Intertextuality and interpretation

Intertextuality means that a text is not only related to the author and the reader, but also to other texts. It contains intertextual links, such as quotations, allusions and references, which are especially difficult to translate. By translating them literally, the meaning may be lost. The translator has to help the reader by providing explanations, notes and so on, but this can change the overall effect of the text. The problem is especially acute when the quoted text is not well-known in the target culture. One possible solution is to stress the function of the intertextual links; another is adaptation. Each text exists within a general network which is like a vast society of texts. In the second part of the article, it is shown that a translated text has its own place on the intertextual web, which can never be the same as that of the original. The translator must accept this reality, which turns a translation into a living work. Intertextuality and translation enjoy a close and very fruitful relationship. This study is illustrated by several examples taken from German literature (Kafka, Fontane, Zweig) with various translations into French and English.