Article

Name: Intertextuality in the topoi of late antique and medieval Western European translation paratexts

Authors: Anna L. Solomonovskaya

Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Linguistics

Abstract:

Medieval culture was the culture of authority rather than the one of the author. It was due to an idea of intellectual property not existing yet. Also, any pursuit of intellectual activity, especially in the spiritual sphere, was to be substantiated with a direct quotation or allusion to venerated sources, the Scriptures, and, over time, to the classical authorities. One of these intellectual pursuits was translation. Translators expressed their concerns and justified their choices of subject, author, target language, and translation techniques in paratexts (forewords and afterwords). The paratexts were a kind of standardized texts, i.e., the combinations of several topoi present in most, if not all, paratexts. This study covers 73 paratexts dated from 132 B.C. to 1371 A.D. Several topoi, including those of humility (modesty), bonum commune, appeal to the patron, and others, have been singled out, with intertextual elements (quotes and allusions) within them identified. These elements were found in 86 fragments of the 47 paratexts. The topoi featuring the most intertextual insertions were found to be the topos of the bonum commune (19 out of 86 quotes or allusions) and humility topos (9 insertions). The intertextual fragments within the first one were used to illustrate the lifestyle of a Christian, to justify their duty to spread the Good News, especially when expecting the end of times, and to combat social evils such as drunkenness. As for the second one, translators used a fragment of the Scriptures, the Parable of Talents, to overcome their hesitation.

Keywords: intertextuality, paratext, medieval translation, topos, bonum commune, humility topos

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