This study investigates the factors driving textual divergences between two Romanian translations of Kōbō Abe’s The Woman in the Dunes: a 1968 version translated via an English mediating text under communist rule, and a 2007 direct translation from Japanese. It specifically asks: How do indirect translation, communist-era censorship, and translator agency interact to shape these distinct versions?
Methodologically, the analysis combines an inductive identification of culturally sensitive and culturally specific passages with a deductive “back-check” procedure that traces divergences between the two Romanian versions back to their possible sources. The findings reveal that the English mediating text acted as a dominant interpretive filter, directly causing many of the 1968 shifts. While ideological filtering was present, it operated selectively rather than systematically, often targeting specific moral or political nuances. A significant portion of the variation also stems from translator agency—unique stylistic and interpretive choices independent of the source text or censors.
Crucially, the study demonstrates that these forces do not operate in isolation; they overlap and interact, making strict categorization difficult. The results challenge the assumption that indirect translation leads only to textual "loss", showing that mediating texts can both obscure and clarify meaning. By analysing these dynamics, this research contributes to a more integrated understanding of how linguistic and political forces jointly shape the global circulation of literature.