Translating a Galaxy Far, Far Away: The Influence of the Storyworld in Translating the Star Wars Novel Aftermath: Empire’s End

Abstract

In this article, the author translates an excerpt from the Star Wars novel Aftermath: Empire’s End by Chuck Wendig. By analysing the translation, he strives to find out which new problems are encountered during the translation process of such a science-fiction narrative, and how these are related to its multi-text storyworld aspect. Firstly, arguments for focusing on the storyworld instead of other aspects of the narrative are discussed. Subsequently, an overview of the general translation strategy is given. The strategies that the author has used to solve specific translation problems are analysed, and their connection to the narrative’s genre and storyworld influences are made explicit. Finally, a suggestion for future research is made before the article ends with the translation of the excerpt, including annotations.