As a linguist and philologist, J.R.R. Tolkien used words and languages as a source of inspiration for his subcreation and continuously interwove them with his narratives. With language being so central to his works, the task of translating them into other languages raises numerous problems for the translator. This volume reflects on some of these challenges and how different translators overcame them.
The volume opens with a study that takes a theoretical angle on the problem of translation and considers the applicability of Tolkien's views on the matter in the light of broader translation theory. The subsequent contributions look at the translations of Tolkien's works into various languages (Norwegian, Spanish, French, Russian and Esperanto). The study of the Russian translation focuses on the underground circulation of unapproved versions (samizdat) during the time that they were banned in the Soviet Union, and compares the different approaches of the various translators.
The theme of this book is continued in a second volume, Translating Tolkien: Text and Film, available as number 6 in the Cormare¿ Series from Walking Tree Publishers.