A Translator’s Presence and Interpretations: The use of paratexts in J.C. Poestion’s German translation of Piltur og stúlka by Jón Thoroddsen

Abstract

In recent decades, a discourse on the invisibility of the translator has emerged in translation studies, and this invisibility has been criticized. It is interesting, therefore, to examine historical examples of translations where the translator is highly visible and present. This is true of the translations of Josef C. Poestion from Icelandic into German. The Austrian translator made use of a vast range of paratexts, such as dedications, prefaces, footnotes, endnotes etc., to provide commentary and information. He may be said to have engaged in constant conversation with his readers. This article examines these paratexts, which reveal the translator’s attitude toward the source text and its author, as well as toward the Icelandic nation. The paper questions and analyses his interpretation of the task of the translator and his objective in translating Icelandic texts into German. It will also demonstrate that the translator assumed a certain inequality between cultural spheres, placing German-language culture in the center and Icelandic culture on the periphery, with an attendant imbalance of power.