'CAPTURING THE SPIRIT': REVIEWING LITERARY TRANSLATION

Penny Johnson

Abstract

In this paper I examine the claims that reviews of translated literature are characterised by certain tendencies such as: no acknowledgement of the fact of translation; focus on content rather than style; comparison of the text and/or source text author with known writers and/or works; limited terminology; lack of explicit criteria; preference for readability; and negative criticism. In addition I set out to test the hypothesis that, far from being inadequate (as several critics claim), the work of reviewers may be considered appropriate or even commendable, when taking into consideration the context in which reviews are written - such as the medium, the type of critic, and the information at their disposal - and also the role of translation reviewers in crosscultural transmission. For that purpose, I use as a case study the reviews of the translations into English of Pablo Nemda's Cantogeneral.