Translation or Adaptation: A Case Study of Jakob Alešovec (1842–1901)

Abstract

The present paper addresses the essay sketches entitled Ljubljanske slike by the publicist, playwright and satirist Jakob Alešovec (1842–1901). It deals with the issue whether the texts in question are (self)translations from German into Slovenian or whether they should rather be considered adaptations. Taking the biography and opus of the author into consideration along with the dominant norms of the Slovenian translation culture in the 19th century, the paper shows that the German source text can be seen more as a textual outline of the Slovenian text and can thus be regarded as an intermediary stage of original production.