It-Traduzzjoni tfittex li tinnegozja l-Hondoq Kulturali rifless fil-lingwi differenti: Il-kaz ta’ In- Nemmies bhala traduzzjoni ta’ Der Beobachter

Abstract

This paper will focus on some of the strategic linguistic methods applied by Mr Alfred Scalpello, in his book In-Nemmies (2016); a direct German translation of Charlotte Link’s original, Der Beobachter (2011). The ways with which the translator maintains the meaning of the primary text and the expressive flow of the original language (German) whilst adhering as closely as possible to the Maltese idiom will be analysed and discussed in the paper. It will also consider how some of the translation’s employed idioms, fixed Maltese expressions and neologisms were used to successfully overcome the challenges found in the target language’s lexical void. All this is done with the double aim of conveying the meaning expressed in German whilst imparting a tinge of local colour to the translated work, which in itself allows the Maltese readers to better relate, and to better experience a close affinity, with the world of the text. The proposed analysis also shows how In-Nemmies excellently fuses together the three main linguistic elements - the Semitic, the Romance and the Germanic - which across the centuries have formed the contemporary Maltese language. Thus, In-Nemmies showcases the versatility of the aforementioned language and also proves that the Maltese speaker-writer-thinker can accept with sterling success the challenge of translating foreign languages into the vernacular.