The Slovak Stories of Timrava and their English Translation

Abstract

Božena Slančíková Timrava (1867-1951) is an eminent Slovak writer. Her highly regarded realistic novels dealt with the rise of the modern Slovak nation. The intricate historical circumstances of the early 20th century, and the eventual emergence of the Slovak nation within complex European culture, made Timrava’s effort even more important. Due to the multicultural nature of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Timrava’s work is also meaningful in our trans-national and trans-cultural Global village. Timrava and other Slovak literary women were virtually unknown outside Slovakia until the extensive work done by Professor Norma L. Rudinsky (1928-2012), whose translation of six “Slovak stories by Timrava” was published in1992. However to truly understand and appreciate the importance of Timrava’s work, the English-speaking reader needed cultural and historical context. Rudinsky’s life-long effort culminated in the publication of “Incipient Feminists: Women Writers in theSlovak National Revival,” which was meant as a preamble to the works of Timrava for the English-speaking world. This paper introduces the life and work of Timrava within the intricate historical context of Slovak nation-building. It further outlines the importance of Rudinsky’s work and describes some interesting aspects of her translation. Attempting to present a practical cultural and historical approach to translation, the paper stresses the significance of so called ‘cultural grids’ and identifies the key elements, the ‘historical grids’, as well as author’s and translator’s biography, all within the wider context of the translator’s historical and sociological ‘matrix’ which ultimately determines the success of any translation of realistic historical literature.