Principles for the New Translator of Dramatic Works
Translation: Kristin Addis
Abstract
This article is a brief reflection on the translation of dramatic works and, at the same time, it introduces to the translator who is going to translate theater for the first time certain questions that I consider to be fundamental and that must be kept in mind. First, I have listed briefly what characteristics make theater a special genre, such as, for example, the fact that the dramatic text is written primarily to be heard rather than read, as in the case of narrative texts. As a consequence, perhaps the most important factor in creating a good translation of this type of text is to be aware of the oral character of the text, and to try to transmit it to the target text and language. For this purpose, I believe it is fundamental that the translator, the director and the actors collaborate; that is to say that the work of the translator does not end when he completes the written text.
