scholarly journals Special Forum Introduction: Global Huck: Mapping the Cultural Work of Translations of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Fisher Fishkin ◽  
Tsuyoshi Ishihara ◽  
Ronald Jenn ◽  
Holger Kersten ◽  
Selina Lai-Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Work ◽  
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn ◽  
Huckleberry Finn

scholarly journals Translating national history for children: a case study of a classic

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-116
Author(s):  
B.J. Epstein
Keyword(s):  
Race Relations ◽  
Adult Readers ◽  
National History ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn ◽  
Black Characters ◽  
History Of ◽  
Child Readers ◽  
Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is arguably about the history of theUnited States in terms of slavery and race relations. How, then, can this be translated to another language and culture, especially one with a very different background in regard to minorities? And in particular, how can this be translated for children, who have less knowledge about history and slavery than adult readers? In this essay, I analyse how Twain’s novel has been translated to Swedish. I study 15 translations. Surprisingly, I find that instead of retaining Twain’s even-handed portrayal of the two races and his acceptance of a wide variety of types of Americans, Swedish translators tend to emphasise the foreignness, otherness, and lack of education of the black characters. In other words, although the American setting is kept, the translators nevertheless give Swedish readers a very different understanding of theUnited Statesand slavery than that which Twain strove to give his American readers. This may reflect the differences in immigration and cultural makeup inSwedenversus inAmerica, but it radically changes the book as well as child readers’ understanding of what makes a nation.

scholarly journals The Role of Superstition in Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Shakespeare’s Macbeth: A Comparative Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Jamal Subhi Ismail Nafi’
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn ◽  
The Past ◽  
The People ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Huckleberry Finn

<p>This article is an attempt to explore the inclusion and the use of superstitious elements in Mark Twain’s novel <em>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</em> (1884) and Shakespeare’s play <em>Macbeth</em> (1611). Superstition involves a deep belief in the magic and the occult, to almost to an extent of obsession, which is contrary to realism. Through the analytical and psychological approaches, this paper tries to shed light on Twain’s and Shakespeare’s use of supernaturalism in their respective stories, and the extent the main characters are influenced by it. A glance at both stories reveals that characters are highly affected by superstitions, more than they are influenced by their religious beliefs, or other social factors and values. The researcher also tries to explore the role played by superstition, represented by fate and the supernatural in determining the course of actions characters undertake in both dramas. The paper concluded that the people who lived in the past were superstitious to an extent of letting magic, omens; signs, etc. affect and determine their lives; actions and future decisions. They determine their destiny and make it very difficult for them to avoid it, alter it or think rationally and independently. And that, man’s actions are not isolated, but closely connected to the various forces operating in the universe.</p>

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Transference of Humor in Translations of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rezvan Barzegar Hossieni ◽  
Mohsen Mobaraki ◽  
Maryam Rabani Nia
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Mark Twain ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Source Language ◽  
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn ◽  
Huckleberry Finn

Translation is a difficult and complex task. Some elements such as linguistic and socio-cultural differences in two languages make it difficult to choose an appropriate equivalent; the equivalent which has the same effect in the target language. In the present study, one of the richest sources of the humor and satire is investigated. Humor is completely obvious in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain. He tried to laugh at social and cultural problems of his time by this novel. Two translations of this book by Hushang Pirnazar and Najaf Daryabandari are investigated. The author tries to investigate on transference of humor from the source language to the target language by a syntactic strategy of Chesterman. By investigating the text, it will be found out that which translator is more successful in recreation of humor by using the strategies. 

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