In addition, Astrid Lindgren has proved in books such as Mio, min Mio and Bröderna Lejonhjärta (1973, English: The Brothers Lionheart 1975) that she is not only a good storyteller but she has also revealed her literary consciousness and great diversity. In 1997 there were in existence 3,000 different editions of Astrid Lindgren’s books and approximately 80 million single copies. Rowling’s Harry Potter books have been translated into 42 languages. Her books have been translated into 76 languages, while, for the sake of comparison, Selma Lagerlöf has been translated into 38 languages, August Strindberg into 36 languages, and to quote a modern example, Joanne K. The reason I have chosen Mio, min Mio as a case study of what a translation should not be is firstly because I wish to draw attention to the many differences there are between the two versions and what implications cuts and changes carry for a literary text, and secondly because Astrid Lindgren is one of the most translated of children’s authors. I will return to what I mean by this later. As I will show in my examination of the two versions, the Danish text is simpler than the Swedish source text and whereas the Swedish original is a book of high literary merit, its Danish counterpart is an adaptation and is less rich and has fewer literary qualities. The Danish version of Astrid Lindgren’s Mio, min Mio tells the same story as the Swedish original and the message is the same however, the Danish translator Else Kappel had a different type of reader in mind from that of the book’s actual author, Astrid Lindgren. I have chosen to look at the Danish translation of the Swedish Mio, min Mio (1954, Danish: Mio min Mio 1955, English Mio, my son 1956), written by Astrid Lindgren.

In this article the intention is not, however, to give strategies and guidelines for a good translation from a theoretical standpoint, but to give a concrete example of a translation that seems to have neglected the linguistic and literary dimension and has focussed instead purely on the level of plot. Translators have a variety of approaches and attitudes to their work, and their opinions on what one can or cannot write for children change not only from one period of time to another, but also from country to country and within the various language communities in between. It is difficult, if not impossible, to give an unequivocal response to the question of what constitutes a good translation.

Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren