Abstracts
Abstract
Translations are shaped by publishing strategies developed by publishers and literary agents among others. However, little research has been carried out on the activities of literary agents within a particular language culture. This paper aims to describe contemporary Japanese publishing strategies in certain book categories by focusing on the role played by the literary agent. Polysystem theory and Toury’s methodology reveal that translation usually occupies a peripheral position in contemporary Japanese culture. Information drawn from an interview with a literary agent indicates that publishers exercise a great deal of influence: from initiating a translation project to micro‑managing textual details. The results of this research, reflected in both paratextual and textual features, suggest that the peripheral position of translation in Japan largely determines how translated books are produced.
Keywords:
- publishing strategies,
- literary agents,
- book production,
- practical books,
- Japanese
Résumé
Les traductions sont soumises aux stratégies éditoriales mises au point par des acteurs tels que les éditeurs et les agents littéraires. Cependant, bien peu de recherches ont été menées sur les activités des agents littéraires au sein d’une certaine culture linguistique. Cet article vise à décrire les stratégies éditoriales japonaises contemporaines pour certaines catégories de livres et se concentre sur le rôle joué par les agents littéraires. La théorie des polysystèmes et la méthodologie de Toury permettent de montrer que la traduction occupe généralement une place périphérique dans la culture japonaise contemporaine. Les informations obtenues suite à une entrevue avec un agent littéraire indiquent que les éditeurs jouent un rôle prépondérant dans la publication des traductions, depuis l’initiation d’un projet de traduction jusqu’à la microgestion des détails du texte. Les résultats de cette recherche, révélés par des éléments textuels et paratextuels, suggèrent que la position périphérique occupée par la traduction détermine largement la manière dont les livres traduits sont produits.
Mots-clés :
- stratégies éditoriales,
- agents littéraires,
- production de livres,
- manuels,
- Japon
Appendices
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10.7202/006973ar