From Very Unknown Languages

by Norman Gobetti

The article attempts to outline the history of the translations into Italian of texts belonging to far eastern literatures, with a focus on translations from a pivot language (that is, translations of translations). It seeks to consider the causes and the consequences of such a practice, which often comes under criticism and is seldom analysed accurately, in non-sensational terms. In order to edit the extensive bibliographies which accompany the article, it was imperative to restrict the area of study: only prose literary writings are included, leaving out poetry, theatre and non-fiction, with the exception of some ancient texts that have come to be considered literary classics.