The non-verbal in drama translationSpanish classical theatre in English

Resum

The irruption of the term �culture� in the 1980s posed a revolution in Drama Translation Studies which led to a different approach to the analysis of the translation of theatre. Now the text was no longer seen merely as a linguistic text-type, but as an integral part of the target culture. Besides, special attention was devoted to the transposition of drama as an activity demanding specific strategies. These are not just of a linguistic nature, as the transference of plots and characters to a foreign stage are likely to be manipulated for various purposes other than linguistic. This paper is intended to provide some insight into the relevance of extralinguistic factors in the translation of dramatic texts. By taking English versions of seventeenth-century Spanish plays as a source for exemplification, we will see how rhythm, rhyme, body language, light, costume and setting may have a say in the transposition of drama. We will also consider other factors such as censorship, criticism or the translator's visibility and reputation. Additionally, some attention will be paid to the procedures of domestication and/or exotization intended to guarantee the acceptance of the resulting product in the recipient culture.