The Preferences of Teenage Readers Regarding the Translation of Cultural References in Adolescent Fiction: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Readers’ expectations should be an important factor in the process of literary translation, especially concerning fiction for children and adolescents. Their views are relatively unknown, as empirical data regarding that matter is in short supply. This paper presents a focus group pilot study among teenage readers of fiction; it focusses on the readers’ preferences for translating references to the culture of the source text. The rationale for choosing the focus group method and the description of the preparation process are provided. The main aim of the paper is to assess the reliability of the project as designed and the related materials, as well as to suggest improvements; nevertheless, the results of this preliminary study are presented as well. Consequently, a methodological foundation for more focus group projects regarding this widely understudied subject is established.