1.

Information about the novel

The author:
Jerome David Salinger was born in New
York City on January 1, 1919. He was the
youngest son of a rabbi, Sol Salinger and
Miriam. He was considered to be a quiet,
polite, somewhat solitary child.

In 1932,

when he was thirteen years old, his parents

enrolled him in McBurney School, a private
school near his home in Manhattan. As he did
not adjust well to the private school and struggled with grades, his parents sent him to
Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania. After graduating from Valley Forge in
1936, he returned to Manhattan to enroll in New York University but he dropped out at
the end of the year. Then, he spent a semester at Pennsylvania's Ursinus College and in
1939, he enrolled in a creative writing course at Columbia University. There, Salinger
met Professor Whit Burnett, who saw Salinger's talent as a writer and pushed him to
write. Burnett was also the editor of Story magazine. Salingers career had started to
take off, but like so many young American men, World War II interrupted his life.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Salinger was drafted into the army, serving from
1942-'44. Salinger did not escape the war without some trauma, and when it ended, he
was hospitalized after suffering a nervous breakdown. When Salinger returned to New
York in 1946, he quickly set about resuming his life as a writer and soon found his work
published in his favorite magazine, The New Yorker. Finally, in 1951, The Catcher in the
Rye was published. Salinger died of natural causes on January 27, 2010, at his home in
Cornish, New Hampshire.
In relation to the information I have gathered, it is important to know that there are
certain characteristics about the authors life that are clearly reflected in his work. For
example, most part of the novel takes place in New York City and Salingers dream to
be a drama writer or actor appears in the novel through the Hollywood writer D.B.

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Caulfield, Holdens brother. Both Holdens character and Salinger belong to the uppermiddle class and attend several private schools. Moreover, like Salinger, Holden is not
good academically but good at English writing. Another similarity worth mentioning is
the fact that both Salinger and Holden have had a mental breakdown.
As regards JD Salingers writing style, which is of great importance for the purpose
of translation, it can be appreciated that his style is highly regarded and should be
respected as much as possible during the process of translation. J.D. Salinger's writing
style is very open, he likes to let the reader know how the character feels and his or her
thoughts. Through the use of dialogue and the first narrative person, the reader
understands the relationships the characters have with each other as well as how these
characters interact with other people.

The text:
Although J.D. Salinger wrote many short stories, The Catcher in the Rye was his only
novel and most notable work. It was a best-seller that made him famous. The novel was
told from Holden Caulfields point-of-view and it showed the vocabulary of the mid-20thcentury teenager through the mouths of Holden and his peers. The protagonist's
adventures and concerns about "phony" people caught the young and old readers
attention. The language was imbued with cant words and slang. Salinger represented
himself through the eyes of Holden Caulfield, the main character of the story. Moreover, he
incorporated the humor, loneliness, depression, and awkwardness of a teenager facing the
reality of adulthood approaching. These topics also included the fakeness of the world and
the teen rebellion against the established norms in society. Holden didnt like the
phonies of this world and he constantly voiced his opinion about them.
Considering the information found as regards the text, it must be said that the
translator should pay attention to the overall style of the novel since, this is the only way,
he or she will appreciate the tone of the novel and the impact that the writer wants to
create on the reader. The author uses an identified dialect and his personal way of writing
is achieved through different literary devices such as the use of repetitions, colloquialisms,
intensifiers, interpolations and hyperboles, among others. Moreover, the first person
narrator technique, the informal register, the use of rhetorical figures (which helps to
project the voice of the narrator) as well as the oral discourse and expressions selected by

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the writer are all elements present in the story that work together to produce a
defamiliarizing effect on the audience. Another important characteristic is that Salinger
uses the stream of consciousness technique to present Holden as a mentally unstable
person, who is emotional and confused. It is of crucial importance that the translator finds
a way of reproducing the effect in the target culture.

