Translation and transcultural memory in La voz dormida

Abstract

This article examines the role of translation in mediating memory and makes the case for translation and memory based on the transcultural framework by Erll and that of translation in mediating memory by Deane-Cox. This work specifically problematises the transmission of the experiences of trauma and violence against Republican women after the Spanish Civil War as represented in La voz dormida by Dulce Chacón and its translation, The Sleeping Voice. We explore synergies among the aforementioned disciplines and the possibilities and challenges involved in translation in the realm of postmemory, claiming the importance of the ethical position of the writer as well as that of the translator as guardians of memory. Our exploration focuses on the Spanish Civil War and dictatorship and aims to contribute to the emerging scholarship in translation and memory studies.

A critical review of research on translation and memory

“…First, the most studied is memories of the Spanish Civil War and Franco Dictatorship in translation and reception (Bush 2013;Castillo Villanueva and Pintado Gutiérrez 2021;Jünke 2021;Kietrys 2019;Marco 2021;Vieira 2019). Kietrys (2019), for example, investigates the Spanish novel El tiempo entre costuras in screen adaptation for the younger generation in Spain and its US Netflix subtitled version in English.…”