VERSIONARI NEL DUEMILA? RIFLESSIONI SULLE PRATICHE TRADUTTIVE DALLE LINGUE CLASSICHE NEI TRIENNI LICEALI

Abstract

This paper surveys the issue of translating from Ancient Greek and Latin to Italian as an educational practice employed in certain kinds of curricula within the Italian Secondary School system, with specific reference to the workbooks (versionari) involved in the learning process. After a brief excursus over the main issues and debates on the role of translation within Classical education, the paper examines the last workbooks adopted in the Humanistic High School (Liceo Classico) after the 2018 school reform (D.M. 769 – 26th November 2018) that changed procedures and topics of the translation test included in the Humanistic High School’s final. The overview of this kind of workbooks intends to point out their most problematic aspects, which could have contributed to the increasing lack of interest and competence of students in ancient languages and literatures. Finally, the paper aims to suggest possible solutions to these issues and bring attention to the risk of losing the educational, political, and social value of the translation practice.