Translator and translation. A few non-scientific remarks on the figure and work of a literary translator

Abstract

The authors of this article translate 21 plays by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz into German in years 2006-2012. In the essay “Translator and translation. A few non-scientific remarks on the figure and work of a literary translator” their personal experiences and thoughts are described as well as adventures connected with the work of a translator of belle-lettres. The starting point being the personal situation of the translator, his/her goals and personality, through the problem of joined transaltion work, the authors on specific examples discuss the issue of translating aptronyms in Witkacy’s theatre. Moreover, the authors confront the reader with the problem of certain sequences of the original as being impossible to translate and at the same time they indicate the limits of translation. Having done this they do not reveal all the secrets of their joined work but they invite to read the plays translated by them, which have been published in four volumes in two languages.