Translating Children's Literature

Norms of Translating Children’s Literature

• Translators of children's literature are allowed greater flexibility than those of adult literature.

• Text can be manipulated (changed, enlarged, abridged, deleted, or added to) to suit child audiences.

• Adherence to two key principles:

  • Appropriateness for the child based on societal educational standards.

  • Adjustment to the child's reading comprehension level.

Dominant Principles in Translation

• Historically, children’s literature was seen as educational (first principle).

• Current preference leans towards adjusting text complexity for comprehension (second principle).

• These principles influence textual selection and manipulation methods.

Text’s Integrality

• A complete, unabridged text norm exists in adult literature, while in children's literature, manipulation is common.

• Freedom to adapt texts applies even to canonized literature for kids, acknowledging they may struggle with lengthy texts.

Criteria for Text Adjustment

• Decisions on omissions are informed by:

  • Accepted morals in children’s literature.

  • Assumed comprehension level of children.

• Adjustments often involve shortening and simplification of the text.

Complexity of Text

• The need for brevity and simplicity affects text integrity.

• Example: Elements deemed too sophisticated (like satire) are often deleted in translations of works like "Alice in Wonderland."