The translation of humour in Roald Dahl's parody: a study of The Twits and George's Marvellous Medicine

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this report is to examine how the humour of parody in Roald Dahl’s The Twits (1980), and George’s Marvellous Medicine (1982) is translated into French. This study explores the various translation problems that may arise in the translation of parody within children’s literature, and what strategies translators use to retain the humour. This report analyses Dahl’s two works and their French translations: Les Deux Gredins (2007) and La Potion Magique de Georges Bouillon (2007). By analysing and comparing the verbal and visual frames in the books and their translations, the study shows how frame semantics may be used to analyse the techniques that are used to build up the humour of parody within the different frames based on context, contextualisation and relevance theory.