Brepols Acquisition Through Translation: Towards a Definition of Renaissance Translation: 18 (Medieval Translator)

The emergence of standard modern languages in early modern Europa entailed a competition with the dominant Latin culture, which remained the prevalent medium for the language of science, philosophy, theology and philology until at least the eighteenth century. In this process, translation played a very special role: in a number of significant instances we can identify in the undertaking of a specific translation a policy of acquisition of classical - and by definition authoritative - texts that contributed to the building of an intellectual library for the emerging nation. At the same time, the transmission of ideas and texts across Europe constructed a diasporic and transnational culture: the emerging vernacular cultures acquired not only the classical Latin models, incorporating them in their own intellectual libraries, but turned their attention also to contemporary, or near-contemporary, vernacular texts, conferring on them, through the act of translation, the status of classics. Through the examination of case studies, that take into account both literary and scientific texts, this volume offers an overview of how early modern Europe developed its vernacular national literatures, following the model suggested in the late Middle Ages, through a process of acquisition and translation. About the Author Alessandra Petrina is Professor of English Literature at the University of Padua. Her research focuses primarily on late-medieval and early modern intellectual history, and on Anglo-Italian cultural relations. She has published, among others, The Kingis Quair (1997), Cultural Politics in Fifteenth-century England (24), and Machiavelli in the British Isles (29). In 213 she edited Volume 15 of The Medieval Translator (In principio fuit interpres). She is currently working on early modern English translations of Petrarch's Triumphi, and on early modern marginalia. Federica Masiero graduated from the University of Padua in 1997 with a thesis on the reprint of September Testament in Adam Petri's printing office (1522-1523). In 24 she received her doctorate at the Free University of Berlin with a dissertation on the critical edition of the main works by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (153/1531-1599). From 21 to 26 she worked as a part time Professor of German Language at the University of Calabria. Since 27 she has been a Senior Lecturer of German Language at the University of Padua. She has now a national abilitazione as Associate Professor.