Review of Narratives of Mistranslation: Fictional Translators in Latin American Literature (original) (raw)

The Western etymology of the term ‘translation’ has contributed to the development of certain enduring notions in the field, including the notions of ‘faithfulness’ and an excessive preoccupation with the concept of an ‘original’. The term ‘translation’ originates from the Latin language, specifically from the verb translatio, which translates to “to bear/carry across” (Bassnet 1998:38). The traditional concept of translation necessitates the translator to remain unquestionably faithful to the original text while carrying its meaning from the source language to the target language. Being an intricate art of conveying meaning and intent across a binary divide, translation enables communication, fosters cultural exchange and bridges gaps between distinct linguistic communities. Due to the interaction of cultures and languages, the potential for mistranslation and error arises. Contrary to the traditional definition, Kripper advocates the role of the translator as an actor who is playing the more foundational and fundamental part rather than being invisible. However, she not only negates the image of the translator as a bridge between cultures and languages but also questions the fluid transnational discourse in translation. Kripper further extends her focus to the relevance of the translator’s ‘bad translation’ or the flawed translation, supporting Lawrence Venuti’s statement, “Translation is radically transformative” (2019: 176). Her book “Narratives of Mistranslation” destabilizes the traditional conceptual notion of translation and supports mistranslation as an intentional and conscious strategy to translate, which further acts as the resistance against the power dynamics of authorial authority that governs the translation practice. This book is also a part of Jacob Blakesley’s and Duncan Large’s literary translations series entitled Routledge Studies in Literary Translation.