Analysis of translation of verse into a foreign language: the case of Chinese poetry in Catalan

Abstract

Apart from the belief that it is not possible to translate poetry, there exists the ever-present doubt concerning the possibility of translating into a foreign language at all. This article is an attempt to analyse this question from a theoretical point of view and propose a method of analysing translations based on Optimality Theory, which was first applied to phonology and was later extended to grammar and semantics. Translation of Chinese poetry into western languages and, in particular, Catalan, has been chosen as the testing ground for linguistic individuation and the cultural differences between literary traditions. The translations into Catalan produced by Marià Manent on the basis of translations into other languages or aided by literal translations into Catalan, have enabled us to provide case studies to put the system to the test.