Transparent translation : a study into the emergence of the translator’s presence in the English translation by Godwin Ellul of Is-salib tal- fidda by Wistin Born

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to provide a comparative analysis of Is-Salib tal-Fidda by Patri Wistin Born and its English translation, The Silver Crucifix by Godwin Ellul. Having read the Maltese version but not the English version of the novel, the target text is experienced from a fresh perspective as a new reader experiences it, thus allowing for no bias within the analysis of the translation. Focus is mainly on investigating the emergence of the translator within the English version of the novel, and as a result of the visibility (or invisibility) of the translator, discovering how transparent this makes the translation. Bearing in mind the history of Maltese novels, the prevalence of Maltese literature in translation, and the social and historical context around the time of the novel, the two texts are not analysed in a vacuum. Furthermore, a variety of translation theories are applied, with focus on the invisibility of the translator, achieving equivalence, translating certain aspects (for example, style and culture), and analysis of the main stylistic elements of both the source text and target text. The views of multiple scholars are also looked at and applied to the analysis. The differences and similarities between the source and target texts are looked at, and a final conclusion about Ellul‘s translation is drawn in the last chapter of the study.