Literal Translation, or Free Translation? The Techniques and Methods in German-Czech Translations at the Time of the Renaissance and the Reformation
Abstract
This paper is a contribution to the field of translation studies focusing on translation history. It deals with the techniques and methods used in German-Czech translations at the time of the Renaissance and the Reformation.
The main subject of the paper is an original analysis of three selected German texts from the 16th and early 17th century (Ein kurztweilig Lesen von Dill Ulenspiegel; Historia von Doktor Johann Fausten; Martin Luther, Eine Heerpredigt wider den Türcken) and their first translations into Czech. The aim of the analysis is to revise and advance the current understanding of translations of the period and to provide an overview of the main problems connected with investigation of old prints.
The results based on the analysis show that the translation techniques and methods used in the time of the Renaissance and the Reformation were very diverse and often mutually contradictory, there was usually no consistent translation strategy used by the translators and probably also no universal translation norm.