The context of production:

World War II was over and men had come home. The atomic bomb, which many had
considered a blessing when it quickly ended the war with Japan, many people considered
the bomb as a curse. Culturally, the United States was both conservative and liberal but
leaning increasingly to the right. The economy had certainly improved since the 1930s.
The New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to pull the United States out of
the nightmare of the Great Depression had good results. Women had contributed
significantly to the war effort by filling jobs in industry as well as serving in the armed
forces. Some chose to continue with professional careers, an important step in the
emancipation of women in the twentieth century. Others chose to return to traditional
roles as housewives, opening more jobs for the returning men. In 1949, the Soviet Union
set off its first nuclear explosion and it was clear that the cold war could turn hot and
destroy civilization. American people were paralized with an intensive fear.
As regards the novel, The Catcher in the Rye took place mostly in Manhattan at the
crossroads of the 1940s and 1950s. New York City itself was a lighter, safer, less hostile
place for Holden than it had been for some subsequent generations. Central Park was a
gathering place for families. However, there was an undercurrent of fear, danger, and
decadence centered in New York City that Holden seemed both repelled by and attracted
to. Holden's family and the families of the boys with whom Holden attended school
appeared to have no financial concerns. Holden's family lived in an expensive apartment
in an affluent section of New York.
The context of production is particularly important for the purpose of translation
since it gives the translator an idea about the main events that have influenced the writer.
Which facts have affected the authors mind and consequently have inspired him to start
to write. For instance, the historical background in 1950s contributes to the shaping of a
disillusioned generation that feels isolated and devastated. Consequently, all these topics

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appear throughout the story. Holdens attitude towards life and his particular view of the
world clearly reflect the authors feelings and thoughts with respect to the issues
happening around him. Further, Holden's perspective is that of the upper-middle class
which indicates the writers socioeconomic background. Certainly, the process of
documentation plays a significant role in the translations process. It is the translators job
to identify the devices that are reflected in the original work and try to follow the
techniques used by the author to produce the same result in the target language.
Criticism and analysis of the novel:
The Catcher in the Rye provoked great controversy upon its release. The use of
slang and the discussion of adolescent sexuality in an open way made some readers feel
offended. Many critics argued that the book was not serious literature and they
complained about its casual and informal language. Moreover, the Church criticized the
"excessive use of amateur swearing and coarse language. As a result, the novel was
banned in some communities. On the other hand, the book attracted great critics and it
did well commercially. Through the years, it has become a very famous book and it has
had significant cultural influence since many works have been inspired by this novel. In
addition, it has been said that The Catcher in the Rye has brought about a new genre.
Sources:
http://bit.ly/1ezQqb3
http://bit.ly/1mNGEsI
http://bit.ly/1hCnlBH
http://bit.ly/KkDzkR
http://bit.ly/QRQBdl3
2. Work only with the first and last 5 chapters and provide more examples for
the classification above.
COLLOQUIALISMS:

and had to come out here and take it easy.

Your family buried for about five bucks.
What a racket.
Take my word.

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But they seemed to get along quite well.

But do you know what Im driving at?
But while I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy.
Anyway, it was..
I was the goddam manager
Very big deal
We sort of
You were supposed to commit suicide (hyperbole)
Old spencer
I mean..
Madman
Chuck ii on the bed
Drives me crazy
Boy, it.

Sayings:
Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the
mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.
Youll begin to know your true measurements and dress your mind accordingly.
Slang words:

Freezing my ass off

You wondered what the heck he was still living for.
That was the phoniest bastard
I cant stand that sonuvabitch
What he did, he carved his goddam stupid
I damn near dropped dead when he asked me.
I think I probably woke him and his wife up, because it took them a helluva long

time to answer the phone.

Somebodys written fuck you.
Allusions:

Hes in Hollywood
Mrs Spencerd bought off some Indian in Yellowstone Park.
I said, Because I had all that Beowulf and Lord Randal My Son
I had to get up and put it up and put it on top of the Atlantic Monthly.
I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park.
They gave me out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.

