27개의 『엄마를 부탁해』 번역본 표지에 나타난 다중 체계

Abstract

This study explores the poly-system and the cultural hegemony acted in the front covers of 27 translated books of Please Look After Mom, the first book translated into so many languages. PLAM is published in Western, Asian and Middle East countries without any help from its government or organizations. Therefore, the target cultures‘ publishers take the best strategy to attract local readers across the cultural differences and the other disadvantages. While the cover of the original reflects the intention of the writer, the translated ones consider their own culture and try to minimize the otherness of the original text. The covers consist of the images and the text. The analysis shows the 5 types of images indicating that each country uses its own value. The first and original one shows the earnest prayer of the subject. The second type of images is related with the subject directly or symbolically. The third, most of the Western countries, reflects the value of Orientalism by highlighting a young woman’s face. The fourth depicts traditional Korean cultural items to signify their relationships with South Korea, so it may be seen as a tourism booklet. The fifth, the Arabic translation, uses the author's face. The analysis of the text items on the covers concludes many systems acting surrounding the translation process. Though the original country is Korean, many of the target texts write its getting American literary award and also American book reviews. Therefore, it reveals that the subordinate countries give importance to the hegemonic country over the world. In conclusion, the images of 27 translated PLAM use each country’s value to realize the subject or the content or the relationship between the original country and the target country and the text items represent the various systems such as literature, cultural hegemony, social condition of target culture, the international status of Korea, and the status of translation on the country. So in the occasion of translated PLAM, many systems surrounding the translation process work on the cover space.