3.1. Translating the puns.

One of the most representative stylistic device used by Lewis Carroll in Alice in
Wonderland is the pun. Through pun, we understand a form of speech play that is based on
ambiguity created by multiple meaning of a term (polysemy) or similar sounding words
(homophony), in order to produce a humorous effect.
According to Delabastita wordplay is a general name indicating the various textual
phenomena (i.e. on the level of performance or parole) in which certain features inhered in the
structure of the language used (level of competence or langue) are exploited in such a way as to
establish a communicatively significant, (near-) simultaneous confrontation of at least two
linguistic structures with more or less dissimilar meanings (signifieds) and more or less similar
forms (signifiers) [dirk, p. 57].
The translation of wordplay can be a real challenge for a translator. Most of the languages
have a distinctive phonological, lexical, morphological and syntactic structure that makes hard
the translation in the target language, of a certain formal similarity and semantic difference that
enable a specific wordplay to be created in the source language. Therefore, the success in
translating pun wordplay depends on imagination, intuition, experience and cultural knowledge
of the translator.
Example
ST: Ill soon make TT1: - Eu o s v usuc n curnd! PUN>PUN
you dry enough! Se aezar cu toii numaidect, ntr-un cerc larg, cu combinied with
They all sat down at oarecele n mijloc. Alice rmase cu ochii aintii EDITORIAL
once, in a large ring, asupra lui, cu nelinite, fiindc era sigur c o s TECHNIQUE
with the Mouse in rceasc ru dac nu se usuc iute.
the middle. Alice - Chm! Chm! spuse oarecele, cu nfiare grav.
kept down her eyes Suntei toi gata? Acesta e lucrul ce-l mai uscat pe
anxiously fixed on it, care-l cunosc, care o s v usuce creierii. [ebm, p.
for she felt sure she 33]
would catch a bad
TT2: - Aezai-v, toat lumea, i ascultai ce-o s
cold if she did not
v spun! S vedei cum v usuc eu de repede!
get dry very soon.
Cu toi se aezar ndat, ntr-un cerc larg, n jurul
Ahem! said the
oarecelui. Alice nu-i desprindea ochii de el, vrnd
mouse with an
s fie ct mai atent, cci se temea c va face un
important air, are
guturai grozav dac nu se usuc degrab.
you all ready? This
- Hm, hm! fcu oarecele, ca un orator de vaz.
is the driest thing I
know. [AW, p. 30] Suntei gata cu toii? O s v spun cea mai uscat
istorie pe care o tiu. [Fp, p. 27]

This pun is based on polysemy of the word dry, where the first meaning is without
water; not wet or moist and the second meaning is not interesting; boring.

Example
ST: the patriotic TT1: - ...patrioticul arhiepiscop de
archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury, gsi recomandabil...
found it advisable - Gsi ce? spuse Raa.
Found what? said the - A gsit aia, exclam oarecele, destul de
Duck. suprat desigur c tii ce nseamn aia.
Found it, the Mouse replied - tiu prea bine ce nseamn aia cnd
rather crossly: of course you gsesc un lucru, zise Raa, de obicei e o
know what it means. rm sau o broasc. ntrebarea e ce-a gsit
I know what it means well episcopul? [ebm, p. 34]
TT2: - ...patriotul arhiepiscop de
enough, when I find a thing,
Chanterbury, gsi de cuviin...
said the Duck: its generally
- Ce zici c gsi? ntrerupse Raa.
a frog or a worm. The
- Gsi de cuviina, rspunse oarecele, cam
question is, what did the
suprat. Doar tii cu toii ce nseamn a
archbishop find? [AW, p. 31]
gsi de cuviin.
- Eu tiu ce nseamn a gsi. Cnd eu
ceva, zise Raa, nseamn de obicei o
broasc sau o rm. Da', vorba e,
arhiepiscopul ce-a gsit? [fp, p. 28]
 Example
ST: Mine is a long TT1: - E o poveste fr cap i coad i The technique of
and a sad tale! ntristtoare, spuse oarecele, ntorcndu-se spre translation is from
said the Mouse Alice i suspinnd. pun to pun
turning to Alice - Poate e ntristtoare, zise Alice, dar de ce spui c
and sighing. e fr coad? Se uita mirat la coada oarecelui i
It is a long tail se ntreb ctva timp ce voia s spun... [ebm, p.
certainly, said 36].
Alice looking
TT2: - Mi-ai fgduit c-mi spunei povestea
down with wonder
dumneavoastr inei minte? i din ce pricin
at the Mouses tail:
nu putei suferi C i P, adug n oapt Alice,
but why do you
cam temndu-se s nu-l supere iar.
call it sad? [Aiw,
- E lung i e trist! zise oarecele, ncolcndu-i
p. 36]
coada ctre alice i oftnd.
- Lung e, ntr-adevr, zise Alice, msurnd din
ochi cu mirare coada oarecelui, dar de ce spui c
e trist? [FP, p. 30]

