Nora Gal (E.Y. Galperina) in the History of Soviet Literary Translation

Nora Gal’ is one of the key figures who contributed to the elaboration of literary translation in the Soviet era. Nowadays, her translations from English and French are considered exemplary, and her book Words Living and Words Dead is often cited in research papers. However, the development of style and principles of Nora Gal's work, occurring in unique historical conditions, as well as her contribution to the art of translating fiction, have not yet been subjected to conscious scrutiny. This study attempts to provide a logical reconstruction of Nora Gal’s path to becoming a professional Soviet literary translator. A profound examination of Nora Gal’s experience enables to gain a better understanding of how the field of publishing was operating, how foreign books were being introduced for the Soviet readers and, most importantly, the research defines the role of the translator in this process.