FROM THE CASTLE OF FEAR TO THE THREE FAT MEN: YURI OLESHA’S FAIRY TALE IN ITALIAN

Abstract

In the 20th century, Russia played an important role in the field of translated children’s literature, although, compared to other foreign children’s literature, the popularity it enjoyed — particularly in the second half of the 20th century — was always less significant. Nevertheless, some works of fiction have managed to find their place on the book market and have been translated into Italian several times. This article takes into account the success of the book The Three Fat Men by Yuri Olesha in Italy, which was published and adapted several times during the second half of the 20th century. The analysis highlights the strategies and approach of each translator (Carullo, Leone, Coïsson) within the framework of the methodology of analysis adopted in the field of translation studies: Carullo offers a more free translation, which corresponds to the translation tradition of that period, when the search for an accurate translation was not a priority of the publishing market. Leone’s translation sets out to find a compromise for the dual addressee (child and adult), in contrast to Coïsson, who turns exclusively to the adult reader. Much attention is paid to text and paratext, the role of illustrations and other constituents of the book as a cultural product. The linguistic and textual analyses allow us to draw some conclusions about the dominants in the translation strategy of a particular translator.

Keywords: “The Three Fat Men”, Yuri Olesha, translated children’s literature, translation universals, cultural transfer