The translation of a picturebook in a university context: analysis of the French-Spanish translations of Yakouba by Thierry Dedieu

Abstract

Translating a picturebook can be a complex task because of the characteristics of this type of literary work. Issues such as the relationship between text and illustration, double page, orality, target audience, among others, are some of the challenges involved in the translation of an album. For this reason, the translator in charge of this type of translation must have the knowledge and skills required to produce a version that is adapted to the target language and culture. One way to prepare and train this professional is through a translation project that reproduces a real literary translation situation, and more particularly through the translation of picturebooks. In this article, we will study the problems encountered by a group of translation students, as well as the different approaches they adopt when translating an illustrated album from French into Spanish of a picturebook entitled Yakouba by the author-illustrator Thierry Dedieu. First, we will present the theoretical framework in relation to the main topic of our study. Subsequently, and given that this is a translation exercise in an university context, we will specify the conditions under which this activity took place and the objectives pursued with the realization of this project. Then, we will describe the main characteristics of the work to be translated and finally, we will observe the different levels at which translation difficulties may arise and the solutions proposed by the students in each case. All this will allow us to identify the most common behaviour of these translators in training and the techniques they usually apply when translating a picturebook.