The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to announce an upcoming conference, “Dante in Asia,” to be held at the University of Notre Dame in Rome on October 23-24, 2024. This unique event will bring together translators and scholars of Dante’s works from China, Korea, and Japan to explore the challenges, history, and future of translating Dante across cultures.
A highlight of the conference will be the innovative Translators’ Roundtable, where translators from China, Korea, and Japan will join colleagues from the US and Europe to exchange insights and discuss their working practices.
The conference will be held in a hybrid format, and registration is now open.
Schedule
October 23: The Practice of Translation
9:00am: Welcome and opening remarks
Silvia dall’Olio, (Director, Notre Dame Rome)
Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Center for Italian Studies, University of Notre Dame)
Alessandra Brezzi (Università di Roma La Sapienza)
Jacob Blakesley (Università di Roma La Sapienza)
Ryan Pepin (University of York)
9:30-11:00am: Korean: Languages in Common
Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (University of Notre Dame)
Sangjin Park (Busan University of Foreign Studies): “Translation as Hospitality to the Other: A Mediumistic Experience Between Dante and Korean Readers.”
Jieon Kim (University of Notre Dame) “‘La lingua mentale comune’ a Dante e al Coreano: 단테의 시적 표현과 우리말의 관용적 표현 (l’espressione poetica di Dante e l’espressione idiomatica in Coreano).”
11:00-11:30am: Coffee break
11:30am–1:00pm: Japanese: Dante in Kanji / Dante in the Vernacular
Chair: Jonathan Noble (University of Notre Dame)
Michio Fujitani (Keio University): “Un tentativo di traduzione della Divina Commedia in Giappone. Passato e futuro degli studi traduttologici danteschi.”
Motoaki Hara (Tokai University): “A story of the translation of The Divine Comedy or la Divina Commedia: Strategies in the conflict of national, regional, and global identities.”
1:00pm-3:00pm: Lunch
3:00pm-4:30pm: Chinese: Dante’s Journey to the East
Chair: Alessandra Brezzi (Università di Roma La Sapienza)
Shi Hui (Chongqing University): “Translation and its Discontents: Dante in Contemporary China”
Qi Chen (Beihang University): “Translation of Dante in China since the 19th century”
5:00pm-6:30pm: Walking tour led by Chiara Sbordoni (Notre Dame Rome)
8:00pm: Dinner
October 24: The History of Translation
9:30am-11:30am: The History of Translating Dante
Chair: Akash Kumar (University of California, Berkeley)
Maria Gioia Vienna (Università per Stranieri, Siena): “Incipit: L’inizio del viaggio di Dante in Giappone”
Sangyeob Ii (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies): “La traduzione di Dante Alighieri ed altro in Corea”
Luca Pisano (Università di Genova): “Unveiling Lost Treasures: Glimpses into Agostino Biagi’s Legacy Through His Chinese Translations of The Divine Comedy”
11:30am-12:00pm: Coffee break
12:00pm-1:30pm: Teaching Dante in East Asia
Chair: Ryan Pepin, University of York
Gao Changxu (Università di Roma La Sapienza): “‘Dante all'università’: Corsi e materiali didattici su Dante nella Cina degli anni Trenta."
Hideyuki Doi (University of Tokyo): “Le cattedre dantesche in Giappone: 120 anni di storia”
1:30pm-3:00pm: Lunch
3:00pm-5:00pm: “Per correr miglior acque: A trans-national round table on practices, challenges, and perspectives on translating Dante”
Chair: Jacob Blakesley, Università di Roma La Sapienza
3:00pm-4:00pm: Moderated dialogue between invited translators on translation practice
4:00pm-4:45pm: discussion to include all invited speakers
4:45pm-5:00pm: Jonathan Noble (Notre Dame Global), and Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Center for Italian Studies, University of Notre Dame), present on future prospects for collaboration.
5pm-5:30pm: Coffee
5:30pm-7:00pm: Global Translations of Dante
Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr., University of Notre Dame
5:30pm-5:50pm: Jacob Blakesley (Università di Roma La Sapienza): “A Global History of Dante Translations”
5:50pm-6:10pm: Akash Kumar (University of California, Berkeley): “The Island Dante, From Mediterranean to Pacific”
6:10pm-6:40pm: Salvatore Riolo (University of Notre Dame): “Collecting Global Translations of The Divine Comedy in the John A. Zahm, C.S.C Dante Collection, Hesburgh Libraries (UND)” and Inha Park (University of Notre Dame): “Transmedia, Translation, and Retranslation: The Recent Korean Translations of the Commedia in the Zahm Dante Collection.”
7:00pm: Farewell remarks (Alessandra Brezzi, Jacob Blakesley, Ryan Pepin, Theodore Cachey)