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Abstract:

The paper focuses how approaches to translation evolved in the late Middle Ages. The author uses the example of 13–14 cc. English, French and Italian translations of S. Boethius’ “The Consolation of Philosophy” to show how the idea of adaptation gradually changes as the translators become more and more keen on rendering the source text’s meaning (or, if possible, both its meaning and form) more accurately. After confronting a number of translations of “The consolation of philosophy” the author proposes a pragmatic criterion for the typology of medieval translations. Medieval translated texts can be placed inside a continuum in which one pole is the translator’s focus on following the original text as closely as possible, and the other pole is focusing on adapting the text for a given target group, with its needs and expectations. Further development of translation techniques and approaches took into account the experience of Late Medieval translators: it has become necessary both to follow the original text closely and to adapt the language and style of translation to the expectations of modern audience.