TRMINO

DEFINICIN
REGISTRO

FUENTE

EQUIVALENTE

DEFINICIN

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DOUGH

READING GUIDE N2

MONEY (slang)

http://bit.ly/1bmv

PLATA

DINERO

dDJ
I got the axe

To

chew

the

When a person

http://bit.ly/1bmv

lost

dDJ

the

(slang)
To
chat

job.
or

http://bit.ly/1bmv

rag

gossip

dDJ

helluva

(informal)
A hell of

http://bit.ly/MW2q

(slang)

gH

To kid around

Hacer

Charlar, parlar

lugar
conversar

mierda

enojo,

indignacin

gH

joder

To go stark or

(informal)
To
be
very

http://bit.ly/MW2q

Loco de remate

raving mad

crazy

gH

Hacer bromas

Para
intensificar las

(informal)

palabras tonto,

To

la

loco
Hablar mucho

Irse a acostar

http://bit.ly/MW2q

Darle

gH

lengua

http://bit.ly/MW2q

Meterse en la

(informal)

gH

cama

To shout loudly

http://bit.ly/1QxR

Pegar un grito

gritar

http://bit.ly/1QxR

Estar lleno de

Tener

2qW

plata

dinero

breeze

casually

To hit the sack

(informal)
Go
to

To holler

salir

alguien de un

someone

the

with

Me echaron

Bromear

shoot

joke

RIQUEZA

http://bit.ly/MW2q

To

To

chat

bed

2qW
To be loaded

Very
(informal)

rich

3. What are the following examples of?

1. To be a big deal: ser gran cosa
This is an example of B: Using an Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form

mucho

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The translator uses a similar idiom in the target language but the words deal and cosa
do not correspond to a literal translation of such words.
2. To have nerves of steel: Tener los nervios de acero
In this case, the example corresponds to A: using an Idiom of Similar Meaning and Form
The translator has found an exact expression in Spanish which has the same meaning in
both languages.
3. To get a big bang out of doing something: pasarlo bomba haciendo algo.
This is also an example of B: Using an Idiom of Similar Meaning but Dissimilar Form
Both expressions are not exactly the same, word for word. However, they share the same
meaning since the words bomba and big bang imply the idea of an explosion.
4. Look for parallel texts where you can find a similar voice (to Holdens) in a
first person narrative. Say why you have included them. Provide passages from those
texts you consider share some of the characteristics of Holdens voice: a smart teenager
from a high social class.
I have included this novel because the main character is a boy who narrates the story and
shares some of the characteristics of Holdens voice. Apparently, he belongs to a high
class and he uses an informal language with typical expressions of a teen boy.
Estoy en la arena, tumbado, raja, pegoteado por la humedad, sin fuerzas siquiera para
arrojarme al mar y flotar un rato hasta desaparecer. Estoy aburrido, lateado: hasta pensar
me agota. Desde hace una hora, mi nica distraccin ha sido sentir cmo los rayos del sol
me taladran los prpados, agujas de vud que alguna ex me introduce desde Hait o
Jamaica, de puro puta que es. Pienso: no deb dejar los anteojos de sol en el hotel. Seguro
me los va a robar alguno de los imbciles de mi curso;
Alberto Fuguet. Mala onda (1991). Editorial Grupo Planeta. Buenos Aires.
Source: http://bit.ly/1VXket8

5. Look for previous translations of the novel.

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Salinger, J.D. El cazador oculto. Trad. Manuel Mndez de Andes. Bs As: Compaa General
Fabril Editora, 1961.
Salinger, J.D. El guardin entre el centeno. Trad. Carmen Criado. Madrid: Alianza Editorial,
1978.
Salinger, J.D. El guardin entre el centeno. Trad. Carmen Criado. Madrid: Alianza Editorial,
2006

a. Check out the chart on this site and answer:

http://bit.ly/1ntiaVo
What does the chart show? Why has there been a revised edition of the
translation? How long had that translation been circulating?
The chart shows two translations of the novel. The first one has circulated from
1978 and the other one is a revision made in 2006. Both have been written by the Spanish
translator Carmen Crado. The fact that the translator is from Spain explains the
differences that exist between the first translation made in 1961 in Argentina and the one
made in 1978. Moreover, the revision created in 2006 proves that some lexical choices
and structures chosen by the translator were determined by the context of production
Salingers novel appeared in Spain after twenty-seven years from its publication.
The novel was translated by Carmen Crado.

