Literary translation and its worlds by Tadeusz Sławek – an attempt at analysis and evaluation

Abstract

This article focuses on the concept of artistic translation from the point of view presented in the book entitled Na okrężnych drogach. Tłumaczenie literackie i jego światy by Tadeusz Sławek. The author of the book on the example of more than 80 essays presents the state-of-the-art of literary translation from many perspectives. Drawing on the works and achievements of authors not only from Poland but also from other countries, he synthesises cultural voices, and stresses the important role of the translation process in today’s world. This stance is especially interesting because of its innovativeness an unusual approach to the problem. The style of the author and the way he presents the problem in the context of publicly available views and opinions is the reason not only for its originality, but also leads to shedding some light on the broadly understood problem of translation in general. The short essay form allows the reader to focus on each issue and the author’s thoughts, thus giving a moment of reflection. The final part of this article focuses on an attempt to assess the discussed stance and present its values and factors, which in the course of research by outstanding translation scholars can result in the readers’ changed perception of translation, viewed not only as a process, but also as a component of constructing a certain social and political order, as well as being an indispensable element of building a global society. The views discussed in the article are worth special attention and are recommended to all persons interested in the art of broadly understood translation.