The oral tradition of nursery rhymes in the translation class: emphasizing the importance of orality with ESL students

Abstract

This study is aimed at analyzing the relationship that approximates a particular type of literary text, namely nursery rhymes, to the translated text, approaching a few poetic conceptions and theories to emphasize the role of the reader (or reader-translator) in the production of the new text. Reading the original text aloud is of utmost importance to understand its phonetical characteristics and sound effects: rhyme, rhythm, musicality, tone, etc. Sound and meaning are, indeed, totally intertwined and inseparable, hence the common thought that translating poetry represents an insurmountable challenge. We will show how relevant the concept of orality is when we read and translate nursery rhymes and we will also try to demonstrate that perceiving senses is as important as perceiving forms when translating poetry. Consequently, it is of utmost importance to teach our translation students to appreciate the sound effects of both the foreign language and their mother tongue.