At that particular moment, in 1978, the

country was undergoing a series of political and historical changes that transformed the
Francoist regime into a democratic state. Consequently, Spanish people were also
experiencing cultural and literary transformations. Even though the restoration of
democracy in Spain occurred after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, four years later
some books as well as certain literary texts were still banned and others started to
circulate as is the case of The Catcher in the Rye. Considering all these facts, it can be
said that the revision has been made with the purpose of improving the circulating version
and this improvement intends to reflect the writers style and the attitude of the narrator,
features that are lost in the first version.

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Compare the versions from the beginning up to dont even mention them to
me. Analyse the changes administered to the new revised version. Establish
readership and context of production.
As regards the new revised version, a number of changes can be detected. As it can
be seen, the tone of the new translation (2006) is more ironic and sarcastic than the old
one. In the 1978 version, there are some expressions that have been omitted or softened.
For example, the intensifier goddam is omitted in the first version whereas in the other
version is translated as <<maldita>>. As hell is also omitted and translated as: <<que
el demonio>>. The intensifier lousy is translated as: <<asquerosa>> which is a
stronger word than: <<rollo>>. It can be also observed that in the revised translation, the
register is more informal and colloquial than the previous one. The introduction of
expressions such as asquerosa, gilipolleces, maldita, <<hecho polvo>> and
<<demonio>> makes the language more informal and colloquial. In this way, the
translator reflects the typical language used by a teen boy living at a time and in a place
in which freedom of speech is allowed. Finally, there are repetitions in the original text that
have been only kept in the new version:

ORIGINAL TEXT

NEW VERSION

OLD VERSION

TOUCHY

SUSCEPTIBLES

ESPECIALES

SUSCEPTIBLES

QUISQUILLOSOS

In relation to the readership, the lexical choices belong to Spanish from Spain so
Latin-American readers do not experience the same effect intended by the author in the
original text.

For this reason, the context of production plays an important role in the

process of translation. Besides, language changes through the years and some words are
not used any more.
Focus on all the work. What strategies have been used for the translation of
idiomaticity?
In my opinion, the translator mainly uses the strategy of an idiom of similar meaning but
dissimilar form to translate the different idioms found in the whole text. For example, in
the following cases:

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Original text

1978

2006

As hell

Como el demonio

Como el demonio

It was cold as hell

Pero haca un fro de mil

Pero haca un fro de mil

demonios

demonios

Moreover, she sometimes uses the translation by omission strategy since there is no
equivalent in the target language (for example the expression too hot is not translated)
or in other cases the translator paraphrases the expression and in this way, the idiom is
lost in the target language. For example, with the expression got the axe, she translates
it as <<me expulsaron>>.

Segunda parte
Visitar el blog de Jorge Fondebrider (Club de traductores literarios de Buenos Aires) y leer
tres entradas en las que se comenta la traduccin de la obra de J.D. Salinger.

Los dos primeros autores critican la versin espaola realizada por Carmen Crado,
consideran que el lenguaje utilizado est exclusivamente dirigido al pblico espaol, en
otras palabras, creen que la versin es <<muy gallega>>. Por otro lado, afirman que la
traduccin El Cazador Oculto es <<una obra de arte>>. Adems, afirman que no era
necesaria otra traduccin porque Manuel Mndez de Andes haba logrado plasmar y
transmitir el espritu de la obra de Salinger y fue con esa traduccin que el escritor se hizo
famoso entre el pblico de habla castellana. A mi entender, creo que los traductores
argentinos se sintieron ofendidos porque por acusaciones sin fundamentos, el escritor
Salinger le otorg los derechos de la traduccin a la editorial espaola.
Con respecto al ttulo, los autores concuerdan en que ninguno de los traductores
respet el significado de la palabra catcher y que slo en la versin de Carmen del
Crado aparece la palabra centeno que es traduccin literal de rye. No obstante,

