El factor histórico en la valoración y crítica de traducciones: un ejemplo en dos traducciones inglesas del Lazarillo de Tormes.

Abstract

This article aims to demos trate the relevance of the historical factor in the assessment of the quality of a translated text. To illustrate this aspect, two English translations of the same Spanish novel, Lazarillo de Tormes, are analysed. These two translations were published in different centuries. One of the translations was translated in the sixteenth century by David Rowland, whereas the other was translated in the twentieth century by Michael Alpert. The discussion of the main characteristics of these translations will prove that each of them seems adequate only according to the historical moment in which it was written. lt does not seem possible to evaluate them following the same clues or theoretical ideas about translation. Thus, we have come to the conclusion that the historical parameter should be the first aspect to be considered in the assessment of translations. Nevertheless, a farther analysis of other general and specific parameters will be required to achieve a complete view of the quality of each translated text.