Agency in Translation: The Case of Tito N. Sarego’s Fascist-Era Translation of "The Sittaford Mystery"

Giorgia Sfriso

doi:10.6667/interface.24.2024.232

Agency in Translation: The Case of Tito N. Sarego’s Fascist-Era Translation of "The Sittaford Mystery"

Giorgia Sfriso

Abstract

This article investigates the Italian translation of Agatha Christie’s novel The Sittaford Mystery to discern the extent to which the alterations imposed on the translation, which was produced at the time of Mussolini’s Fascist regime, were motivated by a necessity to confirm to the dominant ideology or were an expression of the translator’s own agenda.

Focusing on those changes operated on the source text that were ostensibly driven by the directives of the Fascist regime, the present study examines specifically how Sarego’s treatment of female characters and of references to sensitive issues such as war and race showcases the translator’s alignment with Fascist ideals rather than passive compliance.

Contrary to common assumptions made about translations published under Fascism that tend to attribute manipulations to the regime’s mandates, this study reveals that Sarego’s own convictions played a pivotal role in shaping the translation and foregrounds the importance of recognizing translators’ agency.

Keywords

translation; Fascist Italy; translator agency; Agatha Christie

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6667/interface.24.2024.232

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