Style, inextricably linked to content, is an important feature of all literary works. Disregarding stylistic elements in translation may affect the reader's perception of the work, so it is essential that the translator recreate them to the greatest extent possible. The focus of this master's thesis is to determine whether the translator managed to create the same stylistic effect in the translation, entitled Minuet for Guitar, as is characteristic of the original, Menuet za kitaro, a novel by Slovene author Vitomil Zupan first published in 1975. The analysis of selected style markers—namely emotionally coloured vocabulary, foreign-language elements and idioms—found in the original and their translations showed that the translator did recreate the stylistic effect of the original when translating idioms. However, he did not manage to do so when translating emotionally coloured vocabulary and foreign-language elements, as he did not preserve the elements that reinforce the identity of the original—he either devulgarised or euphemised derogatory and vulgar expressions, stylistically neutralised the emotionally coloured vocabulary, or denied linguistic differentiation. As a result, the translator's interventions were significant enough to conclude that the original style was altered in translation.
|