Abstract
This chapter aims to discuss the problems of translating contemporary teenage fiction, with a particular emphasis on the issue of taboo in translation, on the example of a popular genre of a teenage satirical diary. It analyses the Polish translation (done by myself) of Joanna Nadin’s widely acclaimed The Rachel Riley Diaries series. The chapter focusses on the selected translation problems such as the novel’s dual audience, intertextuality, wide-ranging cultural references as well as translation of taboo reflected in the use of slang, colloquial expressions and swear words. The latter, in the context of practical translation problems, have brought to light numerous significant issues relating to the socially and culturally shaped convention and reception of Polish teenage fiction and have disclosed some telling aspects of the Polish publishing market politics.
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Notes
- 1.
Akapit Press has made the connection with Sue Townsend’s novel even more clear and obvious. The Polish title of its first of The Rachel Riley Diaries series (My So-Called Life) is Dziennik Rachel lat 13 i ¾ (The Diary of Rachel, Aged 13 and ¾) which is a direct paraphrase of Townsend’s bestselling novel’s title (Adrian Mole lat 13 i ¾. Sekretny dziennik). This is clearly the publisher’s marketing strategy aimed at attracting the Polish readers of Townsend, in this case especially parents of teenage readers. It is also worth observing that the titles of the subsequent parts of The Rachel Riley Diaries published by Akapit Press also directly refer to the titles of Polish translations of Adrian Mole’s Diaries. These are respectively: Dziennik Rachel. Męki dorastania (corresponding to Adrian Mole. Męki dorastania, translated by Barbara Kopeć-Umiastowska, published in 2004 by W.A.B) and Dziennik Rachel. Szczere wyznania (corresponding to Adrian Mole. Szczere wyznania, translated by Barbara Kopeć-Umiastowska, published in 2005 by W.A.B.).
- 2.
Tony Blair appears in the novel and during the Labour Party election campaign visits Rachel’s school.
- 3.
Joanna Fabicka’s series of novels about Rudolf Gąbczak (Szalone życie Rudolfa published in 2004 by W.A.B) is a rare example. Fabicka’s novels undoubtedly also intertextually inspired by Townsend’s fiction, are described in reviews as “set in the convention of a diary and [for Polish readers] considerably more amusing than Adrian Mole’s Diary as they cope with the Polish reality and address some of the contemporary teenage problems. What happens to Rudolf and his crazy family can only happen in Poland. Instead of gossip about the Royal family or Labour Party election campaign reports, these novels give an account of our country’s major current political and social events (Polish nurses going on strike) and portray Polish leading political figures (Andrzej Lepper or Lew Rywin)” (https://esensja.pl/ksiazka/recenzje/tekst.html?id=2183).
- 4.
An interesting analysis of Musierowicz’s fiction conservatism, especially in the context of its hostility towards feminism, can be found in Eliza Szybowicz’s and Tomasz Piątek’s articles published respectively in Książki. Magazyn do czytania and Krytyka polityczna.
- 5.
This problem is examined among others by Piotr Sobolczyk in his article “Przekroczyć społeczną barierę deprawacji nieletniego. Bohater homoseksualny w powieści dla dzieci i młodzieży” in Wyczytać świat – międzykulturowość w literaturze dla dzieci i młodzieży, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katowice 2014.
- 6.
As illustrated by selected fragments from Fabicka’s novel: “Still I had a lot of problems: Pęcherz; how to convince the world that I am a genius actor; nightfall; dreams about the third testicle; lack of money, lack of money, lack of money” (Fabicka 9); “What is more, I still have not decided on my sexuality. So far no girl has fallen in love with me” (11); “Bad times are over. […] We are going to Dominica! Hurrah! Palms, mosquitoes and AIDS!” (177) (translated by Joanna Dyła-Urbańska).
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Nadin, Joanna. 2012. These books will save your life. https://joannanadin.com/2012/02/13/these-books-will-save-your-life. Accessed 15 July 2018.
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Piątek, Tomasz. 2013. Mcduszno. krytykapolityczna.pl. http://krytykapolityczna.pl/archiwum/felietony-archiwalne/tomasz-piatek/mcduszno/. Accessed 12 May 2017.
Sobolczyk, Piotr. 2014. Przekroczyć społeczną barierę “deprawacji nieletniego”. Bohater homoseksualny w powieści dla dzieci i młodzieży. In Wyczytać świat – międzykulturowość w literaturze dla dzieci i młodzieży, ed. Bernadeta Niesporek-Szamburska and Małgorzata Wójcik-Dudek, 105–123. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.
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Szybowicz, Eliza. 2013. Musierowicz jest w złym humorze. Książki. Magazyn do czytania 10: 45–49.
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Dyła-Urbańska, J. (2020). Taboo in the Polish Translation of Joanna Nadin’s The Rachel Riley Diaries. In: Dybiec-Gajer, J., Oittinen, R., Kodura, M. (eds) Negotiating Translation and Transcreation of Children's Literature. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2433-2_12
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