Cirrus@Austlit

'This article is based on a translation of Young Dark Emu: A Truer History (YDE) into Italian – L’Oscuro Emù per Ragazzi: una storia più vera (L’OEPR) and a theoretical exegesis, which were part of the first author’s Master of Translation Studies dissertation, completed at The University of Western Australia in 2023 under the supervision of the second author. Bruce Pascoe’s YDE is the version of Dark Emu (DE) for young people aged 7 to12 years in which he advocates for a reconsideration of the label given to pre-colonial Indigenous Australians. Both books won several prizes and contributed to rethinking Indigenous life in Australia and changing Australian identity. Indigenous Australian literature’s well-defined political identity always demands ethical awareness in translation. In the case of YDE the original’s culture-sensitive counter-memory and the fact that the book is written for children contribute to making it a particularly challenging book to translate into another language. Translating YDE for Italian children, became an exploration of strategies and choices in relation to the ethical positioning of the authors of this article. Source-oriented translation strategies suit this type of text especially when dealing with culture-specific elements and the title. A priori standards were met by navigating a theoretical framework interwoven to assist the process. An action research design guided action and reflection, leaning broadly but not exclusively on contributions to Translation Studies of Reiss, Toury, Eco, Venuti and Osimo. This article discusses choices, rationale behind solutions, insights, consistency with ideology and ethical positioning.'

Source: Abstract.

'The translatability of metaphors is one of the most complex and debated issues in translanguaging studies and can be approached from a variety of perspectives. This contribution focuses specifically on the interlingual dimension, exploring the translatability of figurative language and, in particular, metaphors. Developing as a reflection on the practical experience of translating a number of Australian authors into Italian, the paper examines the ways in which three First Nations writers (Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Ali Cobby Eckermann, and Evelyn Araluen) employ metaphors, by comparing their verses in English with some possible Italian translations.'

Source: Abstract.

'This is a Translation & Commentary on translating into French Tony Birch's The White Girl. Since Tony Birch was trained as a boxer by his father, the metaphor of boxing seems apt here to caracterise his style, and the task of the translator. Andrew Cherterman's Truthfulness ethical principle frames the need to do justice to the novel's main topic, the plight of Aboriginal peoples confronted to hardship and violence throughout the whole history of Australia-in-the-making. Aware of the proclivity of French translations to rationalise and expand, two of Antoine Berman's twelve deforming tendancies, and buoyed by private communication with Tony Birch, the translator's roadmap is ultimately: “translate as necessary”.'

Source: Abstract.

'This is a Translation into Chinese of Blackfella Whitefella, a rock song written by Neil James Murray (1956-) & George Djilaynga (also known as George Rrurrambu, 1957-2007), recorded by their Aboriginal rock group Warumpi Band, and released in 1985 as part of their album Big Name, No Blankets.'

Source: Abstract.