Methodological constraints and possible solutions in identifying indirectness in literary translations into Croatian

This paper has provided an overview of methodological constraints hampering larger-scale research on indirect translation. Since the 2000s a growing academic focus on indirect translation, a phenomenon for long marginalized by Translation Studies scholars, can be observed, in particular among scholars coming from the so called “peripheral” languages and cultures. However, methodological difficulties, coupled with conceptual and terminological inconsistencies, encumber the development of a more systematic and mutually comparable body of knowledge about indirect translation in various linguacultural contexts and translation domains. In this paper a particular attention has been paid to the methodological issues related to the collection of data on indirect translations of literary texts into Croatian. The use of various sources, ranging from bibliographies and national libraries catalogues to reference works is discussed, followed by an analysis of peritextual elements that can be symptomatic of the directness of translation. Among peritextual elements particularly indicative is the title, as has been shown on the example of the first Croatian translation of The Prince and the Pauper (1907) by Mark Twain and the first Croatian translation of Agatha Christie’s Three-Act Tragedy (1961). The discussion of methodological steps that can be used in such research is illustrated with examples drawn from my previous and current research on Croatian literary translation practices, with the aim to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the available sources and methods applied. Although in the Croatian context indirect translation has been abundantly practised, and is still widely present, this phenomenon is still not in the focus of Croatian translation scholars. A more extensive and sustained research of indirect translation into Croatian could bring valuable insights into the hidden dynamics of cross-cultural transfers through translation, and thus contribute to our knowledge about Croatian translation history as an integral part of cultural historiography as well as to our knowledge of contemporary translation practices in Croatia.