Description
Book SynopsisThis book studies the influence of censorship on the selection and translation of English language fiction in the People’s Republic of Poland, 1944-1989. It analyses the differences between originals and their translations, taking into account the available archival evidence from the files of Poland’s Censorship Office, as well as the wider social and historical context. The book examines institutional censorship, self-censorship and such issues as national quotas of foreign literature, the varying severity of the regime, and criticism as a means to control literature. However, the emphasis remains firmly on how censorship affected the practice of translation. Translators shaped Polish perceptions of foreign literature from Charlie Chan books to Ulysses and from The Wizard of Oz to Moby-Dick. But whether translators conformed or rebelled, they were joined in this enterprise by censors and pulled into post-war Poland’s cultural power structures.
Trade Review“This monograph is a long-awaited, comprehensive and thorough study filling the research gap concerning translation and censorship in the context of the Polish People’s Republic (1944-1989) [...] The book definitely makes an important contribution to the literature on censorship and translation. It is a highly recommended reading for all those interested in translation in the context of repressive constraints and those interested in translation conventions and norms across languages and cultures.” - Joanna Dybiec-Gajer, University of Krakow, Poland in Target, Vol. 29 No. 2 2017 pp. 344-349
Table of ContentsContents Chapter 1 Censors 7 Chapter 2 Progressives 27 Chapter 3 Others 67 Chapter 4 Morals 101 Chapter 5 Racists 135 Chapter 6 Children 155 Chapter 7 Translators 187 Bibliography .03 Index 223
