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Article published In: Babel
Vol. 66:3 (2020) ► pp.420–433

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Turkish translations of Lolita

A search in the mist

 | Anadolu University
Published online: 8 April 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.00165.den
Abstract
This paper presents the results of research on translations of Nabokov’s Lolita into Turkish. Two of the translations were published under different names, but a closer look reveals that these target texts are identical, except for a difference in the character Lolita’s age; she is shown to be twelve in one translation and fourteen in the other. Apart from this, images of body and sex in the text are, to a certain degree, expurgated. Based on the data, I discuss the issues of authorship and (self) censorship in translation, as well as traditional cultural norms and the position of translator when she chooses to adapt to those norms or to question them.
Résumé
Ce travail présente les résultats de la recherche conduite sur les traductions vers le turc de l’œuvre Lolita de Nabokov. Deux de ces traductions ont été publiées sous différents noms, mais en regardant de plus près on s’aperçoit que ces textes cibles sont en fait identiques, sauf une différence dans l’âge du personnage Lolita : elle apparaît avoir douze ans dans une traduction et quatorze dans l’autre. A part ceci, les images du corps et du sexe dans le texte sont, à un certain degré, expurgées. En nous basant sur les données, nous discuterons des questions liées à la paternité de l’œuvre et à l’(auto) censure dans la traduction, ainsi que les normes culturelles traditionnelles et la position de la traductrice quand elle choisit de s’adapter à ces normes ou de les questionner.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The preliminary data and the purpose of the research
  • 3.The translatress of Lolita
  • 4.Textual data
    • 4.1Part one / Chapter 1
    • 4.2Part one / Chapter 4
    • 4.3Part one / Chapter 8
    • 4.4Part one / Chapter 8
    • 4.5Part one / Chapter 11
    • 4.6Part one / Chapter 13
    • 4.7Part one / Chapter 15
  • 5.Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (41)
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