AJL19022 Literary Translation of Short Stories

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Filip Krajník, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Filip Krajník, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
AJL19000 Introduction to Translation || AJ19000 Introduction to Translation
AJ19000 Introduction to Translation
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 15 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/15, only registered: 0/15, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/15
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Students will acquire fundamentals of skills relevant to literary translation through their own involvement in translation of selected short stories from different English-speaking cultures. At the end of the course, students will be able to cope with a relatively wide range of phenomena literary translators have to face and demonstrate a functional understanding of factors coming into play. They will have acquired practical skills and theoretical insights in a range of general topics typical of translation of fiction such as the relation between translation and interpretation; cohesion and coherence in translation; translation and style; informal speech stylization; authorial idiolect; translation of humour; translation and cultural conventions; allusions and intertextuality; language play and translatability. The course will nevertheless gravitate towards practical translatorial work; students will therefore also have increased the degree of automatization of relevant skills. The course is conducted in Czech and all the translations will be submitted in the Czech language. This course is not suitable for foreign (ERASMUS etc.) students.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to cope with a wide range of phenomena literary translators have to face and demonstrate a functional understanding of factors coming into play. They will have acquired practical skills and theoretical insights in a range of general topics typical of translation of fiction such as the relation between translation and interpretation; cohesion and coherence in translation; translation and style; informal speech stylization; authorial idiolect; translation of humour; translation and cultural conventions; allusions and intertextuality; language play and translatability. The course will nevertheless gravitate towards practical translatorial work; students will therefore also have increased the degree of automatization of relevant skills. Students will be able to apply these skills in more advanced translation courses and in their critical reflection of literary texts.
Syllabus
  • W1 Short story as a literary genre and its translation; levels of translators work;
  • W2 Fredric Brown: "Experiment";
  • W3 Philip K. Dick: "The Eyes Have It";
  • W4 Alice Walker: "Everyday Use";
  • W5 Joel Chandler Harris: "The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story";
  • W6 Reading Week;
  • W7 Saki: "The Stalled Ox";
  • W8 Edgar Allan Poe: "The Fall of the House of Usher";
  • W9 Laura Dockrill: Darcy Burdock;
  • W10 Philip K. Dick: "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale";
  • W11 Ernest Hemingway: "Big Two-Hearted River";
  • W12 Roald Dahl: "Someone Like You".
Literature
    required literature
  • LEVÝ, Jiří. Umění překladu. Vyd. 3., upr. a rozš. Praha: Ivo Železný, 1998, 386 s. ISBN 802373539X. info
  • NEWMARK, Peter. A textbook of translation. New York: Prentice Hall, 1988, 292 s. ISBN 0-13-912593-0. info
    recommended literature
  • KUFNEROVÁ, Zlata. Čtení o překládání. 1. vyd. Jinočany: H & H, 2009, 127 s. ISBN 9788073190880. info
Teaching methods
Seminars: Students prepare in advance by reading, analyzing and translating assigned texts. A major part of each teaching unit is taken up by discussion of translation problems occurring in the assigned passages, both in the specific context and on a more general level. Students practice argumentation for and against particular translation solutions. The teacher offers feedback, both written and oral, leaving some space for students own consideration.
Assessment methods
The evaluation will include: final versions of students' translations submitted during the semester; class contribution and translation quality improvement; exam - independent translation of an assigned short story.
Attendance at classes is compulsory! The maximum number of allowed absences is two (2).
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AJL19022