Rissmann, Jeannette (2013) Dialect, drama and translation : a socio-cultural investigation into the factors influencing the choice of strategies in German-speaking Europe. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the translation of dialect in drama in German-speaking Europe,
exploring the complex influences on the choice of strategies by practitioners. Utilising
paradigms of Descriptive Translation Studies, polysystem theory and norms theory, it
investigates how the target culture influences dialect translation practice.
The study offers, for the first time, a systematic overview of the functions of dialect in
drama, and the translation strategies available, identifying the influences on dialect
translation practice in northern Germany, German-speaking Switzerland and Scotland.
Based on these, three research areas are explored, focussing on northern Germany,
German-speaking Switzerland and Luxembourg:
- the sociolinguistic situation and the emergence of oral standard;
- the use of dialect in German-language drama as a stylistic device in particular
genres and, especially, for socio-political functions;
- how the translation process illuminates the norms for drama and dialect translation
and their connection with both sociolinguistic factors and norms of German drama
production.
Three case studies exemplify the findings, illustrating the complexity of targetculture-
related factors that had an impact on translating three British plays into
standard and into Swiss German, Low German and Luxembourgish: Stephen
Greenhorn’s Passing Places, John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western
World and Ray Cooney’s Run for Your Wife.
This study offers a unique insight into drama and dialect translation in Germanspeaking
Europe. It demonstrates that the introduction of an oral standard mitigates
against dialect use in German original drama and translations; that changing
relationships between German-speaking countries, nationalist movements and efforts
to raise the status of a dialect encourage its use in drama; and that genres like comedy,
murder mystery, farce, but also Naturalist, Realist and folk plays are more likely to
use, and be translated into, dialect. It suggests similar projects for other countries, and
will be of relevance to theatre and translation practitioners.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	English drama -- Translations into German, Drama -- Translating -- Europe, German-speaking, Translating and interpreting, German language -- Dialects, Sociolinguistics
Official Date:	January 2013
Dates:	Date Event January 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of German Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Long, Lynne; Allan, Seán; Marinetti, Cristina; Jestrovic, Silvija, 1970-; Holdsworth, Nadine
Extent:	[6], 293 leaves.
Language:	eng

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