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Article published In: Babel
Vol. 68:6 (2022) ► pp.839–859

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Translating (or not) a South American Philosopher

The paratexts of the works of José Enrique Rodó in English

 | The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyBrownsville, Texas
Published online: 3 November 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.00293.gon
Abstract
This study will consider translation as a tool to transfer ideas from Latin America to North America (and the rest of the English-speaking world). It will do so by exploring some of the paratextual strategies that have been employed in transmitting the ideas of Latin American philosophers to the English-speaking world. Specifically, it will rely on a case study, namely, the translation into English of the works of José Enrique Rodó, an important South American philosopher from the early twentieth century. The paper will outline Rodó’s work as translated into English, focusing not on the quality of the translated texts themselves but rather on what the translations were expected to do. As a way to understand their expected functions, the present study will describe the paratextual apparatuses that surround the translations. Such an analysis will rely on Gérard Genette’s work on paratexts to draw conclusions regarding the role of translation in the flow of ideas from the Global South to the Global North.
Résumé
Cette étude propose une approche de la traduction comme un outil de transfert d’idées depuis l’Amérique latine vers l’Amérique du Nord (et le reste du monde anglophone). L’article explore certaines des stratégies paratextuelles qui ont été employées pour transmettre les idées des philosophes latino-américains au monde anglophone. Plus précisément, il s’appuie sur une étude de cas, à savoir la traduction en anglais des œuvres de José Enrique Rodó, un important philosophe sud-américain du début du XXe siècle. L’article décrit le travail de Rodó tel qu’il a été traduit en anglais, en se concentrant non pas sur la qualité des textes traduits, mais plutôt sur ce que l’on attendait de ces traductions. Afin de comprendre leurs fonctions attendues, l’étude décrit les dispositifs paratextuels qui entourent les traductions. Une telle analyse s’appuie sur les travaux de Genette en matière des paratextes afin de tirer des conclusions qui concernent le rôle de la traduction dans le flux d’idées du Sud vers le Nord.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
  • 3.Analysis
    • 3.1Paratexts defined
    • 3.2Translations of Ariel
    • 3.3Translation of Motivos de Proteo
    • 3.4Nontranslations of Rodó’s work
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (34)
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Zhao, Jiaming & Jiayin Wang
2025. Discursive practices in translating political discourse: insights from white papers on China-US economic and trade frictions. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 12:1 DOI logo

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