Jirí Levý
Encyclopedia
Jiří Levý was a Czech
literary theoretician, literary historian and translation theoretician.
), and died on 17 January 1967 in Brno (South Moravia
).
Levý studied English
and Czech
at Masaryk’s University in Brno
(concluded in 1949).
From 1950 to 1963, he lectured at Palacký University of Olomouc.
From 1964 onwards, Levý worked at the Department of Czech Literature at Masaryk’s University in Brno.
His theses include:
The Development of Translation Theories and Methods in the Czech Literature
(1957)
Fundamental Problems of the Theory of Translation (1958)
Problems of Comparative Versification (1963)
Levý also lectured on the theory of translation
abroad (e.g. in Dubrovnik
, Warsaw
, Hamburg
, Vienna
, Stuttgart
).
Levý’s first published monograph, Czech Theories of Translation, includes his (PhD.) thesis The Development of Translation Theories and Methods in the Czech Literature as well as a series of significant theorizing essays by Czech translators. Thus, the monograph is concerned with translation norms from the 15th century until 1945.
Levý’s second monograph, The Art of Translation, is a fundamental opus on the translation of “artistic literature” (belles letters). It deals with the genesis and composition of a literary translation. It puts emphasis on the translation of poetry. It was translated into German
in 1969, Russian
in 1974, and Serbo-Croatian
in 1982 (see above).
Levý was also concerned with the theory of verse
. In many of his essays, he deals with the problems of verse translation (Isochronism of Facts and Isosyllabism as Factors of the Poetic Rhythm; Verse Rhythm as a Means of Dramatic Interpretation; The Verse of the Czech Folk Poetry and its Echoes; The Development of the Czech Theatre Blank-Verse etc.).
Levý also wrote significant essays on T. S. Eliot
, Walt Whitman
, Ben Jonson
and others.
The collection of his essays Will the Study of Literature Become an Exact Science? appeared posthumously in 1971.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1963 (1983, 1998). Umění překladu [=The Art of Translation]. Prague.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1971. Bude literární věda exaktní vědou? [Will the Study of Literature Become an Exact Science?]. Prague: Československý spisovatel.
Key Articles in English and German:
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1964. Translation in Czechoslovakia. In: Babel 10, No. 2, pp. 73–76.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1965. Die Theorie des Verses – ihre matematische Aspekte. In: Matematik und Dichtung. Munich, pp. 211–231.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1966. Translation as a Decision Process. In: To Honor Roman Jakobson: Essays on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday. 11 October 1966. The Hague.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1967. Translation in Czechoslovakia. In: Ten Years of Translation – Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the International Federation of Translators. Dubrovnik 1963. Oxford 1967. Pp. 211–218.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1969. Mathematical Aspects of the Theory of Verse. In: Statistics and Style. Ed. L. Doležel. New York, American Elsevier Publishing Company. Pp. 95–112.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1970. Generative Poetics. In: Sign, Language, Culture. The Hague, Mouton. Pp. 548–557.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1971. Generative Poetik. In: Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik. Ergebnisse und Perspektiven II/2. Frankfurt am Main, Athenäum. Pp. 554–567.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
literary theoretician, literary historian and translation theoretician.
Early life and career
Jiří Levý was born on 8 August 1926 in Košice (East SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
), and died on 17 January 1967 in Brno (South Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
).
Levý studied English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
at Masaryk’s University in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
(concluded in 1949).
From 1950 to 1963, he lectured at Palacký University of Olomouc.
From 1964 onwards, Levý worked at the Department of Czech Literature at Masaryk’s University in Brno.
His theses include:
The Development of Translation Theories and Methods in the Czech Literature
Czech literature
Czech literature is the literature written by Czechs or other inhabitants of the Czech state, mostly in the Czech language, although other languages like Old Church Slavonic, Latin or German have been also used, especially in the past. Modern authors from the Czech territory who wrote in other...
(1957)
Fundamental Problems of the Theory of Translation (1958)
Problems of Comparative Versification (1963)
Levý also lectured on the theory of translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
abroad (e.g. in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
).
Publications
Levý organized two conferences on the theory of verse. He founded the Group for Exact Methods and Interdisciplinary Relations. He was a member of the Union of Czechoslovak Writers, worked for the Translation Department of the Union of Czech Writers, and he was a member of the International Federation of Translators.Levý’s first published monograph, Czech Theories of Translation, includes his (PhD.) thesis The Development of Translation Theories and Methods in the Czech Literature as well as a series of significant theorizing essays by Czech translators. Thus, the monograph is concerned with translation norms from the 15th century until 1945.
Levý’s second monograph, The Art of Translation, is a fundamental opus on the translation of “artistic literature” (belles letters). It deals with the genesis and composition of a literary translation. It puts emphasis on the translation of poetry. It was translated into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
in 1969, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
in 1974, and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
in 1982 (see above).
Levý was also concerned with the theory of verse
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. In many of his essays, he deals with the problems of verse translation (Isochronism of Facts and Isosyllabism as Factors of the Poetic Rhythm; Verse Rhythm as a Means of Dramatic Interpretation; The Verse of the Czech Folk Poetry and its Echoes; The Development of the Czech Theatre Blank-Verse etc.).
Levý also wrote significant essays on T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
, Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
and others.
The collection of his essays Will the Study of Literature Become an Exact Science? appeared posthumously in 1971.
Key Monographs
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1957 (1996). České teorie překladu [=Czech Theories of Translation]. Prague.LEVÝ, Jiří. 1963 (1983, 1998). Umění překladu [=The Art of Translation]. Prague.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1971. Bude literární věda exaktní vědou? [Will the Study of Literature Become an Exact Science?]. Prague: Československý spisovatel.
Key Articles in English and German:
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1964. Translation in Czechoslovakia. In: Babel 10, No. 2, pp. 73–76.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1965. Die Theorie des Verses – ihre matematische Aspekte. In: Matematik und Dichtung. Munich, pp. 211–231.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1966. Translation as a Decision Process. In: To Honor Roman Jakobson: Essays on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday. 11 October 1966. The Hague.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1967. Translation in Czechoslovakia. In: Ten Years of Translation – Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the International Federation of Translators. Dubrovnik 1963. Oxford 1967. Pp. 211–218.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1969. Mathematical Aspects of the Theory of Verse. In: Statistics and Style. Ed. L. Doležel. New York, American Elsevier Publishing Company. Pp. 95–112.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1970. Generative Poetics. In: Sign, Language, Culture. The Hague, Mouton. Pp. 548–557.
LEVÝ, Jiří. 1971. Generative Poetik. In: Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik. Ergebnisse und Perspektiven II/2. Frankfurt am Main, Athenäum. Pp. 554–567.