Collaboration in Translation
Xabier Olarra

Abstract

The presentation discusses four cases in which translator Xabier Olarra has participated, and in which two translators have worked together: Hobbita, Jakobian eraikina, Zerua gainbehera dator and Eserleku hutsa.

The first three cases are similar, and the collaboration came about due to the necessity of having the maximum level of competence, not only with respect to familiarity with the original language, but also regarding certain peculiarities of the literary language used by each of the authors (translation in verse, translation of parts of a book such as the Koran, etc.).

The final case, the translation of The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling, is different. The joint translation in this case came about purely for reasons of editorial convenience: the necessity of preparing in time for the Christmas market a 600-page text, the original version of which was not available to the translators until the first week of October.