Learning objectives
At the end of the course, students will be able to analyse translations critically and identify translation strategies; they will be able to adopt the most appropriate translation choices and strategies for different editorial contexts and justify them adequately; they will be able to use digital translation tools and resources critically.
Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, students will have improved their ability to understand Francophone literary works of different origins; they will be able to analyse a literary text linguistically from a contrastive perspective.
Applying knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, students will be able to apply the translation methodologies and techniques they have acquired to the specific field of translating literary texts.
Making judgements: at the end of the course, students will be aware of their own translation choices and will be able to motivate and support them; they will be able to use digital tools and resources critically.
Communication skills: at the end of the course, students will have improved their translation competence and their writing skills in academic French.
Learning skills: at the end of the course, students will have learnt to adopt the most appropriate translation strategies according to the functions of the texts to be translated, the genres and the contexts.
Prerequisites
In order to attend this course, students’ competence in the French language needs to correspond to B2-C1.
Course unit content
The course will address the dynamics of translating literary texts by combining both theory and practice of translation. From a theoretical point of view, a few key notions from the history of translation will be discussed and a few descriptive and prescriptive theories of particular interest to the practice of literary translation will be outlined. On the practical side, students will be invited to analyse and compare different translations of the same source text in order to reflect on different translation choices and strategies. Students will be invited to translate the texts proposed, either alone or in groups, thus developing collaborative skills. The translation work will be preceded by a pre-translation analysis, aimed at identifying the main translation problems, and will end with the revision of the text, carried out both individually and in groups, in order to develop a critical reflection. In addition, the course will teach how to use digital translation tools and resources effectively.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Antoine Berman, La traduction et la lettre ou L’Auberge di lointain, Seuil, Paris 1999.
Danielle Risterucci-Roudnicky, Introduction à l'analyse des oeuvres traduites, Armand Colin, Paris 2008.
Inês Oseki-Dépré, Théories et pratiques de la traduction littéraire, Armand Colin, Paris 2006.
Ornella Tajani, Après Berman. Des études de cas pour une critique des traductions littéraires, ETS, Pisa 2021.
A brochure with all materials of the course will be available on the course page.
Teaching methods
The course requires students to participate actively. Lectures will alternate with practical classes. A large amount of time will be set aside for discussion in class, in order to develop students' ability to support and justify their translation choices.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment is based on a written test and an oral examination.
The written test consists of the translation of a literary text from French to Italian chosen by the student (approximately one/two pages) accompanied by a commentary on the translation choices made. The translation and commentary must be sent to the teacher by e-mail at least one week before the oral exam.
During the oral exam, the student will present and discuss his/her translation choices, justifying them on the basis of the bibliography. In addition, the oral exam will focus on the theoretical concepts of the module.
The final grade is the average of the marks obtained in the written and oral exams.
For non-attending students, the programme remains unchanged.
Other information
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