Translating contemporary literature: theoretical background and translation proposal of "This Immaculate Body" by Emma van Straaten

The goal of this project is to provide some theoretical background on translation theory necessary for the execution of a translation. It will provide insight into some of the main theories of the 20th and 21st centuries, dealing with the concepts of equivalence, domestication, and foreignization, direct and free translation, and translation techniques. It will open a discussion about the role and the visibility of the translator, on the translator’s agency and on representation, as well as on the challenges of literary translation. It will underline some of the difficulties that can surface during the translation of a contemporary novel, such as language differences and culturally specific items. The result of the research on translation theory has the aim to provide the tools to execute a translation of a contemporary work of fiction. A translation proposal will be carried out in the light of the translation strategies and techniques previously identified. The theoretical background will be necessary to justify the decisions made during the translation of the text. A translation analysis will highlight the challenges encountered during the translation and will expand on the decision-making process of the translation.