A presentation discussing the way Cormac McCarthy\'s translator translated nicknames

1. Saundra Swain

2.  Translator did not translate the
majority of the nicknames
 Used footnotes to explain
nicknames when possible

3.  States that footnotes destroy the illusion
that most readers have that they are actually
seeing the events instead of reading about
them
 Footnotes jerk the reader back to reality by
disrupting the flow of the reading by forcing
readers to look to the bottom of the page for
an explanation

4.  Interpolation: adding a parenthetical word
or phrase of explanation
 Omission: omitting any sort of explanation
 It is my opinion that the translator chose the
best option, as interpolation would be just
as disturbing, if not confusing and omission
would leave the reader with no explanation
whatsoever of this English name
interrupting their reading.

5.  Nicknames should be left in the original language
unless they are descriptive and can be translated
without “doing too much mischief to the tone of the
story.” (14)
 By not translating nicknames, we keep a small part of
the original language and culture, since names and
nicknames usually carry some degree of culture
 I believe that if there is even one nickname that cannot
be translated, then none should be translated to
maintain consistency.

6.  Nicknames are minor details in translation - they
make up only a small percentage of texts but they are
are a major challenge for translators because they are
found in all literatures of the world
 Not translating nicknames would only do harm if the
nickname had any importance to the story or carried a
meaning that is important to the story

7.  names which do not appear to be significant and are
not changed by translators or tradition,
 names which the tradition has translated entirely or
partly,
 names which, absurdly enough, are treated differently
although similar,
 names translated in the tradition of one or several
languages but not in others,

8.  names which have been adapted by translators
hundreds of years ago when mythological, biblical
texts, like those of legends and fairy-tales were
translated,
 names whose translation is indispensable because they
are labels of ethical or other notions (therefore
semioticized to the utmost),
 names whose translation is not required by necessities
of humour and occasionally by some pun in the
narrower context

9.  Treat it the same as you would any other
special aspect, such as puns and play with
synonyms as mentioned above.
 Find any hidden meanings and translate
accordingly.
 Discriminate between nicknames with a
meaning/connotation and those without

10.  The few nicknames that were translated should not
have been translated in order to maintain consistency.
 There are many nicknames that the translator did not
provide a footnote for, which could have easily been
translated or explained:
 Bungalow => Búngalo or chalé
 Daddy => Papá
 Doll => Muñeca
 Jellyroll Kid => Muchacho de Brazo de Gitano
 Dubyedee => W.D.

11.  Bantas, Andrei. "Names, Nicknames, and Titles in
Translation." Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 2
(1994): 79-87.
 Bantas, Andrey. "Proper and Geographical Names,
Bynames, and Other Challenge to Translators." Rassegna
Italiana Di Linguistica Applicata 25 (1993): 41-52.
 Landers, Clifford E. Literary Translation: a Practical Guide.
Buffalo: Multilingual Matters LTD, 2001.
 McCarthy, Cormac. Suttree. New York: Vintage
International, 1979.
 McCarthy, Cormac. Suttree. Trans. Pedro Fontana.
Barcelona: Mondadori, 2004.
 Rabassa, Gregory. If This Be Treason: Translation and Its
Dyscontents. New York: New Directions Books, 2005.