<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In this contribution, the sentence type (declarative or interrogative), the disjunctor <italic>or</italic>, the infinitive mode of the verb <italic>to be</italic> as well as the lexical meaning encoded in it are addressed with regard to some translations of the move that opens Hamlet’s soliloquy, in the Third Act of the tragedy named after him. In the description, the translated passage is quoted and a retranslation into English is proposed, so that the choice made by the translator is better understood. As is evident, this choice is partly related to the architecture of the language into which the text is translated, and partly motivated by the translator’s own interpretation. Moreover, certain features of the language structure deserve to be considered in order to ask whether and how a language system influences the interpretation itself. The legacy of Coseriu’s insights invites us to rethink the activity of translation as a form of knowledge that can access a truly interlinguistic level (<italic>übereinzelsprachliche Ebene</italic>).</p>
</abstract>

In this contribution, the sentence type (declarative or interrogative), the disjunctor or, the infinitive mode of the verb to be as well as the lexical meaning encoded in it are addressed with regard to some translations of the move that opens Hamlet’s soliloquy, in the Third Act of the tragedy named after him. In the description, the translated passage is quoted and a retranslation into English is proposed, so that the choice made by the translator is better understood. As is evident, this choice is partly related to the architecture of the language into which the text is translated, and partly motivated by the translator’s own interpretation. Moreover, certain features of the language structure deserve to be considered in order to ask whether and how a language system influences the interpretation itself. The legacy of Coseriu’s insights invites us to rethink the activity of translation as a form of knowledge that can access a truly interlinguistic level (übereinzelsprachliche Ebene).

“To Be, or Not to Be” in Translation: <italic>Ay, There’s the Point</italic>

American, British and Canadian Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

“To Be, or Not to Be” in Translation: 

In this contribution, the sentence type (declarative or interrogative), the disjunctor or, the infinitive mode of the verb to be as well as the lexical meaning...

“To Be, or Not to Be” in Translation: Ay, There’s the Point

Published Online: Jan 26, 2024

Page range: 34 - 45

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abcsj-2023-0018

Keywords
translation, interpretation, interrogative structures, disjunction, infinitive mood, verbal noun, static and dynamic dimensions,

© 2023 Giovanni Gobber, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

“To Be, or Not to Be” in Translation: Ay, There’s the Point

Published Online: Jan 26, 2024

Page range: 34 - 45

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abcsj-2023-0018

Keywordstranslation, interpretation, interrogative structures, disjunction, infinitive mood, verbal noun, static and dynamic dimensions,

© 2023 Giovanni Gobber, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
translation, interpretation, interrogative structures, disjunction, infinitive mood, verbal noun, static and dynamic dimensions,