Miten 1800-luvun tietokirjojen suomentamisprosessia voi tutkia?

Authors

• Kaarina Pitkänen-Heikkilä Helsingin yliopisto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.129731

Keywords:

tietokirjallisuus, tietokirjallisuuden kääntäminen, suomennosprosessi, kääntäminen, 1800-luvun käännökset

Abstract

This article deals with research methods used in the study of 19th century translation processes of non-fiction in the natural sciences. Translation conventions can be examined by comparing source and target texts or the various editions of the translated books. However, there may also be other material that provides more concrete information on the translation process, e.g. manuscripts, publishers’ minutes, forewords, translator’s correspondence and diaries, and book reviews. Such material may be available in archives, libraries and newspapers but is often very difficult to find. Some editions may be so small that there are no extant copies. Manuscripts have often been destroyed by the printing houses. Correspondence is scattered in various archives and is often poorly indexed.

In this paper, I discuss three cases that I have approached recently and show several challenges I have met in exploring them. Some of the questions I will address in this article are as follows: How to study translation processes? Where can the material be found? What can we find out about the 19th century context? Who is the translator? Did the translator work alone? To what extent did others influence the translation? What is the background of book reviews?