La literatura basca traduïda al català (1982-2020)

Abstract

The question that this thesis investigates deals with Basque literature translated into Catalan: the aim has been to thoroughly analyse the standard of the translations that have been carried out from Basque into Catalan. While analysing Basque literature translated into Catalan we wanted to examine relations between Basque and Catalan culture in the contemporary period, and make an updated diagnosis of the relational flows involved. Within the framework of relations between Basque and Catalan culture – which have seldom been examined in depth – we believe that translated literature is one of the most appropriate areas for the study of these connections. So to achieve this knowledge we studied the corpus of Basque works for adults translated into Catalan, and carefully examined the workings of the Basque and Catalan literary systems, especially in the area of translations. We have also analysed the historical reasons – both literary and cultural, as well as others of a more social, political or ideological type – that may help us to better understand the relational aspects between these two literatures. In the same way, we have taken into account the perception, social connotations and media projection of Basque literature in the Catalan language area. It should be underlined that we must take into account not only modifications of reality, but also changes in observers’ reference points. To this end, we analysed whether the most decisive transformations related to the external perception of Basque literature have taken place due to the lack of quantity and quality of literary production, which, without a doubt, would have contributed to that perception; or whether they have been caused by socio-political components, which may have worked against Basque literature and made it almost invisible. We have tried, in essence, to carry out a thorough and systematic analysis of the corpus of Basque works translated into Catalan, using various systemic and sociological approaches in our study of these translations; for instance, the Theory of Polysystems, put forward by Itamar Even-Zohar, and the Literary Camp notion, as proposed by Pierre Bourdieu. We have analysed the way in which this corpus has been integrated into the Catalan literary system in order to assess the image of Basque literature translated into Catalan, and whether this image responds to a series of stereotypes, of national clichés about the Basques, or if the image that emerges from the corpus is more faithful to the real situation of contemporary Basque literature.

Date of Award	4 Mar 2022
Original language	Catalan
Supervisor	Victor Martinez Gil (Co-director)