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Article published In: Translation and Interpreting Studies
Vol. 15:2 (2020) ► pp.203–222

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Translating narratives and counter-narratives in Ahmet Ümit’s When Pera Trees Whisper

ORCiD logo with link | University of the Free State | Istanbul Şehir University
Published online: 4 February 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.20001.tek
Abstract
This study analyzes the translation of political narratives in Beyoğlu’nun En Güzel Abisi, a 2013 detective novel by the best-selling Turkish author Ahmet Ümit. Translated into English by Elke Dixon as When Pera Trees Whisper (. 2014. When Pera Trees Whisper. Trans. by Elke Dixon. Istanbul: Everest.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), the novel addresses the events of 6–7 September 1955 that led to the exodus of non-Muslim communities from Istanbul as well as the Gezi Park protests in 2013. The source text reproduces the competing public narratives on issues including ethnic diversity in Turkey, the public mobilization at Gezi, and police intervention during the protests. These narratives play a crucial role, particularly in light of the framing of the protagonist, Chief Inspector Nevzat, as a “good cop” in previous installments of the detective series. In the target text, Elke Dixon translates narratives and counter-narratives for an international readership, conveying the variety of narrative perspectives and framing choices through explicitations, shifts, and other strategies.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • History, politics, and translation
  • Moral ambivalence
  • Narratives on multiculturalism and citizenship
    • Rum – Greek/Turkish Greek
    • Vatandaş – citizen / compatriot
  • Narratives on the protests and police conduct
    • Participant tracking
    • Örgüt – organization
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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Cited by one other publication

ERKAZANCI DURMUŞ, Hilal
2022. Elveda Güzel Vatanım’ın İngilizce çevirisi ışığında tarihî roman çevirisinde kültürel unsurlar. RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi :31 ► pp. 1709 ff. DOI logo

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