Translation and analysis of part of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner

Abstract

'There is a way to be good again', is one of the taglines of The Kite Runner, and around which revolves one of the main themes of the novel: redemption. Everyone deserves a second chance, and Khaled Hosseini proves this line of thought right; the protagonist, Amir, embarks on a journey which leads him to the road of redemption. As the Italian saying goes, finche c 'e vita c 'e speranza, meaning 'as long as there is life, there is hope', and one must always struggle to make him or herself a better person. When I first read the novel this 'hope' was what made me like Hosseini's book so much, but then it was something else that made me go for this novel for my dissertation: the Afghan culture which is so diverse from Maltese culture. I felt that with this translation I could contribute to the opportunity to open one's mind to other horizons, culturally speaking. Unfortunately, many of the books that arrive in Malta are either by English or American authors, and the few translations of other foreign authors that there is to one's disposition are not appreciated by the majority. There is this need to develop with regards to literature, to appreciate diverse realities from one's own, but at the same time, appreciating them in one's own language. This dissertation will tackle the translation of parts of Hosseini's The Kite Runner into Maltese, together with an analysis of this same translation. The first chapter is an introduction discussing the literary translator and general literary translation matters. Following this is the review of the chosen novel with particular reference to its styles, themes, historical context and the personal process of translating it. After the presentation of the two parallel texts, i.e. the source text and the target text, with annotated notes, the actual analysis of the translation will be finally examined.