Ein Text für jedes Feld? – Die manipulierte Übersetzung von Mizumura Minaes Shishōsetsu from left to right ins Englische

Abstract

In her novel Shishōsetsu from left to right, Mizumura Minae writes about the experiences of growing up as a Japanese immigrant in the United States. The form of the narrative is very innovative, but as far as the material is concerned, a simple scheme can be recog­nized, according to which the United States is largely represented negatively. On the other hand, Japan is represented positively. Since the story was originally written for a Japanese audience, chauvinistic tendencies can be noted. In the English translation, however, pas­sages in the text which could be used to demonstrate chauvinism have been diminished. The present translation is problematic as it has adapted the original to the expectations of the American public, e.g. by seeking to evade the criticism of postmodern literary crit­icism. In my article I will first introduce the translation itself and secondly the reasons for making changes.