Article published In:
TargetVol. 11:2 (1999) ► pp.245–262
Mock-Epic as a Byproduct of the Norm of Elevated Language
Beginning in the late nineteenth century, Hebrew underwent a process of revival. Despite the growing stratification of the language, literary translations into Hebrew were governed by a norm which dictated the use of an elevated style rooted in ancient Hebrew texts. This norm persisted at least until the 1960s. Motivated by the Hebrew tradition of employing the elevated style to produce the mock-epic, translators created mock-epic works independently of the source texts. This article describes the creation of the mock-epic in canonized and non canonized adult and children's literature, focusing on the Hebrew versions of Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews, Damon Runyon's Guys and Dolls, Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise and A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner.
Article outline
- Introduction
- Mock-Epic
- Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews
- Damon Runyon's Guys and Dolls
- Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise
- A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
-
References
References
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Fielding, Henry
1975 (1742). Joseph Andrews, in: Joseph Andrews and Shamela, with an introduction by A.R. Humphreys. London and New York: Dent and Dutton, Everyman's Library. Hebrew version: Esther Caspi. Tel Aviv: Am Oved, Sifriya La-Am 1965.
Milne, Alan Alexander
1992 (1926). Winnie-The-Pooh. New York: Puffin Books. Hebrew versionVera Israelit and A.D. Shapira. Tel Aviv: Makhbarto Le-Sifrut 1970 (1943)
1946 (1928). The House at Pooh Corner. London: Methuen. Hebrew version: Aharon Amir. Tel Aviv: Makhbarot Le-Sifrut 1970 (1951).
O'Donnell, Peter
1966 (1965). Modesty Blaise. London: Pan. Hebrew version: Arie Hashavia. Tel Aviv: Schocken, “Shin Shin Shin” series 1966.
Runyon, Damon
1960 (1931). Guys and Dolls. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin.Hebrew Version: Eliezer Carmi. Tel Aviv: Dekel, n.d. [Three volumes including stories from Guys and Dolls and other collections.]
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Cited by
Cited by 2 other publications
Asscher, Omri
2010. A model for Hebrew translation of British humor. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies 22:2 ► pp. 237 ff. 
Tabbert, Reinbert
2002. Approaches to the translation of children’s literature. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies 14:2 ► pp. 303 ff.
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