Author: Harper Lee
Title: To Kill a Mocking Bird
Chapters: 12 and 24
Chapter 12
Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him I consulted Atticus: "Reckon he's got a tapeworm?" Atticus said no, Jem was growing. I must be patient with him and disturb him as little as possible.
Jem tenía doce años. Era inconsciente, tornadizo; se hacía difícil vivir con él. Tenía un apetito espantoso, y me ordenó tantas veces que dejase de fastidiarle que consulté a Atticus.-¿:Calculas que tiene la solitaria? Atticus dijo que no, que Jem estaba creciendo. Debía tener paciencia con él y molestarle lo menos posible.
This change in Jem had come about in a matter of weeks. Mrs. Dubose was not cold in her grave—Jem had seemed grateful enough for my company when he went to read to her. Overnight, it seemed, Jem, had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me: several times he went so far as to tell me what to do. After one altercation when Jem hollered, "It's time you started bein' a girl and acting right!" I burst into tears and fled to Calpurnia.
Este cambio de Jem se había producido en cuestión de unas semanas. Mistress Dubose todavía no se había enfriado en su sepultura... y, sin embargo, Jem parecía haber agradecido ya lo suficiente mi compañía durante los días en que fue a leerle. De la noche a la mañana, al parecer, Jem había adquirido un juego extraño de valores y trataba de imponérmelos a mí: varias veces llegó al extremo de decirme lo que debía hacer. Después de un altercado, rugió:-¡Ya sería hora que empezases a ser una muchacha y a portarte debidamente! Yo estallé en lágrimas y corrí a buscar consuelo en Calpurnia.
Translation Techniques Used
Literal Translation:
"Jem was twelve." -> "Jem tenía doce años."
"Atticus said no, Jem was growing." -> "Atticus dijo que no, que Jem estaba creciendo."
Transposition:
"He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody." -> "Era inconsciente, tornadizo; se hacía difícil vivir con él."
Modulation:
"Overnight, it seemed, Jem, had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me" -> "De la noche a la mañana, al parecer, Jem había adquirido un juego extraño de valores y trataba de imponérmelos a mí."
Adaptation:
"Reckon he's got a tapeworm?" -> "¿
que tiene la solitaria?"
Expantion:
"Mrs. Dubose was not cold in her grave" -> "Mistress Dubose todavía no se había enfriado en su sepultura"
Chapter 24
Calpurnia wore her stiffest starched apron. She carried a tray of charlotte. She backed up to the swinging door and pressed gently. I admired the ease and grace with which she handled heavy loads of dainty things. So did Aunt Alexandra, I guess, because she had let Calpurnia serve today.
Translation Techniques Used
Literal Translation:
"Calpurnia wore her stiffest starched apron" becomes "Calpurnia llevaba su delantal más almidonado."
"I admired the ease and grace with which she handled heavy loads of dainty things" becomes "Yo admiré la soltura y la gracia con que llevaba pesadas cargas de cosas delicadas."
Transposition:
"She backed up to the swinging door and pressed gently" becomes "Se puso de espaldas a la puerta y empujó suavemente," where the order of actions is slightly modified.
Modulation:
"because she had let Calpurnia serve today" becomes "porque aquel día permitía que sirviese Calpurnia," which shifts the focus slightly to emphasize the permission given by Aunt Alexandra.
Adaptation:
"a tray of charlotte" is adapted to "una bandeja de mermelada de manzanas con tostadas" to make it more recognizable for the Spanish-speaking audience.
Reduction:
"They had spent two afternoons at the creek, they said they were going in naked and I couldn't come" is reduced to "Habían pasado dos tardes en el río, pero decían que se metían en el agua desnudos y yo no podía ir," omitting some repetitive elements.
Translation:
Bilingual Edition, English-Spanish, by Miguel Garci-Gomez. Dept. Romance Studies. Duke. University
people.duke.edu/~garci/cybertexts/LEE-HARPER/TRANSLATE/KILL-MOCKINGBIRD.HTM#24