International Journal of Language & Literature

Translation in Exile: The Case of Hans Sahl in the USA
Associate Professor Mi-Hyun Ahn

Abstract
Translation serves as a significant medium for exiled writers who live in Diaspora without any legal status. In addition to the financial incentive, these writers perform translations to maintain their linguistic and cultural identities in adverse circumstances. Hans Sahl, a German-Jewish writer, who escaped from the Nazi regime to the USA and settled there for a long time, translated a lot of American plays into German. Through the translation of American plays, he made a crucial contribution to the restoration of the scant German theater after WWII and to fostering a positive image of American German society. For instance, his translation of Thornton Wilder’s plays introduced style of American life to the devastated German society, which was void of many values and had not recovered psychologically from the trauma of the darkest time. Even though Sahl permanently perceived himself as a ‘transzentaler Obdachloser’, he provided a representative example for cultural exchange through his translation activities.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijll.v4n2a5