OLIVER GOLDSMITH’S TEXTS ABOUT CLASSIC HISTORY TRANSLATED FOR YOUNG SPANISH SPEAKERS

Abstract

In the early nineteenth century, instructional literature for schoolchildren was beginning to occupy a significant place in the publishing market. The number of boys and girls receiving an education was increasing and this reading public had to be properly satisfied. Among the disciplines that were considered appropriate for them was history, which was in turn one of the fields of study that aroused most interest among the intellectuals of the time. In this context, several Spanish translations of two classic history texts by Oliver Goldsmith were published: Dr Goldsmith's Roman History, Abridged by Himself for the Use of Schools (1772) y Dr Goldsmith’s History of Greece, Abridged for the Use of Schools (1787). Gerónimo de la Escosura translated and adapted both texts: the first one, Compendio de la historia de Grecia, precedido de un breve resumen de la historia antigua, con una carta geográfica de la Grecia y Asia Menor was published in 1807 (Madrid, Benito García) for the instruction of cadets in Military Academies, and given the success obtained by this work, years later he published the Compendio de la historia de Roma (Madrid, Repullés, 1834). Also linked to the field of military training, another translation, Compendio de la historia romana (Alcalá, Amigo, 1820-1821), was carried out by Lino de Pombo O’Donnell. Finally, two more translations, without the trans-lator’s name, entitled Compendio de la historia griega, escrita en inglés por el Doctor Goldsmith. Traducido libremente al español y Compendio de la historia romana, escrita en inglés por el Doctor Goldsmtih. Traducido libremente al español, were published by Rosa, a printing house located in Paris, in 1822. Using the theo-retical framework of transfer studies in translation, this article analyses the process followed by Goldsmith's texts on classic history since they were published in England until their arrival into the hands of young Spanish-speaking readers, both from Spain and from various recently emancipated American countries, where some French booksellers like Rosa dealt the increasingly number of books for school children.