Abstract
The doctoral thesis investigates the position and roles of literary translators in the process of translation vis-à-vis literary and non-literary history. It focuses on book translations from Scandinavian languages into Czech in 1890-1950.
The key assumption is that although the basic role of the translator remains constant, the actual scope of translator’s activity is strongly historically and regionally determined. The fundamental research question is the following: How did the position of the translator and his or her roles in the translation process evolve over time and why did they evolve the way they did? The general approach adopted throughout the thesis is a heuristic one.
Firstly, the thesis analyses written communication between the various agents in the translation process. Subsequently, the actions and motives of these agents are explained in a broader historical context.
Chapter 1 defines the main research questions, methodology and key terms. Chapter 2 provides and overview of the preparatory period (until 1890) in which translation activity was still largely unsystematic.
Chapter 3 focuses on the pre-WWI period. Taking into account the sociocultural development of the time, it explores the activities of the most preeminent translator of the period and inquires into his position in a number of publishing houses.
In addition it considers relevant issues of international copyright. Chapter 4 studies the professionalization of the publishing business after the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
It analyses the turns translator’s position with the advent of normative linguistics and more, including the overall impact of the Great Depression. It looks into the role of translators and translations in the (cultural) diplomacy of the period.
Chapter 5 examines the impact of ideology and cultural politics on the translation process and the respective positions of all agents involved in 1945-1950.