Entre mundos: espacio, movimiento e imagen en “Le Chameau et les Bâtons Flottants”. Una aproximación paratraductiva y multimodal Between Worlds: Space, Motion, and Image in Le Chameau et les Bâtons Flottants: A Paratranslational and Multimodal Approach

Abstract

This study examines Jean de La Fontaine’s fable Le Chameau et les Bâtons Flottants from two interrelated perspectives: the verbal and the visual. Our analysis focuses on the dynamic interaction between the original text and its illustrations, including later translated and adapted versions. We investigate how visual representations do more than merely accompany the written narrative; they actively contribute to reshaping and expanding its meaning. The illustrations serve as interpretive tools that mediate the reader’s understanding of key themes, character dynamics, and spatial configurations. From a visual standpoint, particular attention is given to how illustrations change across translations, revealing cultural variations in the representation of space and movement. These modifications are not neutral; they influence the reader’s perception of the fable’s setting and the symbolic implications of its narrative. This phenomenon is explored through the lens of paratranslation, a concept that emphasizes how translation encompasses not only linguistic transfer but also the adaptation of visual and spatial elements. Within this framework, the fable’s images emerge as a crucial site of cultural negotiation, where physical and symbolic spaces are reimagined. By analyzing various illustrated editions (including the notable Russian version with Marc Chagall’s artwork), we observe how certain illustrations reinterpret or even omit narrative elements, thus generating new layers of meaning. The absence, for instance, of the camel in Chagall’s image challenges the textual focal point and prompts a reconfiguration of narrative space and emotional tone. Ultimately, this research argues that illustrated versions of the fable construct a multimodal discourse in which text and image co-create meaning. The visual adaptations not only reflect but also reshape the fable’s didactic function by mediating cultural codes and aesthetic sensibilities. Through this comparative, paratranslational approach, we highlight the transformative role of visuality in literary transmission, offering a deeper understanding of how narrative space, perception, and cultural identity are negotiated across languages and artistic media.