번역사회학적 측면에서 문학 번역가 인식 비교·분석—국내/영미권 번역가 인터뷰를 중심으로

Abstract

Translators, not just translation process or outcomes, deserve more scholarly attention. This study investigates literary translators’ perception from the perspective of sociology of translator. Specifically, literary translators’ perception on translator identity, errors in translation, economic status, relations with authors/publishers, and societal support needed for translator status enhancement is qualitatively investigated based on interviews of 28 Korean and Anglophone translators. This cross-cultural study reveals that both Korean and Anglophone translators share the same view that the economic reward for their work is not enough. However, their perception on and attitude toward errors in translation are quite different. Korean literary translators and the society as a whole are very sensitive to translation errors, whereas Anglophone literary translators and the society are relatively generous to errors, even accepting the errors as a part of translation literature. Anglophone translators maintain more close relations with authors and publishers, which lays the groundwork for the #NameTheTranslator campaign. Such a movement can spill over to other cultures and ultimately contribute to enhancing social and economic status of translators.