2nd Arts & Humanities Conference, Florence

TRANSLATION OF SCIENCE FICTIONAL WORKS FROM ENGLISH TO TURKISH A CASE STUDY ON CYBERPUNK TRANSLATION

ÖZLEM ŞAHIN SOY

Abstract:

This paper aims to exemplify translations of cyberpunk works into Turkish with references to Gibson’s novels and some cyberpunk movies and animations. The genre, science fiction became an important branch of popular literature in the twentieth century by the interaction of literature, cinema, game industry and popular television productions. Anglo-American culture and language has hosted these productions in the field of literature, cinema and game industries and adapted the language of science into art as in previous works of science fiction. In Turkey, the discussions on science fiction translation have started first of all by questioning the translation of the name of the sub-genre. Science fiction is a way of estrangement. The writers react against the accepted “something” that can be a scientific truth, a social situation or a state of being and fantasize about it and try to show that it can be in another way. Thus, it is dissident in its essence. The readers also regard themselves as a part of this contradiction against the accepted system. Thus, although it was accepted to be an escapist type of literature during 1960s and 1970s, it in fact should have been regarded as a kind of reaction and search for new ways in society, in science and culture. This paper aims to present the reflections of the genre in the form of translations and discuss the use of language and science fictional terminology.

Keywords: literary translation, science fiction, cyberpunk, Gibson

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