Un "Krimi" à mettre entre toutes les mains : la traduction d’Une Piste dans le port (1942) de Georg von der Vring

Abstract

This article examines a specific, non-representative case of crime fiction translated in France in order to shed light, by contrast, on the workings of the publishing field. Die Spur im Hafen (1936) by Georg von der Vring was published in the series “Le Masque” in 1942, within a precise political and commercial framework. Albert Pigasse’s publishing house had specialized in British detective novels, but under German occupation it was compelled to alter its editorial line. Why was this particular novel chosen, and what did it mean to translate a Krimi in such a context? The article first traces the history of “Le Masque” until its suspension in 1942. The series had established the English-style detective novel in France—sometimes in opposition to Germany—and sought to confer literary dignity upon the genre. Its editorial program promised novels ‘to be placed in everyone’s hands.’ From 1940 onwards, translations became less frequent, and the appearance and tone of the books shifted. The article then turns to von der Vring’s novel itself to identify the reasons behind its translation: it was a work favored by the authorities, a bestseller in Germany, and marked by ideological indeterminacy. Far from being straightforward propaganda, Die Spur im Hafen lends itself to a double reading. Finally, the article examines Marguerite Vabre’s translation, characterized by a process of Frenchification and a leveling of the characters, as well as numerous cuts that eliminate the love story in order to conform to the (French) expectations of the English-style detective novel. Moreover, these deletions diminish the political ambiguity, even though distortions of meaning between the two texts remain possible.