Paratext in retranslation: Mapping the history of Slovak illustrations for A Christmas Carol

Abstract

Charles Dickens’ small volume titled A Christmas Carol published in December 1843 almost instantly became a seasonal classic, and in the following 181 years has been adapted and reimagined countless times for readers across the globe. Its popularity ensured not only a wealth of translations, but led to multiple retranslations as the seasonal classic required a fresh update for modern audiences. These retranslations renew not only the text of the Carol itself, but likewise provide a new paratext surrounding each edition; in the case of the Carol, these frequently involve images, mirroring the visually rich original volume with its iconic illustrations. This paper tests the retranslation hypothesis, originally suggested by Goethe and later developed by translation studies scholars, and its applicability to the paratextual features of a translation. The hypothesis posits that each new retranslation brings the target text closer to the source text, and this paper explores whether the illustrations associated with a retranslated text – such as the ten different Slovak versions of A Christmas Carol – likewise increasingly bring the visual aspects closer to the book’s original form.