2004
Volume 31, Issue 2024
  • ISSN: 1381-0065
  • E-ISSN: 2772-7726

Abstract

Abstract

In February 2023, a controversy emerged over proposed changes to Roald Dahl’s children’s books by the publisher Puffin. The modifications aimed to make the books more inclusive and sensitive to modern readers. Changes included altering character descriptions to avoid potentially offensive terms, adding contextual information to clarify statements, and using gender-neutral language in place of gender-specific terms. The news sparked debates in both the British and Dutch media, with some defending the updates as necessary for contemporary readers while others decried them as censorship and cultural vandalism. As this essay will show, the controversy particularly highlights the ongoing academic discussion surrounding adaptations of children’s literature. While the Roald Dahl controversy has stirred strong emotions in the public sphere, it will be shown how it is, from a translation studies perspective, part of a broader pattern in the process of republishing children’s literature, where adaptations serve various audiences and address evolving societal values. As such, the essay underlines the complex and dynamic nature of children’s literature and the publishing industry today.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.5117/JNB2024.008.VERS
2024-09-01
2024-11-24
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/13810065/31/2024/JNB2024.008.VERS.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.5117/JNB2024.008.VERS&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Dahl, Roald, The Witches (Londen: Penguin, 2007)
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Lindgren, Astrid, Pippi Langkous in Taka-Tuka-land (Amsterdam: Ploegsma, 1979)
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Flood, A., ‘Old school, new pupils: Modernising Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers’, Guardian, 7juni2019
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Jordan, Justine, ‘Class of 2019: Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers gets the modern reboot’, Guardian, 5juli2021
    [Google Scholar]
  5. ‘Kinderboeken Roald Dahl aangepast om ‘beledigende’ taal’, RTL Nieuws, 19februari2023 <https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/buitenland/artikel/5366805/roald-dahl-boeken-aangepast-taalgebruik-dik-lelijk-kaal> [geraadpleegd op 15januari2024]
    [Google Scholar]
  6. McDowell, Edwin, ‘The Media Business. Publishing’s Backbone: Older Books’, New York Times, 26maart1990, sectie D, p. 12
    [Google Scholar]
  7. ‘Opinie: Bewerking van Roald Dahls werk is onderdeel van slappe tijdgeest’, NRC, 20februari2023, Opinie
    [Google Scholar]
  8. ‘Opinie: Wanneer gaan we de Bijbel aanpakken?’, Volkskrant, 21februari2023, Opinie
    [Google Scholar]
  9. ‘Puffin Announces The Roald Dahl Classic Collection to keep author’s classic texts in print’, Penguin Books, 24februari2023 <https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/company-article/puffin-announces-the-roald-dahl-classic-collection-to-keep-authors-classic-texts-in-print> [geraadpleegd op 15januari2024]
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Svanberg, Nina, ’”Negerkung” borta i nya Pippi-böcker’, Svenska Dagbladet, 14februari2015
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Vernon, Hayden, ‘Roald Dahl books rewritten to remove language deemed offensive’, Guardian, 18februari2023
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Alvstad, Cecilia, ‘Children’s literature’, in The Routledge Handbook of Literary Translation, red. KellyWashbourne en BenVan Wyke (Londen: Routledge, 2018), pp. 166-170
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Baker, Mona en GabrielaSaldanha, ‘Introduction’, in Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (Londen: Routledge, 2019), pp. xvii-xx
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Brems, Elke, ‘Canonization’, in Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, red. MonaBaker en GabrielaSaldanha (London: Routledge, 2020), pp. 52-56
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Chesterman, Andrew, ‘Vertaalstrategieën: een classificatie’, in Denken over vertalen. Tekstboek vertaalwetenschap, red. T.Naaijkens en anderen (Nijmegen: Vantilt, 2004), pp. 243-262
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Coats, Karen, DeborahStevenson en VivianYenika-Agbaw, A Companion to Children’s Literature (London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2022)
    [Google Scholar]
  17. De Smidt, Isabelle, ‘Retranslation Revisited’, Meta, 54 (2009), 669-683
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Even-Zohar, Itamar, ‘Polysystem Theory’, Poetics Today, 1.1/2 (1979), 287-310
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Gambier, Yves, ’La retraduction, retour et détour’, Meta, 39 (1994), 413-147
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Ghesquière, Rita, Jeugdliteratuur in perspectief (Den Haag: Acco, 2009)
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Gillett, Philip, Reading Enid Blyton (Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020)
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Herrnstein-Smith, Barbara, ‘Contingencies of Value’, Critical Inquiry, 10 (1983), 1-35
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Holmes, James S., ‘The Name and Nature of Translation Studies’, in Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and Translation Studies, red. JamesHolmes (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1972/1988), pp. 67-80
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Jensen, Lotte, ‘Pippi Langkous en het zwarte jongetje Sambo. Discriminatie in de literatuur’, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor de Mensenrechten. NJCM-Bulletin, 42 (2018), 452-458
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Johnsen, Åse, ‘Oversettelse som “stupid mord”: tekstfunksjon og oversettelsesmetoder: en sammenligning av den engelske og den spanske oversettelsen av Sofies verden’, Tribune: skriftserie fra Romansk institutt, Universitetet i Bergen, 11 (2000), 43-61
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Klingsberg, Göte, Children’s Fiction in the Hands of the Translators (Malmö: Liber/Gleerup, 1986)
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Koskinen, Kaisa en OutiPalopski, ‘Retranslations in the Age of Digital Reproduction’, Cadernos de Tradução, 1-11 (2003), 19-38
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Massardier-Kenney, Françoise, ‘Toward a rethinking of retranslation’, Translation Review, 92 (2015), 73-85
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Oittinen, Riitta, Translating for Children (New York: Garland, 2000)
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Pearson, Lucy, Children’s Literature (Harlow: Pearson Longman, 2011)
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Rudd, David, Enid Blyton and the Mystery of Children’s Literature (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000)
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Thomson-Wohlgemuth, Gaby, Translation Under State Control (New York: Routledge, 2011)
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Toury, Gideon, ‘The Notion of “Assumed Translation” – An Invitation to a New Discussion’, in Letterlijkheid, Woordelijkheid / Literality, Verbality, red. H.Bloemen, E.Hertog en W.Segers (Antwerp/Harmelen: Fantom, 1995), pp. 135-147
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Venuti, Lawrence, Translation Changes Everything (Londen: Routledge, 2013)
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.5117/JNB2024.008.VERS
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error