Czeski humor po polsku

Abstract

So-called Czech humour is very popular in Poland. This contribution analyzes short sections of Hašek’s novel about Švejk and a play by the Jára Cimrman Theatre in order to explore how hu­mour is translated. The chosen texts represent two different types of humour that Czechs identify with to such an extent that some expressions actually seep into everyday language. The analysis of the novel about Švejk suggests significant differences between the first and final (in fact third) translation into Polish. While the first translation replaces a number of originally neutral expres­sions with stylistically marked ones to denote emotional experiences, the third one reflects the original’s stylistic marks. Yet, it is the gradual use of these marks that brings about a comic ef­fect through the gradual confrontation of disparate elements. The analysis of the play by the Jára Cimrman Theatre shows that humour that mainly involves Czech identity can be interpreted but not translated. Both examples suggest two basic cultural barriers in translation: the language barrier and the barrier of tradition.