International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation (IJLLT) ISSN: 2617-0299 the Retranslation of Non
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International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation (IJLLT) ISSN: 2617-0299 www.ijllt.org The Retranslation of non-Literary Texts: a Review Study Dr. Ayman Haj Yasin Assistant Professor of Translation at the Department of English Language and Literature Taiba University, KSA Correspondence Author: Dr. Ayman Haj Yasin, E-mail: [email protected] ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Received: December 20, 2018 This article aims at reviewing three major studies in the Translation Studies on Accepted: January 15, 2018 the retranslation of non-literary texts, an unexplored field of research. These Published: January 31, 2019 major contributions were conducted by Susam-Sarajeva (2003), Flotow (2009) Volume: 2 and Song (2012). It is argued in this study that the field of Translation Studies Issue: 1 can benefit much from the perspective suggested by these researchers. The DOI: 10.32996/ijllt.2019.2.1.16 retranslations of non-literary texts are better seen when located within the KEYWORDS socio-cultural and historical conditions that have shaped their re-production in the translating language and culture. In other words, the retranslation of such Translation, retranslation, first texts is better explained by specific contexts and conditions in the target translation(s), rarity of language than by the source texts or the poor quality of ‘first translations’. retranslation 1- INTRODUCTION well as the complex relationships between Retranslation is the repeated translation of a given retranslation on one hand, and the source text and text into the same language, or as Koskinen and first translation on the other hand. According to a Paloposki put it, “a second or later translation of a common explanation, retranslations are undertaken to single source text into the same target language” "restore" first translations which tend to be (2010: 294). As a topic in its own right, this assimilated and defective (Berman, 1992). Another phenomenon has recently received interest in the common explanation states that translations emerge field of translation studies (Berman (1990); Pym to reintroduce the foreign text because first (1998); Venuti, 2004). However, it is still, generally translation(s) of the same text have become obsolete. speaking, an unexplored field of research. The main These two explanations have their roots in the focus of the research done on retranslation has been traditional thought of retranslation, but have recently on literary texts, particularly classical literary texts. become a subject of criticism (Venuti, 2003; Susam- Little has been said about the retranslation of Sarajeva 2003, Brownlie 2006, Hanna 2006; Song, philosophical and theoretical texts (Susam-Sarajeva 2012; Flotow, 2009). A new wave of research on (2003) and Flotow, (2009)). The main objective of retranslation has emphasized its complicated nature, this study is to contribute to the discussion of the and the need for more sophisticated explanations for retranslation of non-literary texts through reviewing it in light of the agency of translation as well as the and evaluating the most important studies on this socio-cultural and political factors in which topic in the literature. retranslations are produced. The following sections review these developments. Three studies of the 2-LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLGY retranslation of non-literary texts are reviewed in the With the dominance of prescriptivism in Translation following sections, showing clearly that retranslation Studies, retranslation was ignored as a topic in its of such texts is, like the retranslation of literary texts, own right. Retranslations, as pointed out, “often serve a complicated phenomenon that is better seen in a as case studies illuminating other aspects of broader context, socially, culturally and historically. translational research rather than drawing attention onto themselves as a topic in itself” (2003: 2). But I take this research to be a review study that is mainly with the demise of prescriptivism and emergence of concerned with summarizing the current state of Descriptive Translation Studies and cultural understanding on the retranslation of non-literary approaches, retranslation has been seen as an texts in the literature. It surveys and summarizes important topic in its own right, opening the door for previously published studies, evaluating their new questions and new areas of research. contribution to the literature, and pointing to gaps and The research on retranslation revolved around limitations, if any. understanding the motivation for this phenomenon as The Retranslation of non-Literary Texts: a Review Study Three Major Contributions in the Literature and culture in which they work) and of a sub-system, The term "non-literary texts" is usually used to refer that is, a field of research and translation such as to all texts that fall outside of literature such as literary studies and translation in a particular time scientific and philosophical texts. As some scholars and place. The sub-system has its own laws, and it is have pointed out, the retranslation of non-literary mainly the product of those who are involved in it texts is seldom discussed in the field of translation such as scholars, critics, translators, patrons of studies (Koskinen and Paloposki, 2010: 295). This translation and publishers as well as its own history applies to the most retranslated religious texts such as and development. But this sub-system is also affected the Bible and the Qur’an. 85 by the major system (for example, the political situation in a particular culture). Translated theories A recently published research on the retranslation of and terminologies are not only likely to be affected the Qur’an in Japanese by Damanhoury (2015) is an by the receiving system, but also by the relationship exception to this. A focus on literary texts can be between the receiving system and the source system. accounted for by the fact that most research done on Furthermore, Susam-Sarajeva studied the translation retranslations has been undertaken on classical and retranslation of Barthes, and Cixous into Turkish literary texts. It is argued that this is because and English respectively, in order to understand the retranslation and literary canon formation are motivations for retranslation in both settings, and the mutually dependent as retranslation helps texts impact of the receiving system as well as the achieve the status of a classic, and the status of a relationship between the source and receiving classic often promotes further retranslations systems on the retranslated texts. The study of two (Koskinen and Paloposki: ibid). cases of retranslation with reference to two different receiving systems, the Turkish and the Anglo- This section reviews three important studies on the American, is deliberately designed by Susam- retranslation of non-literary texts. The first discusses Sarajeva to yield specific purposes: the retranslation of theoretical texts of Barthes and All resemblances aside, the reception of French Cixous from French into Turkish and English feminism in Anglo-America and of structuralism and respectively by Susam-Sarajeva (2003). The second semiotics in Turkey cannot be too similar; not only study was conducted by Flotow (2009) on the because the works, authors, translators, retranslation into English of the French feminist commissioners, publishers, and readers involved are Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. The third not alike, but also because “the symmetries and study by Song (2012) deals with a classical military asymmetries of linguistic and geopolitical power”, treatise known as The Art of War translated and and “the historical-cultural relationships” between retranslated from Chinese into English. These three French and Anglo-American systems on the one studies deal with different non-literary texts, but hand, and French and Turkish systems on the other, share a great deal of common methodology or are “vastly different” (cf. Gupta 1998:182). (Susam- perspective as they are all attempt to locate Sarajeva, 2001: 1) retranslation in the socio-cultural and ideological settings of translation. The translation of literary criticism theories from the West in general and from French in particular into Retranslating Barthes and Cixous Turkish took the form of one way importation, where One of the most influential studies on the literary criticism theories and terminologies were retranslation of theoretical texts is Susam-Sarajeva’s imported from French and English and then (2003) study of the translation and retranslation of incorporated into Turkish in order to create a new the French theorist and literary critic Roland Barthes local discourse of literary criticism in this language into Turkish and the translation and retranslation of and culture. In this context, translation was seen as a the work of the French feminist Hélène Cixous into key factor in this process, that is, as a means of English. In these two cases, the topic of retranslation creating a new theoretical and critical study of was part of an overall project that aims to study the literature via the incorporation of Western theories migration of different theories (structuralism, and terminologies into the receiving system poststructuralism, feminism) from one language and (Turkish). The new theoretical and critical discourse culture into different languages and cultures, and how was developing in the receiving system, which means translation operates within these boundaries. Theories that the imported theories