Abstract

Why do we translate in English or in French contemporary Polish literature that would perpetuate the stereotyped image the foreign reader may entertain of the Pole? Based on the questions proposed by skopos and polysystem theories as well as the recent advances in perspectives on the ideology of translation, this translation studies thesis suggests a first step in analyzing the reception of contemporary Polish literature in translation in North America within the context of a world language market. Four Polish novels, written after 1989 by an author born and living in Poland and translated in English and in French have been scrutinized to determine if the translation of contemporary Polish literature regularly transmits a specific image that would give rise to a stereotype of the contemporary Pole. First, the study aims to suggest possible reasons why these novels were successful in Poland. What national policy do the authors and their works have to comply with in order meet the Polish critics' and reader's approval? Then, it is commonly accepted that literary quality, content representativeness and the historical importance of a work as well as its success in the original target culture are what partly determines what will be translated. These questions will allow us to consider a few of the reasons as to why these novels were selected for translation. Finally, it is interesting to assess and suggest an explanation with regard to the reception of the works. In broader terms, it is also significant to examine the impact these translations have had in the target cultures insofar as translation provides a significant representation of the source culture.