Bogusława Sochańska
Konteksty Kultury, Volume 20 Issue 3, 2023, pp. 338-348
https://doi.org/10.4467/23531991KK.23.027.18830Bogusława Sochańska
Przekładaniec, Issue 22-23 – Baśń w przekładzie, 2009, pp. 97-129
Bogusława Sochańska
Przekładaniec, Issue 22-23/2009-2010 – Translating Fairy Tales, Issues in English, pp. 77-116
https://doi.org/10.4467/16891864ePC.13.004.0858A positive answer to the above question seems obvious after a critical analysis of the reception of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales and stories in Poland in the second part of the 19th century and in the first part of the 20th century. On the one hand, over a hundred years ago the writer was classified as an author of children’s literature due to intended or unintended misinterpretations of his prose. This classification was then inherited by next generations of readers and translators. On the other hand, numerous translatory mistakes depleted Andersen’s unique style. The analysis shows how Andersen’s narration was changed to traditional literary style, especially when it came to dialogues; how humour and irony were overlooked, misunderstood or judged improper for children; how translators miscomprehended Danish grammar and vocabulary; and how little attention was paid to the coherence of the text. The analysis compares the complete edition of 167 fairy tales and stories translated from Danish (Sochańska 2006) and the complete editon of 155 fairy tales and stories translated from German (Beylin and Iwaszkiewicz 1956), which has enjoyed a canonical status. The comparison not only indicates the difficulties in translating Andersen; it also demonstrates how his prose could be restored to its original shape and how it could again address both young and adult readers.