Greasy Scummy Sumps: Translating Specialized Terminology in Detective Fiction

Abstract

Fictional texts that include specialized terminology present a significant challenge for literary translators. Although such terms are grounded in factual precision, they can also be used in highly expressive ways. For instance, Raymond Chandler employed oil industry terminology—such as bull wheel, derrick, oil field, scum, walking-beam, and especially sump—in his first novel The Big Sleep (1939), embedding them in intentionally artistic prose marked by alliteration, parallel structures, and repetition. The novel has been translated into Spanish multiple times (El sueño eterno, 1947, 1948?, 1958, 1972, and 2001), allowing for a comparative analysis of how different translators tackled this challenge. While all published translations show a reduced frequency of repetition and inconsistent co-textual usage of terminology—including the use of non-equivalent terms, omissions, and errors—these shortcomings are often qualitatively offset by the creative reproduction of alliterative features and the addition of other literary devices. This study, which examines a rarely explored aspect of literary translation, demonstrates that translators are aware of the importance of domain-specific language in literature and can successfully strike a balance between technical precision and literary expression. For those theorists who view literary and technical translation as distinct disciplines, the findings suggest that literary translators often bridge this gap with both accuracy and stylistic sophistication.