BETWEEN TWO SAVAGE GODS

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE TRANSLATIONS OF THE SAVAGE GOD

Abstract

This article offers a comparative analysis of the Spanish and Portuguese translations of The Savage God by Al Álvarez, published respectively as El dios salvaje (translated by Marcelo Cohen) and O deus selvagem (translated by Sonia Moreira). The study focuses on the linguistic and stylistic processes involved in the construction of meaning in both target texts, as well as on the ideological and cultural projections of the work in Latin America. The research is grounded in Peter Newmark’s semantic-communicative perspective, Christiane Nord’s functional approach, and Amparo Hurtado’s classification of translation techniques, articulated through Sergio Bolaños’s “Dynamic Translation Model” (DTM), which enables an understanding of translation as a complex, multifaceted, and deeply contextual process. The reflections presented stem from a critical analysis of the representation of suicide and its discursive treatment in the translations, proposing an interpretation that engages with the interpretative, ethical, and cultural challenges emerging from its interlinguistic circulation. The comparative analysis of El dios salvaje and O deus selvagem reveals how translational choices reconfigure Álvarez’s essayistic voice, transform nuances of the original discourse, and generate distinct resonances within the Hispanic and Lusophone reception contexts.