Tintin and the Adventures of Translation: Les Bijoux de la Castafiore Emilie Gauthier A Thesis in The Department of French Studies Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Translation Studies) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada August 2018 © Emilie Gauthier, 2018 i CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Emilie Gauthier Entitled: Tintin and the Adventures of Translation: Les Bijoux de la Castafiore and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Translation Studies) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: _______________________________ Chair (Natalia Teplova) _______________________________ Examiner (Philippe Caignon) _______________________________ Examiner (Jean-Philippe Beaulieu) _______________________________ Supervisor (Judith Woodsworth) Approved by ________________________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director ___________ 2018 ___________________________________________ Dean of Faculty ii Tintin and the Adventures of Translation: Les Bijoux de la Castafiore Emilie Gauthier Abstract Although the fields of children’s literature and comics in translation studies have attracted attention in recent years, there has been less investigation of the translation of comics for children, specifically. The main aim of this dissertation is to demonstrate how the losses and gains of expressive language can be attributed to the complexity of transferring meaning for a young audience. In assessing specific translation challenges found in Les Bijoux de la Castafiore we can attempt to understand the translators’ decision-making processes and determine the different methods and strategies used when translating for children. We propose to examine how various forms of expressive language have been translated into English, and to identify the dilemmas posed by linguistic and cultural differences. Translation for children is frequently associated with a reader-oriented approach. Therefore, the applicability of functionalism as well as the theories of Riitta Oittinen and Göte Klingberg, prominent scholars in the translation of children’s literature, will be discussed. In this case study, we believe the translators adapted the album for a British target audience and cultural setting in order to guarantee positive reception. When viewed from an adult perspective, it becomes clear that there are many factors of the translation process and specific issues regarding children’s comics translation which must be taken into consideration. Consequently, no single strategy can be applied to all contexts, and translation challenges must instead be approached on a case-by- case basis. Résumé Bien que la littérature jeunesse et les bandes dessinées aient fait l’objet d’études en traductologie dans les dernières années, les bandes dessinées destinées aux enfants ont, quant à elles, reçu peu d’attention. L’objectif principal de ce mémoire est de montrer que les pertes et les gains du langage expressif peuvent être attribués à la complexité de l’exercice de traduction du sens pour un jeune public. En examinant les défis de traduction spécifiques de Les Bijoux de la Castafiore, nous pouvons tenter de cerner les processus de prise de décision des traducteurs et déterminer les différentes méthodes et stratégies utilisées lors de la traduction pour enfants. Nous proposons d’évaluer comment les diverses manifestations du langage expressif ont été traduites en anglais et d’identifier les dilemmes posés par les différences linguistiques et culturelles. La traduction pour les enfants est souvent liée à une approche orientée vers le lecteur. Ainsi, l’applicabilité du fonctionnalisme et les théories de Riitta Oittinen et Göte Klingberg, deux chercheurs en traduction de littérature jeunesse, seront étudiés dans le présent ouvrage. Dans cette étude de cas, nous pensons que les traducteurs ont adapté l’album à un public cible britannique et à un contexte culturel afin de garantir une réception positive. Du point de vue des adultes, il devient évident que de nombreux facteurs entrent en jeu dans le processus de traduction et que des défis spécifiques à la traduction de bandes dessinées pour enfants doivent être pris en compte. Par conséquent, il n’existe aucune stratégie qui puisse être appliquée à tous les contextes. Les défis de la traduction doivent plutôt être abordés au cas par cas. iii Acknowledgements Heartfelt thank you to my thesis supervisor, Judith Woodsworth, for her patience, optimism, and valuable ideas throughout this project and for always steering me in the right direction. Many thanks to Christine York and Deborah Folaron for their judicious readings of my thesis proposal and for their enlightening comments. I also wish to thank my professors and classmates at Concordia, as well as my friends (both translators and not), for their guidance and encouragement. Special thanks to Léa Imbeau for helping translate and edit the French abstract. Most special thanks to my family, Normand, Sylvie, Matthew, and Kevin, for their continuous support and encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. It has been invaluable. Thank you. iv Table of Contents Introduction: An Overview .......................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. Tintin: A Case Study ................................................................................................. 4 1.1. Georges Remi ....................................................................................................................... 4 1.2. Tintin .................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3. Les Bijoux de la Castafiore .................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2. Comics ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.1. Defining Comics ................................................................................................................ 10 2.2. The Franco-Belgian Bande Dessinée ................................................................................. 12 2.3. Components of Comics ...................................................................................................... 14 2.4. Types of Comics................................................................................................................. 21 Chapter 3. Children’s Literature .............................................................................................. 25 3.1. Defining Children’s Literature ........................................................................................... 25 3.2. Peripheral Position of Children’s Literature ...................................................................... 30 3.3. Childhood ........................................................................................................................... 31 3.4. Common Elements of Children’s Literature ...................................................................... 32 Chapter 4. Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................... 34 4.1. Foreignization or Domestication? ...................................................................................... 34 4.2. Functionalism and Skopos Theory ..................................................................................... 35 4.3. Translation Scholars on the Translation of Children’s Literature ...................................... 37 Chapter 5. Translating Comics for Children ........................................................................... 43 5.1. Translation Process ............................................................................................................ 44 5.2. Specific Issues in the Translation of Comics for Children................................................. 52 6. Comparative Analysis of Les Bijoux de la Castafiore .......................................................... 74 6.1. Names ................................................................................................................................. 75 6.2. Wordplay ............................................................................................................................ 77 6.3. Language Variations .......................................................................................................... 88 6.4. Allusions............................................................................................................................. 90 6.5. Neologisms ......................................................................................................................... 94 6.6. Idioms & Expressions ........................................................................................................ 95 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 97 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................