Trajectory of Vladimir Nabokov’s Literary Translation Practices

Yablokova, Zhanna

doi:10.1075/forum.7.2.10yab

Article published In: FORUM
Vol. 7:2 (2009) ► pp.247–275

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Trajectory of Vladimir Nabokov’s Literary Translation Practices

Zhanna Yablokova | Borough of Manhattan Community College The City University of New York

Published online: 1 October 2009

https://doi.org/10.1075/forum.7.2.10yab

Vladimir Nabokov a débuté sa carrière de traducteur en rendant des textes accessibles à ses lecteurs, modifiant, par exemple, le cadre et les noms des personnages. Plus tard, il exigea de sa part et d’autres traducteurs des traductions « fidèles » et littérales. Ensuite, Nabokov dispensa de cette exigence les auteurs, lui-même inclus, qui traduisent leurs propres oeuvres. En tant qu’auteur de Lolita en anglais et comme traducteur de ce roman en russe, Nabokov, d’une part, accomplit une traduction « fidèle » du roman, tandis que, d’autre part, il apportait des modifications d’auteur qu’il estimait nécessaires.

Cet essai démontre que la théorie et la pratique de la traduction chez Nabokov ont évolué au cours de trois phases distinctes mais qui finalement se recoupent. Certains critiques ont appelé la troisième et dernière phase « contradictoire ». Cependant, en considérant les trois phases comme trois étapes différentes du développement de Nabokov traducteur, l’auteur de cet essai propose que, au lieu d’être « contradictoire » ou antithétique, cette phase peut être perçue comme évolutive, correspondant ainsi au développement de Nabokov traducteur et écrivain.

Keywords: Literary translation, self-translation, translation strategies, Nabokov, literal translation

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