Given the popularity of Grimms’ fairy tales and the status of English as a lingua franca, it is only logical that there are a number of translations and adaptations from German into English. This will be the focus of my paper, in which I am dealing with the cultural frameworks that underlie a translator’s decision to translate a well-known story in a certain way over another. In other words, why is it that Rumpelstiltskin does not burst in two halves in most English versions of the fairy tale? Why did Disney see the need to let a fairy godmother help Cinderella and not some kind-hearted doves? And why is it ‘true love’s kiss’ that awakens Snow White instead of the servants’ clumsiness while carrying the coffin?
"Something gets lost in translation, and in translating and editing these “rediscovered” tales I have endeavored to recast them as closely as I could to the originals. At the same time I felled compelled to provide transitions and slight changes to make them comprehensible for an English-speaking audience. Now, though in a foreign tongue, they speak for themselves – to provoke and to entertain."
This is how Jack Zipes introduces his translation of Grimms’ Kinder- und Hausmärchen, a collection of fairy tales compiled and edited by the German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm between 1812 and 1857. His take on the translation of Grimms’ fairy tales, easily the most famous collections of fairy and folk tales in the Western world, is one of the topics that I will be concerned with in the following paper. It is only “one” of the topics because every translator’s approach is different from all others, and while there are those like Zipes who want to stay as close to the original as possible and provide a ‘literal’ translation of a work, there are others who not only ‘translate’ the language of a story, but also its content, in order to fit more easily with the cultural background of the intended readership.
Table of Contents
I. Publication and Translation History of Grimms’ Kinder- und Hausmärchen
II. German-English Translations of the KHM
The Representation of Cultural Frameworks in the Translation of Fairy Tales
Sneewittchen, Snow-drop and Snow White
III. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how cultural frameworks influence the translation of the Brothers Grimm’s "Kinder- und Hausmärchen" into English, with a specific focus on the deliberate modifications made by translators like Edgar Taylor to suit the tastes and values of a target audience.
- Analysis of the historical evolution of Grimms’ fairy tales and their intended readership.
- Comparative study of translation strategies and their impact on content and narrative tone.
- Exploration of how the "decorum" of the 19th-century English middle class shaped the adaptation of source material.
- Case study of "Sneewittchen" compared to Taylor’s "Snow-drop" and literal translations.
- Evaluation of the balance between scholarly accuracy and readability in cross-cultural literary transmission.
Excerpt from the Book
Sneewittchen, Snow-drop and Snow-drop
For this section of my paper, I have compared the German versions of Sneewittchen (Schneewittchen in modern German versions of the tale) from the 1819 and 1857 edition of the Kinder- und Hausmärchen with Taylor’s free translation from his German Popular Stories in 1823 and Zipes’ very literal translation from 1987 (in the 3rd edition from 2003). I have done this in order to see whether the assumptions made by Schacker, Alderson and other scholars that I have described above are applicable to the tale, and I have taken a special interest in the changes in content the translators made. The Grimms themselves modified the tale only scarcely between 1819 and 1857 (far less than in other well-known tales), so it is possible to also compare the two English translations in order to find out where the respective translator’s focus lay and hypothesize why one chose to translate a certain passage literally and leave out or change another one significantly, and how the aspect of ‘intended readership’ comes into play.
Since I have focused mainly on Taylor’s German Popular Story in the previous section, I want to continue on this path and look at his modifications of Sneewittchen and see whether they comply with Schacker’s assumption that Taylor wanted to ‘please’ a certain kind of readership with his publication. To summarize, he wanted to make the tales more suitable for children and the ‘decorum’ of higher classes by deleting or editing disconcerting or cruel parts of the story. Complying with the wishes of a society struggling with the consequences of the industrial revolution, he (with the help of Cruikshank’s illustrations) supported the romanticization of a pastoral lifestyle generally connected with Germany, while also emphasizing Christian and patriarchal values that were seen as part of this lifestyle.
Summary of Chapters
I. Publication and Translation History of Grimms’ Kinder- und Hausmärchen: This chapter provides an overview of the origin of the Grimms’ collection and introduces the varying translation approaches, distinguishing between literal translations and those adapted for cultural and commercial viability.
II. German-English Translations of the KHM: This section investigates the cultural frameworks underlying the translations, focusing on Edgar Taylor's significant departures from the original text to cater to 19th-century English aesthetic and moral standards, illustrated by a detailed comparison of "Sneewittchen" and "Snow-drop".
III. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, confirming that translator modifications are deeply rooted in the need to satisfy the intended readership's expectations and cultural norms, and suggests that translation is an inevitable process of loss and gain.
Keywords
Grimms’ Fairy Tales, Translation Studies, Cultural Frameworks, Edgar Taylor, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, Sneewittchen, Snow-drop, Target Audience, Adaptation, Literary Translation, 19th Century, Decorum, Cross-cultural, Folklore, Jack Zipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this paper?
The paper aims to analyze how cultural frameworks and intended readership influence the translation of the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales from German into English, specifically regarding content and narrative modifications.
Which specific fairy tale is analyzed as a case study?
The primary case study is "Sneewittchen" (Snow White) and its English counterparts, such as Edgar Taylor’s "Snow-drop".
What is the central argument regarding Edgar Taylor’s translation?
The paper argues that Taylor intentionally modified the stories to make them more palatable for the English middle-class, focusing on themes like "decorum" and reducing "disturbing" content to ensure commercial success.
How do the translation strategies differ between the authors mentioned?
Translators like Jack Zipes prioritize a literal translation to maintain the original spirit, whereas Edgar Taylor employs a freer approach, changing both language and content to suit his specific readership.
What role does the 19th-century context play in the translations?
The industrial revolution and the associated desire for a "pastoral" and "decorous" aesthetic in England directly influenced how German tales were edited, sanitized, and romanticized for English consumption.
What criteria define the key terminology in this work?
The paper identifies key concepts such as "intended readership," "linguistic transfer," "cultural framework," and "metafictional elements" as vital for understanding the translation process.
Why did Taylor change the title of "Sneewittchen" to "Snow-drop"?
Taylor likely renamed the tale to avoid confusion with other stories and to move away from the darker, more gruesome associations of the original German version, opting for a title that fits a more pastoral and "safe" narrative style.
Does the author consider the role of the magic mirror dialogue in translation?
Yes, the author highlights that the mirror's dialogue is a key area where translators often balance the original rhyme scheme with their own additions to make the text sound more natural and rhythmic in English.
How does the author evaluate the "loss" in translation?
The author concludes that all translation inherently involves a loss of the original cultural nuance, as the translator must navigate the tension between the original text and the target culture's expectations.
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- Julia Klaas (Autor:in), 2013, Lost (and Found) in Translation, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/492530
