scholars in analyses of translated texts have any meaningful existence in actual reading situations, while the opinions and preferences of readers with regards to translation are virtually unknown (Leppihalme 1997; Kruger 2013). The present thesis therefore takes a first step in examining the attitudes of non-professional readers (that is, readers who are reading for pleasure rather than for criticism or analytical purposes) to translated books. The project reports on members of book groups in four UK cities, whose thoughts and opinions regarding translated texts, the act of translation and the role of translators
translation reader survey british book group member attitude_towards translation commercial book translation reader end user translated text benefit translation produce read public whose money ultimately towards pay translator wage nonetheless translation_studies far attention_pay process_translation finish translation product see user product reader based study far between reason little_empirical evidence meanings discussed scholar analyse translated text meaningful existence actual reading situation opinion preference reader regard translation virtually_unknown present therefore take first_step examine attitude non professional reader reader read pleasure rather criticism analytical purpose translate book project report member book group city whose thought opinion regard translated text act translation role translator