Keeping the difference. The translation of English/Spanish code-switching in Latino literature: a case study

Abstract

This paper analyses a novel belonging to the so-called “Latino literature”, with English/Spanish code-switching as its main linguistic feature. The aim is to study the strategies that have been used both by the author and the translator. In the first case, we find similar strategies to those applied by other writers (self-translation, the insertion of symbols of the Spanish language…); in the second case, a predominant use of the compensation technique is detected. By analyzing contextualized examples, this translation technique is determined to be one of the most effective ways to translate texts in which this language interchange is a main characteristic. The importance of maintaining this feature in translations, not only from a linguistic point of view, but also as a way to portray a social context, is also emphasized.