An Analysis of Translation Strategies in The Square Around Forest by Ervin Lázár, Translated by Andrew C. Rouse - Acta Universitatis Sapientiae

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica, 17, 3 (2025) 176–187

DOI: 10.47745/ausp-2025-0038

Abstract. This paper examines the translation strategies employed by Andrew C. Rouse in his English version of A Négyszögletű Kerek Erdő by Ervin Lázár, titled The Square Around Forest. Ervin Lázár, a beloved figure in Hungarian children’s literature, is known for his inventive use of language, including neologisms, onomatopoeia, paradoxical phrases, and stylized child language. The paper focuses on how these linguistic features are adapted into English, with special attention to the paradox of the title, and the playful, semantically rich names of characters such as Mikkamakka, Vacskamati, and Dömdödöm. Drawing on theories of nonsense literature and sound symbolism, the analysis demonstrates how Rouse uses rhythmic patterns, childlike phrasing, and culturally resonant nonsense structures to recreate the whimsical, surreal tone of the original.The translator’s creative decisions reflect a functional and stylistic equivalence, ensuring that Lázár’s linguistic play survives and thrives in the English translation.

Keywords: Ervin Lázár, children’s literature, literary translation, nonsense literature, Andrew C. Rouse