Censorship and Self-censorship in Self-translation: Xente ao lonxe / Aquella gente…, by Eduardo Blanco Amor

Abstract

This article analyzes the relevance of censorship and self-censorship in the field of self-translation. Given the imprecision that is often seen in relation to the application of both notions in this particular type of translation, initially a theoretical proposal is made so that they can be clearly distinguished, establishing as a criterion the existence of an imperative power that is manifest directly or latently. This conceptual scheme is exemplified below with the case study provided by the novel Xente ao lonxe, by Eduardo Blanco Amor, written in Galician and self-translated into Spanish with the title Aquella gente.... In this work, the author suffered the effects of Francoist censorship and, for fear of rejection by the authorities, he subsequently censored his own work.