In the following we will examine the quality of the German translation of Bram Stoker′s Dracula by the analysis-categories of Juliane House.
The texts used are:
Source text, in the following referred to as ST:
Bram STOKER, Dracula, ed. Michael Hulse (Köln, 1995)
Target text, in the following referred to as TT:
Bram STOKER, Dracula, 3rd ed. (Wien, 1993)
Juliane HOUSE, A model for translation quality assessment (Tübingen, 1981)
Juliane HOUSE, A model for translation quality assessment. A model revisited (Tübingen, 1997)
The novel Dracula was published in London for the first time in 1897 and was written between .
The translation used here is based on the German translation by Stasi Kull from 1967.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Field
III. Tenor
IV. Mode
V. Genre
VI. Statement of function
VII. Comparison ST - TT
VIII. Statement of quality
Objectives and Thematic Focus
This academic paper provides a systematic analysis of the quality of the German translation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" by applying the translation assessment model developed by Juliane House.
- Application of House’s translation quality assessment categories to the text.
- Examination of lexical, syntactic, and textual features in both the source and target texts.
- Evaluation of social role relationships and participant interactions.
- Comparison of source text (ST) and target text (TT) to identify mismatches.
- Assessment of the functional equivalence of the translation for contemporary German readers.
Excerpt from the Book
Lexical Means:
For there are several sorts of text, e.g. journal entries, telegrams, newspaper articles, a log and letters, it is not possible to give a definite answer to the question of the lexical means. The language can be understood easily, and although the text was written one hundred years ago, the language can not be classified as such.
In the context with Jonathan Harker’s journey through Europe to Transylvania there is a use of foreign, esp. German (p. 9: "paprika hendl"; p. 12: "The Herr Englishman"; p. 15: "Mittel Land"; p. 19: "'Denn die Todten reiten schnell'"; p. 20: "mein Herr") or Slavic words (p. 10: "mamaliga", "impletata"; p. 14 "'ordog', ... 'pokol', ... stregoica', ... vrolok', ... 'vlkoslak'"; p. 15: "'gotza'", p. 16: "'Isten szek!'"). Abraham Van Helsing speaks also sometimes German, esp. when he is emotionally excited, e.g. p. 179: "Mein Gott!"; p. 210: "Mein Gott! Mein Gott!".
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the study, identifies the texts used, and introduces the analysis-categories by Juliane House.
II. Field: Analyzes the lexical, syntactic, and textual characteristics of the original Dracula text.
III. Tenor: Investigates the author’s provenance, his stance towards the plot, and the social relationships between characters.
IV. Mode: Explores the medium and participation structures, focusing on the various types of texts contained within the novel.
V. Genre: Classifies "Dracula" within the literary genre of gothic and vampire novels.
VI. Statement of function: Discusses the primary function of the text as entertainment and its thematic opposition to Victorian rationalism.
VII. Comparison ST - TT: Details the specific lexical, syntactic, and textual mismatches identified between the source text and the German translation.
VIII. Statement of quality: Provides a final assessment, concluding that the translation functions as an overt translation with certain cultural filters applied.
Keywords
Dracula, Bram Stoker, Juliane House, Translation Quality Assessment, Lexical Analysis, Syntactic Structure, Textual Means, Gothic Novel, Source Text, Target Text, Cultural Filters, Literary Translation, Social Dialect, Functional Equivalence, Stylistic Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary purpose of this paper?
The paper aims to evaluate the quality of a German translation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" by using the specific linguistic model proposed by Juliane House.
What are the central thematic fields analyzed?
The analysis covers lexical means, tenor (social role and stance), mode (medium of communication), genre classification, and the overall functional intent of the novel.
What is the core research goal?
The goal is to determine how well the translation maintains the original's function and style when presented to a German-speaking audience.
Which methodology is employed?
The study utilizes the analytical categories defined in Juliane House's model for translation quality assessment.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It provides a granular breakdown of the source text's linguistics, followed by a comparative analysis of how the target text handles these features, including mismatches in dialect, register, and cultural references.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include "Translation Quality Assessment," "Juliane House," "Dracula," "Stylistic Analysis," and "Functional Equivalence."
How is Van Helsing's language handled in the translation?
The authors note that Van Helsing's characteristic broken grammar, which marks him as a foreigner in the original, is not adopted in the German translation, thus losing that specific characterization.
Does the translation preserve the dialect of the minor characters?
The study highlights that the dialect of working-class characters is not transferred, which leads to a loss of social stratification and class distinction in the German version.
- Quote paper
- Carmen Trappenberg (Author), Julia Scheike (Author), 1998, Analysis of a text regarding the model for Translation Quality Assessment of Juliane House, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/10810