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prefieren el ttulo El Cazador Oculto ya que se asemeja ms a la idea de <<atrapar,

agarrar>>. Asimismo, proponen la idea de mantener el vocablo en ingls, pero luego
explican que existe la posibilidad de que el escritor no se refiriera a la expresin catcher
en relacin al deporte sino a la idea de atrapar mariposas en el centeno. En mi caso,
concuerdo con la idea de dejar el cazador porque comparte el significado de atrapar y
agarrar, as como tambin la idea de estar a la espera de evitar u obtener algo.
A mi parecer, Maria Iruzurmendi plantea que el nombre Elena Rius es un nombre
ficticio que utilizan las editoriales para tomar traducciones ya hechas, realizar algunos
cambios (si los hacen) y luego proponerlas como nuevas traducciones cuando slo seran
revisiones.
Para concluir, creo que es difcil la situacin del traductor literario latinoamericano
porque parece que siempre las editoriales espaolas acaparan el mercado y tienen ms
influencias para hacerlo. De esta manera, no solo se ve perjudicado el traductor sino
tambin el pblico quien al leer un texto plagado de expresiones espaolas no entiende el
significado y de esta manera el efecto que transmite el original se pierde en la lengua de
llegada.

Tercera parte. Traduccin

Visitar la pgina de la editorial "La bestia equiltera" y justificar por qu esta
editorial propondra una retraduccin de esta obra.
Luego de visitar la pgina y leer acerca de la editorial, llegu a la conclusin de que esta
editorial propondra una retraduccin de la novela porque en primer lugar se especializa
en la narrativa extranjera y en segundo lugar porque al ser una editorial independiente, su
inters se basa en la apreciacin de los texto literarios y no tanto en la comercializacin
de ellos. Los editores prefieren rescatar autores olvidados y realizar buenas traducciones
dirigidas a un pblico ms amplio. Como resultado, es importante que a la hora de traducir
se utilicen expresiones que puedan ser entendidas por cualquier lector de habla
castellana.
2. Traducir el segundo prrafo del captulo 15.

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Encargo: realizar una re traduccin de la obra The Catcher in the Rye al espaol
"rioplatense" (cuidando de no localizar demasiado la obra) para ser publicada por la
editorial argentina "La bestia equiltera". Traducir tambin el ttulo.
Versin final:
El Cazador en el Centeno
Llamar a Sally Hayes fue lo que hice. Iba al Mary A. Woodruff y saba que ya estaba en su
casa porque me haba mandado una carta haca varias semanas. Tan loco por ella no
estaba, pero haca aos que la conoca. Antes, como un idiota, pensaba que ella era muy
inteligente. Pensaba eso porque como saba mucho sobre teatro y obras y literatura y
todas esas cosas. Si alguien sabe mucho sobre esas cosas, tards mucho en darte cuenta
si es realmente estpido o no. En el caso de Sally, tard aos en darme cuenta. Yo creo
que me hubiese dado cuenta mucho antes si no hubiramos estado besuquendonos
tanto. Mi gran problema es que siempre pienso que las chicas con las que me besuqueo
son muy inteligentes. Cosas que no tienen nada que ver, pero sigo pensando as.
Informe:
Con respecto a la traduccin de este fragmento tuve problemas con el trmino que
ya habamos discutido en el foro y en la clase, la traduccin de old. Despus de leer las
versiones de las traducciones y realizar una investigacin sobre el tema, tom la decisin
de no traducirlo porque en este caso no encuentro un equivalente en espaol que pueda
transmitir la idea de old Sally, ya que sabemos que se trata de una manera irnica de
referirse a ella. En el proceso de documentacin encontr el siguiente trabajo que me fue
de mucha utilidad para tomar la decisin de omitir el trmino:
http://bit.ly/24TQ0ss

El siguiente problema fue con la palabra necked. Luego de buscar en el

diccionario monolinge y descubrir que significa besarse, acariciarse y abrazarse pero
que es una palabra muy informal, decid traducirla como <<transar o chapar>>. No
obstante, despus de volver a leer el encargo de traduccin y recordar que la editorial
est interesada en llegar a un pblico ms general, decid traducirla como <<besarse y
acariciarse>> porque refleja la idea de los dos significados, pero sin localizar tanto.

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http://bit.ly/1Xdw7Ky
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/
http://bit.ly/1j4vqiX
http://bit.ly/1Si8Xyn