Uma análise comparativa das traduções de “The pit and the pendulum”, de Edgar Allan Poe, por Charles Baudelaire, Lívio Xavier e Oscar Mendes

Abstract

This research sought to deepen the understanding of translation processes through a comparative analysis of the versions of the short story “The Pit and the Pendulum”, by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), translated into French by Charles Baudelaire as “Le puits et le pendule” (1875), and into Brazilian Portuguese by Lívio Xavier (1945) and Oscar Mendes (1944), both translation bearing the same title: “O Poço e o Pêndulo.” The theoretical foundation is based on the Translation Norms of Gideon Toury (1995), the Translation Strategies according to Lawrence Venuti (1995), and the Descriptive Method of Translations according to Lambert and Van Gorp (1985). The works of these scholars provide a comprehensive theoretical framework for examining the translators’ choices and the cultural norms that guide their practices. Friedrich Schleiermacher (1813) is also relevant for highlighting the importance of the cultural context of the author and the work in the translation process. Regarding methodology, this research initially consisted of contextualizing the analyzed short story and the author's body of work, his writing, and its reception both at the time of publication and in posterity. The contextualization of the three translators was also carried out: Baudelaire in 19th-century France, and Lívio Xavier and Oscar Mendes in Brazil in the first half of the 20th century. The comparison of the three translations was based on the criteria of convergence and divergence between the versions. This approach allowed for an investigation of how different strategies influence the reception of Poe's work in different cultures and eras.