Les Malheurs de James, ou, l'humour victime du "Traductueur"

Starting from the rare and not very pleasant experience of having his translation of a short-story by the American humorist James Thurber (1894-1961) bought by a publisher and later discovering that another translation was published by the same firm, the author of this article proposes to examine these translations and to see whether there is any reason for opposing commercial translation to academic translation. Though there should be none, this case shows that publishers of texts aimed at young readers do not pay enough attention to the translations they publish and, where humour is concerned, that the commercial translator too often neuters or kills what makes the original text subtly humorous. Though the study of the published translation is voluntarily polemical (it is however abundantly illustrated with examples from the texts, closely analysed and discussed), it is only pleading for more respect for the text one pays homage to by translating it and also for the readers of the translation, who should be offered as humorous and subtle a text as the original.