Translating Popular Fiction ― Embracing Otherness in Japanese Translations

Translating from English to Japanese poses particular challenges for the translator, arising from the significant linguistic and cultural differences between the two languages. This book explores the various options and techniques available to and used by translators when translating from English to Japanese. The work is rich in both the theory and practice of translation and contains numerous examples from popular texts, ranging from classics to detective novels to science fiction. Drawing on these case studies, the author concludes that the translation of popular fiction has evolved in recent decades and developed as a new text type with its own textual and thematic characteristics. First among these is the preservation of cultural otherness and its representation in a way that is enriching to readers and translators alike.

Kayoko Nohara is Professor of Translation Studies and Science Communication at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. She holds a DPhil in Translation Studies from Queen’s College, University of Oxford. She was previously a Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Junior Lecturer at the University of Oxford, Assistant Professor at Gakushuin University and International Researcher at the Catholic University of Leuven. Her publications, in Japanese, include Translation Studies in Discussions (2014) and, as co-author, Introduction to Science and Technology Communication (2009).