Anna Merikallio

Sukupuolen käännöksiä

Introduction

Sukupuolen käännöksiä. Tutki, kuinka Ursula K. Le Guinin tieteiskirjallisuuden suomenkieliset käännökset laimentavat ei-normatiivista sukupuolen esitystä analysoimalla pronominien käännösstrategioita.

Abstract

This paper examines three science fiction texts by Ursula K. Le Guin and their translations from English into Finnish. It concentrates on how the translation strategies of the 3rd person singular pronouns and surrounding gendered expressions that (re)produce nonnormative gender in the source texts affect gender representation in the target texts. Two parallel corpora, one in English and the other in Finnish, are analysed with corpus methods. The resulting statistics support the translation analysis of each text. The paper shows how the nonnormative gender representation in the source texts becomes diluted in the target texts because of domesticating translation strategies.

Review

This paper, "Sukupuolen käännöksiä," presents a timely and highly relevant investigation into the intricate challenges of translating nonnormative gender representations in literature. By focusing on three seminal science fiction texts by Ursula K. Le Guin, the study meticulously examines the translation strategies employed when rendering 3rd person singular pronouns and associated gendered expressions from English into Finnish. The core contribution lies in its demonstration of how subtle yet significant translational choices, particularly domesticating strategies, can inadvertently dilute the complex gender dynamics originally embedded in the source texts, thus impacting their reception and preservation in the target culture. The methodology employed is particularly robust, leveraging the power of parallel corpora in both English and Finnish, combined with rigorous corpus-based methods and statistical analysis. This quantitative approach lends strong empirical support to the qualitative analysis of specific textual instances, allowing the authors to precisely track the shifts in gender representation. The choice of Le Guin's works is highly appropriate, given her pioneering explorations of gender and social structures, making her texts fertile ground for such an inquiry. The paper effectively illustrates how what appears as "domesticating" translation strategies, aimed at naturalizing the text for the target audience, inadvertently diminishes the deliberately nonnormative gender portrayals present in the original works. The findings of this research carry significant implications not only for translation studies, particularly concerning literary translation and the ethics of preserving authorial intent, but also for gender studies and the broader understanding of how cultural norms influence textual reception. The observed dilution of nonnormative gender representation in Finnish translations underscores a critical challenge in cross-cultural communication of complex social themes. This paper serves as an excellent reminder of the translator's powerful role in shaping discourse and offers valuable insights for future translators, editors, and publishers working with texts that push conventional boundaries, advocating for more conscious and potentially foreignizing strategies to maintain the integrity of the source text's gender politics.

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