Translation and Paratexts

by Kathryn Batchelor

As the 'thresholds' through which readers and viewers access texts, paratexts have already sparked important scholarship in literary theory, digital studies and media studies. Translation and Paratexts explores the relevance of paratexts for translation studies and provides a framework for further research. Writing in three parts, Kathryn Batchelor first offers a critical overview of recent scholarship, and in the second part introduces three original case studies to demonstrate the importance of paratextual theory. Batchelor interrogates English versions of Nietzsche, Chinese editions of Western translation theory, and examples of subtitled drama in the UK, before concluding with a final part outlining a theory of paratextuality for translation research, addressing questions of terminology and methodology. Translation and Paratexts is essential reading for students and researchers in translation studies, interpreting studies and literary translation.

Genres: Nonfiction

214 pages, Paperback

Published May 17, 2018

Reviews

[Mohammad Aboomar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a useful and deep introduction of Genette's paratextual framework into translation studies. The thorough undetstanding of Genette is clear, and so is the meticulous surveying of the use of his framework in translation studies. The book falters on some points, especially when it tries to include all of translation studies (interpreting, audiovisual translation, etc.) into the mix by considering all translated products as texts, as these elements may need further investigation as the author herself suggests. Hence, the real value of the book lies in its adaptation to Genette to the analysis of textual translation products.