Dangers, solutions and justifications in the art of translation in the 18th century. Ignacio García Malo’s case

Abstract

The art of translation at the end of the 18th century generated quite a lot of suspicions among the most erudite layers of the society, particularly because of the frequent mistakes made in the linguistic field. For that reason, a writer who is very conscientious regarding his literary reputation, as was the case with Ignacio García Malo, will try to dissociate himself from that plague of incompetent corrupters of language, by proclaiming that his translations, which are a result of the qualification and the effort devoted to them, will be useful for the nation. However, we are not very convinced that he will put into practice the orthodoxy he boasts about the use of neologisms, especially as regards to French expressions and terms.