frbd1-4, Exercise 3: Why the Smurfs and Lucky Luke travelled

Model answer (check the details):

Why exportable:
- Both have a simple premise that can be grasped without local knowledge: small blue creatures in a village; a cowboy who shoots faster than his shadow.
- Visual comedy and clear characters carry much of the humour.
- Lucky Luke borrows a setting (the American West) that is already familiar worldwide, so the parody is understood.
- The Smurfs can be adapted to television and merchandise, which extended their reach.

Gains in translation: the stories find audiences in many languages, and the American setting of Lucky Luke often fits well with American readers.

Losses: the Smurfs' trick of replacing words by "schtroumpf" depends on the grammar of each language, so translators have to rebuild the joke (check how it was done in English). The wordplay, local jokes and historical in-jokes in Lucky Luke are partly lost, and the Belgian view of the American West as an outsider's parody changes meaning for American readers.

Care: sales and translation facts need checking against publishers' records.