Polskie adaptacje zagranicznych atlasów geograficznych na przełomie XX i XXI wieku

Na tle dużej aktywności polskich wydawców w zakresie adaptacji obcych atlasów geograficznych w ostatniej dekadzie XX wieku i pierwszej dekadzie XXI wieku, w artykule omówiono różne podejścia do adaptacji, podejmując próbę ich pogrupowania i nazwania. Ponadto omówiono użyteczność i poprawność kartograficzną adaptowanych publikacji z punktu widzenia polskiego użytkownika oraz podstawowe problemy związane ze stosowaniem polskiego nazewnictwa geograficznego, ale również układem, zakresem treści i symboliką, której spodziewa się polski użytkownik.

Adaptation of foreign cartographic works is the constant practice of publishing industry. Its greatest popularity dates back to the period of the Partitions of Poland (1795–1918), as well as to the time that followed the systemic transition of 1989, but the lowest popularity concerns the times of the Second Republic of Poland and the period of the Polish People Republic. Apogee of issuing the adapted works in Poland dates back to the turn of the twentieth and twenty- -first centuries. The objects of the study were the atlases of general use adapted to the Polish readers at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The main objective of this research was brought to the determination a degree of adjustment of foreign publications for the needs of a Polish customer in the context of cartographical principles, as well as to the attempt of classification and naming the kinds of adaptation. From this perspective, it was interesting to find out which elements of atlas and map content were severely changed to adapt to the Polish users and to what extent the structure of atlas and the content of maps were modified. It was also interesting to identify the substantive problems encountered by Polish cartographers and to show the errors, before which they failed to protect themselves. The paper versions of school atlases, pocket atlases and general geographic atlases were analyzed. The analysis of the collected materials pointed out the similarities in the activities of publishers. Certain compounds emerged between a range of changes made to an original work and a profile of publishing house, especially in the scope of its earlier cartographic experience and market position. In any case, regardless the type of atlas, Polish translation of a text layer, i.e. the geographical names, and explanations in legends, appeared. Two types of adaptation due to the scope of changes made by the Polish publishers were distinguished: basic and complex. A basic adaptation is the translation of a publication into Polish without any interference with the structure of a work or any correction of the substantive errors. A complex adaptation consists of the translation of the text layer and the introduction of a newly developed specific part regarding Poland and replacing the pages with presentation of a country, from which the original work is. Moreover several common mistakes that appeared in the adapted atlases were identified. Proper elaboration of geographical names was identified as the greatest difficulty in preparing the adaptations of atlases.