The translation of Iphigenia of J.W.Goethe by Ioannis Papadopoulos (Jena 1818) and the comparison with the original
Abstract
The article gives an analysis of the translation strategies of the young student Ioannis Papadopoulos (+ 1819), who tries to translate a verse drama with an inspired style to an easily understandable prosa text. Goethe himself was pleased by the translation. The motives of translation are ideological and patriotic. Iphigenia in Tauris stands for the Greek seeking his homeland which is under Turkish rule. Furthermore the interpretation of the topic of Iphigenia in Tauris by Goethe is discussed, his highly humanistic view and innovative language, as well as the few tragical data of the short biography of Papadopoulos in Germany. This is the first translation of a drama by Goethe in Modern Greek. It was never played on stage, nor is it mentioned by the histories of Modern Greek literature. Nevertheless it is an interesting document of the prerevolutionary Greek drama, worthy to be studied as a literary product for itself and an example, how a highly literary text in one of the elaborated European languages can be translated in a non-poetical way in the mixed language of Greek literature roundabout 1800.
Article Details
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Πούχνερ Β. (2017). The translation of Iphigenia of J.W.Goethe by Ioannis Papadopoulos (Jena 1818) and the comparison with the original. Comparison, 13, 9–31. https://doi.org/10.12681/comparison.10136
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- Vol. 13 (2002)
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