ABSTRACT
Afrikaans authors play an important role in the translation of their work – either as co-translators (assisting a translator) or as self-translators. The question is whether self-translators, as authors of the source text, remain loyal to their original texts and produce foreignised (closer) translations, or whether they allow themselves freedom in the translation process and therefore produce domesticated (free) translations. In this chapter, the phenomenon of self-translation is examined within the context of translation tradition in South Africa, with a particular focus on the self-translation by SJ Naudé of his short story “Los” (translated as “Loose”). Toury’s three-phased methodology for descriptive translation studies (DTS) is employed to “Los” and “Loose” to ascertain whether Naudé’s translation is an example of foreignization (close translation) or domestication (free translation). Toury’s translation norms are then utilised to identify patterns in Naudé’s translation process, and conclusions drawn about the phenomenon of self-translation.
