SELF-TRANSLATION AND TRANSLATION: FINA CASALDERREY

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the exportation of Fina Casalderrey as a referent in Galician Children's and Young People's Literature with a strong international renown. This author, one of the most translated in Galician literature, had a fundamental paper in Galician normalization process, restarted in 80s, after the end of Franco’s dictatorship. That time, Galician, as the natural language of Galicia, was proclaimed co-official language (Linguistic Normalization Law, 1983) and went back to schools. At this context, education community needed a literary corpus for children and young people that could be ridden at Galician-language subject. This was the first step to create a literary system with competent and interested readers, a structure able to recuperate the written uses of Galician language.

In order to study the contribution of Fina Casalderrey to this system, we have selected three of her books: two representing self-translation (Dúas bágoas por máquina and Fiz, o coleccionista de medos) and one representing translation (A pomba e o degolado). Casalderrey not only wrote and translated her own books but she exported her titles as a way of spread Galician-language literature. Also, this author takes part of the non-professional translation community, which has an important relevance at 20th century in Galicia. Moreover, we cannot forget the weak importation-exportation system regarding Galician-language literary corpus.

From the analysis of the original books and their translations, focused on the selection of self-translation or translation, we show the conclusions related to the relevance of the translation methods as a process and as a final product presented in different cultural areas. In this study, we always consider the sociolinguistic context determined by the existence of a hegemonic language (Spanish) setting the limits of the minorized language (Galician). That situation not only leaves a mark on translation process, but affects edition policies.