A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
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STILL TWO SOLITUDES? TRANSLATION OF MANIFESTOS AND POLITICAL PLATFORMS IN QUEBEC ANISSA DONNA-MARIE BACHAN A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TRANSLATION STUDIES YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO AUGUST 2017 © ANISSA DONNA-MARIE BACHAN, 2017 ABSTRACT How can translation reinforce or challenge the dominant discourse circulating in a society? In Canada, a divide separates French from English Canadians and stereotypes about these ‘two solitudes’ tend to be echoed in media discourse. By examining how English newspapers report on two text genres—manifestos and platforms—produced in Quebec, this thesis contributes to the literature on ideology and translation, specifically studies that employ Critical Discourse Analysis. Focusing on rhetorical features of manifestos, the main objective of this research is to test a methodology for analyzing translation shifts. Between French and English versions, features related to identity revealed the most variation across each text genre. Empirically, this analysis also demonstrates that for English newspapers the national question obscures other issues in Quebec politics. Overall, this research confirms that translation of political texts can serve to reproduce stereotypes that maintain unequal power relations between dominant and non-dominant groups. KEYWORDS: manifesto, platform, Translation Studies, Critical Discourse Analysis, ideology, newspaper translation ii. For my parents, Ramesh & Ann Marie Bachan iii. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To everyone who expressed support, please know that your kindness made all the difference. These pages could easily be filled with your encouraging words. I am particularly grateful to the members of my committee for their valuable and comprehensive guidance. Thank you to: my supervisor Candace Séguinot, for your patience, for knowing how to motivate me, and for everything you did to see this thesis to completion. Julie McDonough Dolmaya, for your unwavering support throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies. You were there at the very beginning of this project, and I am thrilled that you were able to be by my side at the end. Christina Schäffner, for the expertise and the insight that helped me improve this research. Over the years, I have been fortunate to be a part of—and to learn from others in— the Glendon community. While many have helped me along this journey, I would especially like to thank María Constanza Guzmán and Libbie Mangerel for their guidance. Un grand merci to Jacqueline Angoh for your constant support and dedication to the students. To the staff at the Leslie Frost Library and Graduate Student Affairs, your cordiality made research and administrative matters pleasant beyond hope. I would also like to express my appreciation for the funding provided by the Joseph-Armand Bombardier scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. To the peers who have strived and celebrated alongside me, thank you for continuing to provide inspiration. Rachel and Sara, it would be impossible to express how much your advice and encouragement have bolstered me. I remain thankful for our many discussions, excursions and continued friendship. I could not have succeeded without the immense support of my friends and family. Marianne, thank you for keeping me centred, motivated and, most importantly, caffeinated. Michel, j’ai apprécié énormément nos après-midi passés en français. Gisèle, merci infiniment pour tout le soutien que tu m’as donné pendant mes années d’études. My parents have always been my pillars of strength and my guiding lights. Among numerous gifts, thank you, Dad, for sharing your love of words; and Mom, for teaching me the value of diligence. I am also indebted to my closest confidants, Aneil, for being a tremendous role model and always knowing how to make me laugh; and Nadine, for believing in me every step of the way. You went above and beyond just to keep me going and I will never forever it. And, finally, thank you to Jack. With you by my side, anything is possible. iv. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ...................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................. x INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER ONE: Text Genres ...................................................................... 4 1.1 Social Movement Manifestos ................................................................ 4 1.1.1 Main Features ................................................................................... 5 1.1.1.1 Categorization ........................................................................... 5 1.1.1.2 Positioning ................................................................................. 5 1.1.1.3 Prophecies ................................................................................. 6 1.1.1.4 Urgency ..................................................................................... 6 1.1.1.5 War and Siege Metaphors .......................................................... 6 1.1.2 Other Features .................................................................................. 6 1.1.2.1 Title ........................................................................................... 7 1.1.2.2 ‘High Manifesto’ ........................................................................ 7 1.1.2.3 Form ......................................................................................... 7 1.1.3 Manifestos and Translation ............................................................... 8 1.2 Party Platforms ................................................................................... 11 1.2.1 Features Related to Social Movement Manifestos ............................ 12 1.2.1.1 Categorization ......................................................................... 12 1.2.1.2 Positioning ............................................................................... 12 1.2.1.3 War and Siege Metaphors ........................................................ 12 1.2.2 Platforms and Translation ............................................................... 13 1.3 Differences between Manifestos and Platforms ................................. 14 CHAPTER TWO: Background Information ............................................... 16 2.1 Brief History of Quebec ....................................................................... 16 2.1.1 Becoming a Nation .......................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Sovereignty ..................................................................................... 18 2.1.3 Constitution Issues ......................................................................... 19 2.1.4 Language Policies ............................................................................ 21 2.2 Contemporary Quebec ......................................................................... 22 2.2.1 Reasonable Accommodation ............................................................ 22 2.2.2 Sovereignty and Multi-Party System ................................................ 24 v. CHAPTER THREE: Theoretical Framework and Methodology ................ 26 3.1 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) ....................................................... 26 3.1.1 Ideology ........................................................................................... 26 3.1.2 Text ................................................................................................. 27 3.1.3 Discourse ........................................................................................ 27 3.1.3.1 Media Discourse ...................................................................... 28 3.2 CDA and Translation Studies .............................................................. 29 3.2.1 Studies on Newspaper Translation .................................................. 31 3.2.1.1 Canadian Media Translation .................................................... 34 3.2.1.2 Terminology Issues .................................................................. 36 3.3 Methodology: CDA of Multiple Versions ............................................. 36 3.3.1 Data Selection ................................................................................. 37 3.3.2 Analysis of Features ........................................................................ 41 3.3.3 Context ........................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER FOUR: Analysis of Social Movement Manifestos ................... 46 4.1 Pour un Québec lucide’s manifesto .................................................... 46 4.1.1 Background Information ................................................................. 46 4.1.2 Analysis of Features .......................................................................