Judging a translation by its cover. (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mossop, Brian
• Is Part Of: Translator. Volume 24:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 16
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Book covers -- intersemiotic -- back-translation -- typography -- erotica; Translating and interpreting -- Periodicals; Intercultural communication -- Periodicals; Traduction -- Périodiques; Communication interculturelle -- Périodiques; Intercultural communication; Translating and interpreting; Periodicals; 418.02
• DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2017.1287545
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-0409

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Are book covers 'intersemiotic translations' of the texts they introduce, or are they better seen as marketing devices or freestanding art objects? And if the cover of a book does reflect the text, will the cover of a faithful interlingual translation do so also, or will it conflict with the translation? The first part of the article examines the covers of a few editions of two French autobiographies and their English translations. The pictorial and verbal elements on the covers of the French source texts appear to be consistent with each other and with the main text, whereas the covers of the English translations both contradict the main text and show inconsistencies between wordings on a single cover and between wordings and imagery. The second part of the article applies five criteria for deciding whether the covers should be seen as intersemiotic translations.