Korean folktales: perspectives for a collaborative translation in Brazil

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to present an account of the process of collaborative translation of a collection of Korean folktales by the “Hallyu - Korean Studies” (CNPq/USP) research group. Besides showing the path for the creation and establishment of the embryo-group, formed by researchers connected to USP’s Korean Language and Literature course, we intend to advance the discussion on two aspects of translation that reside in the heart of fictional written compositions with an extreme oral character: onomatopoeias and idiomatic expressions. Moved by a critical thought, still in development, on translating this Korean popular genre into Portuguese, we question and exemplify the choices made both by those who translate individually and the possibilities for amplification, revision and retranslation of terms, phrases and constructions when translating collaboratively, primarily focused in translation practice at this first stage. What we present is just a partial result of what we are preparing as translators in collective formation, towards a work of poetic construction as plural as the members of our group, which will serve as stepping stone for future theoretical reflexions.