La paratraduction en France des romans graphiques espagnols de type historique : L'Art de voler d'Altarriba et Kim versus La Nueve de Roca

Abstract

This article analyses the paratranslation – titles, covers, prefaces, epilogues, editor’s and translator’s notes – in France of L’Art de voler and La Nueve, two Spanish graphic novels of historical type, to compare the strategies used by the editors and the translators when they use these fundamental elements in this kind of books. This analysis shows that the use of the paratranslation can differ from one graphic novel to another according to the publishing house, the editor’s target public or even the success of the book. After this study, we can therefore conclude that paratranslations – a term coined by Yuste Frías – not only introduce and contextualize the translated graphic novel, but above all become valuable commercial instruments for publish- ing houses. In the case of L’Art de voler and La Nueve, the translation notes make the reading easier; the titles, covers, prefaces and epilogues attract foreign – and rather left-wing – readers interested in historical Spanish graphic novels. The paratranslations are essential in order to facilitate the entry of these works into the French literary canon.