Translation and Retranslation of Niebla, a Nivola by Miguel de Unamuno

Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936) was a key figure in the Spanish scenario before the Civil War. Several studies throughout the years have researched his role as a writer, philosopher, politician, and translator. Here we explore one of the aspects of Unamuno’s works which remains virtually untouched, i.e. the translation of his novels into English. Specifically, we examine the five existing versions of Niebla (1914), one of his most acclaimed works, into that language. This novel was first translated into English by Warner Fite during Unamuno’s lifetime (1928). Nevertheless, after the author’s death, this text was retranslated four more times, and we wonder why. In order to answer this question, we review the concept of retranslation and analyse these five renderings to determine their differences and similarities. So as to do so, we explore each rendition focusing on three aspects: the translator’s profile, the publishing house which has produced each volume, and the various types of editions printed. After that, we discuss some of the translation techniques employed in the different versions of Niebla. We study the adaptation of the original title and several examples which illustrate specific translation problems. Also, we take a quick look at the reception of these works within the English-speaking public. Based on the retranslation theories and the information obtained by our extensive analysis, we try to explain why this novel has five different versions in English.