번역과 시 살아있는 참새 또는 박제된 독수리? = Poetry in Translation: Live Sparrow or Stuffed Eagle?

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Edward Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a prime example of non-literal poetic translation and Fitzgerald justified his way of translating by saying that a translated poem “must live.” He was not an exception, all the celebrated English translations of classical European literature of the past were made with considerable freedom, not following “faithfully” the originals. Today translations are being made of contemporary poetry from all over the world, but we need always to recall that there is no author in a literary text. Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Task of the Translator” is a vibrant affirmation of the autonomous life possessed by a literary work, continuing as its “on-going life” (not “afterlife”) over centuries. The dead poets of literary history need to be presented to students in the company of today’s living world writers.
Creative writing courses are not the best way of encouraging new generations of writers, but potential writers should be reading fine works that live from past and present. If Korean writers (and readers) of all generations are to be in touch with World Literature today, they need living translations, which should be produced by the most qualified scholars, who should be able to include translation in their professional record. The greatest problem today in Korea is the lack of any vivid awareness of the writers of the outside world, and perhaps even a lack of interest, which is sad.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 Lawrence Venuti, "The Translator’s Invisibility" Routledge 1-, 2004

2 Edward Fitzgerald, "Letters of Edward Fitzgerald Vol. 2" Princeton UP 1980

3 Wyatt Mason, "Letter of Recommendation: Christopher Logue, ‘War Music’" 26-, 2015

4 Walter Benjamin, "Gesammelte Schriften" Suhrkamp 1985

5 Caroline Disler, "Benjamin’s ‘Afterlife’: A Productive (?) Mistranlation" Universite Laval 2012