Translation and censorship

Patterns of Communication and Interference

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin & David Parris, editors

'A comprehensive study of a subject that is of concern to all involved with literature', Books Ireland (February 2009).

‘Translation and Censorship is divided into four sections – ‘Theory’, ‘Classical and Renaissance’, ‘Censoring Regimes’, and ‘Sensitivities’ – with the emphasis mostly on European languages and cultures … the collection is well organised; there is a good index, and the overall quality of the book’s production is high’, Robert Looby, Translation and Literature (2010).

‘One of the primary purposes of this collection is to draw attention to, and condemn, the pernicious effects of censorship in leading to the disfigurement of original texts … A second goal of this collection is to suggest reasons for the defacement of texts in translation, while a third – and perhaps the most important – objective is to empower translators to resist censorship through the adoption of a proactive, counter-hegemonic and self-reflective approach to their task … This collection not only sheds much light on censorship as it affects translators and readers, but, more generally, offers rich insights into the causes and effects of translation output generally … This book is a model of superb DTS (Descriptive Translation Studies) scholarship … The source texts and their translations span an impressive historical range, from Classical times up to the present … This is a pioneering and seminal collection of fascinating insights into the nature, and causes, of censorship … These essays offer a rich tapestry of empirical textual evidence and superb scholarly analysis, and deepen our insight into the pervasive menace of (especially) tacit, self-censorship', Kieran O’Driscoll, Translation Ireland (2010).