An annotated translation into Maltese of part of the first chapter of Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final book of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to translate part of the first chapter of Breaking Dawn and try to remain as faithful as possible to the original. The opening chapter will give a general overview of the source text us well as the reasons why such u book was chosen for translation. Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final hook of the Twilight Saga written by Stephanie Meyer which gained popularity worldwide, so much so that the first three books are already on screen. The Twilight Saga was written to be read by adolescents. ln fact, the jargon used is mainly suitable for middle teens. The dissertation will then move on in explaining into detail world literature and translation in general. The main focus will be on young adult literature and the language used by adolescents, with reference to translation. Theories will also be mentioned, mainly focusing on Umberto Eco's ideology as well as Eugene Nida's perspective amongst others. The first chapter will then conclude with Charles Briffa's general idea on the forms and style of a literary text. It will be made a point to give priority to the source text so that they can be parallel to the target text. This will give a better reading and insight into the analysis. Annotations will also be included in the Maltese translation so as to explain why some words and phrases were translated in that particular manner. The following chapter regarding the critical analysis of the translation will include the theories and references mentioned in the first chapter - along with other relevant theories - and these will be compared to the Maltese translation. Reference will also be made to the French and Italian translations of Breaking Dawn, which will be measured up to the Maltese version. Rhythm, transferred words, translation shifts, idiomatic expressions, and the informal style of text will be discussed into detail and it will include the comparison of both the source text and the three translations aforementioned. Finally, the dissertation will sum up the findings of the critical analysis and see which theories were adapted in the translation.