From Torres Bermejas to the Crimson Towers: Challenges arising and choices made in translating architectural texts in spanish into English

Abstract

On translating into English three articles in Spanish by the architect Francisco Javier Gallego Roca (2012; 2014a; 2014b) we faced many challenges in order to render these texts on the architectural conservation of some of Granada's most emblematic edifices comprehensible, informative and thorough. When translating terms relating to the unique buildings, architectural features and construction materials Gallego Roca describes, we were often obliged to choose between "domesticating" or "foreignizing" (Venuti, 1995; 2008) our terminology for the sake of clarity and efficiency. In this article we give an overview of the original Spanish texts and their respective translations into English, providing examples of the complexities we faced and outlining how we made choices between domesticating and foreignizing many terms we used.

We are grateful to Dr. Javier Gallego Roca for giving us permission to quote from his texts and their translations.