Translating Expressive Language in Children's Literature: Problems and Solutions

by B.J. Epstein

Children’s literature delights in made-up words, nonsensical terms, and creative nicknames, but how do you translate these expressions into another language?
This book provides a new approach to translation studies to address the challenges of translating children’s literature. It focuses on expressive language (nonsense, names, idioms, allusions, puns, and dialects) and provides guidance for translators about how to translate such linguistic features without making assumptions about the reader’s capabilities and without drastically changing the work. The text features effective strategies for both experienced translators and those who are new to the field, including exercises and discussion questions that are particularly beneficial for students training to be translators. This learner-friendly book also offers original contributions to translation theory in light of the translation issues particular to children’s literature.

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Gaby S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an essay so it's not supposed to be an easy read. However, I do feel that a bit more of the writer's own voice could have been injected in the narrator to make the text flow better. All in all, it's incredibly useful for someone interested in translating children's books.