In this example, the ST pun is based on homophony between the words tale /tel/ (a story,
especially one that might be invented or difficult to believe) and tail /tel/ (a part of an animal
body, sticking out from the base of the back), while in TT1 pun translator use an idiomatic
expression fr cap i coad (something without sense, confuse), and the literal one tail.
Example
ST: I had not! cried TT1: - Ei, asta-i bine! strig oarecele cu
the Mouse, sharply asprime, foarte suprat.
and very angrily. - Albine! spuse Alice, totdeauna gata s ajute i
A knot! said Alice, uitndu-se nelinitit n jurul ei. O, las-m s le
always ready to make gonesc eu! [ebm, p. 38]
TT2: - Ce cot? ip oarecele mnios. Dac n-
herself useful, and
asculi! Iar s-o-nnod?
looking anxiously
- Un nod? zise Alice, privind ngrijorat spre
about her. Oh, do let
me help to undo it! codia oarecelui. i, cum era ea totdeauna gata
[aiw, p. 38] s sar n ajutor, adug: S v-ajut s-l
deznodai. V rog, artai-mi unde e! [fp, p. 32]

Example
ST: Did you say TT1: - Ai spus purcel sau violoncel? zise Pisica.
pig, or fig? said the - Am spus purcel, rspunse Alice... [ebm, p. 68]
Cat.
TT2: - Ai zis purcel ori cercel? spuse Pisica.
I said pig, replied
- Am zis purcel, rspunse Alice... [fp, p. 60]
Alice[AW, p. 93]
Example
ST: The master TT1: - ...Profesorul era o btrn Broasc-
was an old Turtle estoas, i spuneam Baga.
we used to call him - De ce-i spuneai Baga, dac nu era a a ceva?
Tortoise _ ntreb Alice.
Why did you call - i spuneam Baga fiindc ne bga n ap, zise
him Tortoise, if he Falsa Broasc-estoas, suprat, nu, zu, e ti
wasnt one? Alice foarte mrginit! [ebm, p. 94]
TT2: - ...Proferoara era o btrn Broasc
asked.
estoas. i ziceam Privighetoarea.
We called him
- Da de ce-i zicei aa? C doar nu era
Tortoise because he
privighetoare! ntreb Alice.
taught us, aid the
- i ziceam Privighetoare fiindc ne era
Mock Turtle angrily;
supraveghetoare! rspunse suprat Falsa
really you are very
Broasc estoas. Da grea de cap mai e ti! [fp,
dull! [aw, p. 142]
p. 84]
Example
ST: Thats the reason TT1: - De asta le numesc lecii, fiindc le
theyre called lessons, the ii tot mai puin din zi n zi , remarc
Gryphon remarked: Grifonul. [ebm, p. 96]
TT2: - Pi de-aia se cheam pro-gram,
because they lessen from
lmuri Grifonul, c pn la urm rmi cu-n
day to day. [aw, p. 145]
gram de nvtur. [fp, p. 87]
 Example
ST: Yes, said Alice, TT1: - Da, zise Alice, le-am vzut deseori
Ive often seen them at la ci...dar se opri la timp s nu zic cin.
dinn she checked - Nu tiu unde poate fi Ci, zise Falsa
herself hastily. Broasc-estoas, dar dac le-ai vzut att
I dont know where Dinn de des, desigur c tii cum arat. [ebm,
may be, said the Mock p.100]
TT2: - Cum s nu! rspunse Alice. L-am
Turtle, but if youve seen
vzut deseori la prn... Dar repede se opri.
them so often, of course
- Nu tiu unde poate fi Prn, zise Falsa
you know what theyre
Broasc estoas, dar, dac l-ai vzut att
like. [aw, p. 152]
de des, tii desigur cum arat. [fp, p. 90]

