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Literary Translation in Communist Bulgaria (1944–89)

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Translation Under Communism

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Abstract

This chapter explores the characteristics of literary translation in communist Bulgaria through the prism of translations from Russian and French. The historical frame spans from the coup d’état of 9 September 1944, when the government of the Fatherland Front came to power and ended the country’s alliance with the Axis powers, and 10 November 1989, when the Communist regime in Bulgaria collapsed. The chapter discusses the core of the translation canon: it explores which foreign texts and authors were selected or banned from publishing and what the criteria of selection were and the mechanisms of control on translations. The study focuses on Russian and French literatures, as they had a major influence on the formation of Bulgarian literature and on the theory of translation in Bulgaria. The analysis is organized into three main themes: (1) cultural contacts and transmitted images of Russian and French cultures; (2) the normative organization of the translation process; (3) the role of the translator in shaping the boundaries of the canon. The study discusses the changing nature and gradual opening of the translation process in communist Bulgaria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bristol, UK

    Krasimira Ivleva

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  1. Krasimira Ivleva
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bologna, Forlì, Italy

    Christopher Rundle

  2. Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia

    Anne Lange

  3. Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia

    Daniele Monticelli

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Ivleva, K. (2022). Literary Translation in Communist Bulgaria (1944–89). In: Rundle, C., Lange, A., Monticelli, D. (eds) Translation Under Communism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79664-8_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79664-8_12

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-79663-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-79664-8

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