Journal of Italian Translation - Brooklyn College - Academic Home ...

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Journal of Italian Translation
Later, as the family patriarch describes approaching
Mennulara’s room after having been humiliated by her in front of
both his wife and his mistress, McEwen makes another wise decision
to not translate lines from Aida as they drift from under her
door, even though they are interwoven with the text and lend meaning
to the scene: “Feeling a powerful desire to enter, I went to her door,
but I didn’t have the courage. I was afraid she would send me away. I was
the sinner. Radames. ‘Io son disonorato’” (273, italics original). Instead
of translating these lyrics, as well as others in the same narrative,
McEwen relies on the assumption that the reader will be familiar
with the opera and know that Radames inadvertently betrayed
his country, resulting in his own dishonor. Although comprehension
of some of the other lyrics (such as “Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti di
queste lande ignude”) would lend extra significance to the scene, it is
not a necessity and the translation would have been an awkward
invasion of the narrative.
Such choices by McEwen result in a very natural, flowing
text that can certainly be enjoyed and appreciated on its own
merits, rather than simply as a translation of an Italian work.
The author’s rich, descriptive and colorful narrative - as well as
the intricate characters she has created - shine through McEwen’s
brilliant translation.
Colclough Sanders
Wagner College