Example
ST: They were obliged to TT1: - Trebuia s-l ia cu ei, zise Falsa
have him with them, the Broasc-estoas, nici un pete nelept nu
Mock Turtle said: no pleac undeva far un leu.
wise fish would go - Nu cumva vrei s spui bani? zise Alice.
anywhere without a [ebm, p. 101]
porpoise.
TT2: - Te neli, zise Falsa Broasc
Wouldnt it really? said
estoas, nici un pete cu cap nu pleac la
Alice in a tone of great
drum fr un purcel.
surprise.
- Aa? ntr-adevr? spuse Alice, foarte
Of course not, said the
mirat.
Mock Turtle: why, if a
- Pi cum! zise Falsa Broasc estoas.
fish came to me, and told
Dac ar veni la mine un pete i mi-ar spune
me he was going a
c pleac n cltorie, nti i nti l-a
journey, I should say With
ntreba: Cu ce purcel?
what porpoise?
- Poate vrei s zici: cu ce el? strui Alice.
Dont you mean
[fp, p. 91]
purpose? said Alice.
[aw, p. 155]
Example
ST: the Hatter began in a TT1:
trembling voice, and I
hadnt but just begun my tea
not above a week or so
and what with the bread-and-
butter getting so thin and
the twinkling of the tea
The twinkling of what? said TT2: - Maiestate, sunt un biet om srac,
the King. ncepu Plrierul, cu glas tremurtor. i
It began with the tea, the abia ncepusem s beau ceai, cam de-o
Hatter replied. sptmn, dou i pinea cu unt se tot
Of course twinkling begins subia... i ceaiul sclipea...
with a T! said the King - Ce-ce-ce? Ce sclipea? ntreb regele.
sharply. [aw, p. 170] - Cu ceai a nceput, rspunse Plrierul.
- Totdeauna ncepi cu ce ai! zise sever
Regele. [fp, p. 100]

ST: Nothing can be TT1: - ...Nimic nu poate fi mai limpede dect

clearer than that. asta. Apoi, iari: Sau apucai de-o criz. N-ai
Then again before fost niciodat apucata de-o criz, draga mea, sper?
she had this fit spuse el Reginei.
you never had fits, - Niciodat! exclam Regina furioas, aruncnd cu
my dear, I think? he o climar n oprl. []
said to the Queen. - Atunci trecem printr-o criz, spuse Regele,
Never! said the uitndu-se zmbitor n jurul lui. [ebm, p. 119]
TT2: - ...Nimic mai limpede ca asta. i mai
Queen furiously,
departe: Nainte andra s-i sar. Nu-i aa, draga
throwing an inkstand
mea, c ie nu-i sare niciodat andra? se adres
at the Lizard as she
el Reginei.
spoke. []
- Niciodat! rspunse Regina furioas, aruncnd
Then the words
totodat o climar n capul Puiului de oprl.
dont fit you, said
[]
the King, looking
- Dac nu-i sare, atunci nici vorbele astea n-au
round the court with
sare, fcu Regele, aruncnd o privire satisfcut n
a smile. [aw, p. 186]
juru-i. [fp, p. 108]