An Original English Translation of Carlos Fuentes's "Calixta Brand," With Critical Introduction Open Access

Abstract

"Calixta Brand," a 36-page short story from Carlos Fuentes's 2004 collection Inquieta

compañía, has never been published in English translation. The first chapter of this thesis

contrasts Fuentes's overall reputation as one of Mexico's greatest authors with the general

disregard for his 21st-century works, and then explains why "Calixta Brand" merits the attention

of English-language readers. By examining points of contact among "Calixta Brand," Fuentes's

earlier work, literary works by other authors, religious tradition, and social and political

conflicts, the chapter not only signals the story's complexity, but also introduces many of the

issues inherent in its translation. The second chapter of the thesis articulates and justifies my

translation strategy. It explains the differences between foreignizing and domesticating

translation, especially as advocated by Lawrence Venuti and Anthea Bell, respectively, and then

explains my decision to combine the two methods, against the advice of Friedrich

Schleiermacher. In particular, it highlights aspects of the story that demand a foreignizing

translation due to their deliberate attention to cultural difference, and aspects that require

domestication to convey complex emotional dynamics, wordplay, or poetry. The third chapter

focuses on a handful of specific translation decisions, explaining translation challenges that

required an extra measure of ingenuity. The fourth and final chapter is the English translation

itself.

Table of Contents

1. Calixta in Context: Background and Justification for My Translation.....1

2. Translation Theory and My Translation Strategy..............................11

3. My Strategy in Action: Selected Decisions of Detail.........................21

4. English Translation of "Calixta Brand"............................................29

5. Bibliography..............................................................................62

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Spanish
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Literature, Latin American Literature, Modern
Keyword	Literary translation Inquieta compañía Spanish to English Translation Carlos Fuentes Mexican literature Translation Calixta Brand
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dillman, Lisa M, Emory University
Committee Members	Morey, James, Emory University Stolley, Karen, Emory University

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