Found in Translation: Greek Drama in English

Description

In considering the practice and theory of translating Classical Greek plays into English from a theatrical perspective, Found in Translation, first published in 2006, also addresses the wider issues of transferring any piece of theatre from a source into a target language. The history of translating classical tragedy and comedy, here fully investigated, demonstrates how through the ages translators have, wittingly or unwittingly, appropriated Greek plays and made them reflect socio-political concerns of their own era. Chapters are devoted to topics including verse and prose, mask and non-verbal language, stage directions and subtext and translating the comic. Among the plays discussed as 'case studies' are Aeschylus' Agamemnon, Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus and Euripides' Medea and Alcestis. The book concludes with a consideration of the boundaries between 'translation' and 'adaptation', followed by an appendix of every translation of Greek tragedy and comedy into English from the 1550s to the present day.

J. Michael Walton is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Drama at Hull University.

'[Walton] moves effortlessly over a vast and complex field. The book is direct and engaging in its approach and is a thoroughly 'good read' which will appeal widely outside classical and theatre studies, especially to theatre- goers and historians ...' The Classical Review 'Walton's approach is to bring gales of fresh air into the more abstruse areas of these debates.' Arion Journal 'His book is packed with useful, accurate, and sometimes surprising information, including an extraordinarily conscientious appendix listing ... the book is full of fine details, good anecdotes, and telling quotations.' Translation and Literature '[Walton] is almost uniquely qualified to produce a definitive work on the practice and theory of translating Greek plays into English. ... [Walton] moves effortlessly over a vast and complex field. The book is direct and engaging in its approach and is a thoroughly 'good read' which will appeal widely outside classical and theatre studies, especially to theatre-goers and historians.' The Classical Review 'This well-known scholar and translator, J. Michael Walton, has produced an engaging, comprehensive, and rewarding journey through the quagmire of English translations of ancient Greek drama. ... wonderfully illuminated in Walton's treatment. ... inclusions of a comprehensive list of all Greek plays in English translation, an index of translators, and an extensive bibliography make Found in Translation an invaluable resource as well as fascinating and entertaining reading.' Text and Presentation