An ongoing translation of the letters of the Jesuit mission in Japan

Abstract

This article presents the first results of a research on the letters of the first Jesuits in the 16th century Japan. The theoretical-methodological framework is the Linguistic Historiography with contributions of the Textual Criticism and the Translation Studies: Koerner (1995), Swiggers (2004), Cambraia (2005), Milton (2010). The research material is The Japanese Letters, in Latin: Epistolae iapanicae, edited in 1569 by Rutger Velpius (ca. 1540-1614 / 15) for the University of Leuven, organized with an introduction, prologues and marginal subheadings by Hannardus de Gameren Mosaeus (1530-1569). The work had the patronage of Alberto V, Duke of Bavaria (1528-1579). Up to now, nine prefaces have been mapped, transcribed and translated; from the prefaces, and through the subheadings, it was found some relevant information to the research objectives.