Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669

Translating Maxim Gorky’s The Mother in Odia

Aditya Kumar Panda

Introduction: of young Odia writers assembled to discuss about Twentieth century literature has been various philosophies in relation to history, society deeply influenced by Russian Marxism and and literature. This assembly was known as the enriched by both the original writing and by Naba Juga Sahitya Sansad (The New Age translation. In 20th century Odia literature, it Literary Society) which was associated with the emerged in 30s and 40s. During this period, All India Progressive Writer’s Meeting in Communist Party was formed in Odisha, Lucknow in 1936. Russian Marxist writers had progressive literary trend started with the writings a great influence on them. The emergence of such of Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi, Nabakrushna progressive tradition was concretized with the Choudhury and Ananta Patnaik and by many other advent of a periodical, named, Adhunika. Popular writers. During this period, the influence of Maxim progressive figures like Maxim Gorky, Jawaharlal Gorky on Odia writers could be witnessed and Nehru were given importance in this periodical. his The Mother was translated into Odia in early It had also published an Odia translation of seventies by Ananta Patnaik which was published Nehru’s writings. Maxim Gorky came to Odia by Friends Publishers. The Odia translation of The literature concretely through the Adhunika. Mother by Ananta Patnaik and his translation Nabakrushna Choudhury, Bhagabati Charan strategies implicate the social realities in Russia Panigrahi and Ananta Patnaik were the forerunners and prompt the Odia readers to think, to question of the progressive literature in Odia. Bhagabati the established capitalistic class. Charan Panigrahi also played a pivotal role in the establishment of Communist Party in Odisha in Discussion: 1938. 40s to 70s was a period when Marxist Maxim Gorky’s The Mother, Foma ideas were getting grounded in Odia literature and Gordeyev, Three of Them were translated into Odia life. Anant Patnaik was a revolutionary Odia Indian languages extensively in 60s and 70s, writer who was an active writer of progressive although the influence of Marxist thoughts ushered literature in Odia. Most of his writings depict the in the early 20th century in India. In Odisha, such picture of downtrodden, struggling lives in Odisha influence could be traced in mid- 40s when a new with a voice to question the authority. He progressive trend was started in Odisha. A group translated Maxim Gorky’s The Mother in Odia

April - 2017 97 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review in early seventies. This translation was well- ladheire lahuluhaan hoijaanti appreciated and popular for which he got the sabu…………….(pp.5) Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1965. As both the Chirichaari jaai kutukutaa hoithaaye original writer and the translator were influenced lugaapataagudika| nesi hoijaaithaaye by the Marxist ideas and wanted change in the kaaduare, dhulire | aakhire aakhire baahaari society, the reason behind the original, The padithaaye kalaashiraa sabu | (pp.5) Mother and its Odia translation, Maa is same. Ananta Patnaik’s translation of Gorky’s The Aau emitikaa, thik emitikaa jeebana thilaa Mother reads like an original Odia novel. The Michael Vlasovra | raagagaragara fanafaniaa translator had the same skopus as the original muhan, baalabaaluaa deha, kaarakhaanaara author had. Gorky's novel is based on the May mistritie se|(pp.7) Day demonstration of workers in Sormovo in Odaaliaa menchi menchi aduaataduaa 1902 and the trial of its workers. The question baalagudiku taara aaunsi aaunsi angulire may come to a reader’s mind regarding its khelaauthaae maa |(pp.16) relevance in Odisha as it got translated and The translator is creative in his use of Odia published in Odia. The situation of working class adjectives in the translation. has a universal appeal across the globe. They are exploited not only in Russia but also in other As for examples: pach pach kaadua, niduaa countries. Ananta Patnaik’s translation informed niduaa, khaaskhaasuaa, karkashiaa the Odia readers about the struggling working The translator has retained the Russian names in class. As we know that, he is not only a translator Odia which are there in the original novel viz. as but also a poet, an activist, he wanted to give for examples: Michael Vlasov, Pelagueya confidence to the downtrodden exploited Nelovna, Pavel, Natasha, Andrey marginalized class, so that they would raise voice against the exploitation and question its established The translator has used both trends. domestication and foreignization strategies in the translation. The degree of domestication is more The translator has used many Odia as he has only retained the Russian names and colloquial expressions with a fluent style that gives places in Odia. As the novel was set up in a the reader a smooth reading of the translation. particular socio-political situation, and the As for examples: translator was to make his readers aware of the same with an effective style, he had to retain the Paadatale pach pach kaadua, niduaa niduaa, names and places in Odia. The Odia translation sukhilaa khaaskhaasuaa galaare karkasiaa could be considered as an activist literary piece, dakaadaki (pp.3) as the translator had to prompt an action by the Dengaa dengaa kaaliaa chimnigudaaka oppressed marginalized class. It was a serious khaadaa khaadaa chhidaa hoithaae basti logical work to show the oppressed class that in upare. (pp.3) Russia it is possible, why not in Odisha. He could Paraspara uparaku kudipadanti, have completely domesticated the work, but by dharaadhari, maraamari, haataahaati domesticating it completely situated the work

98 April - 2017 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 somewhere it has not happened, it becomes an References: abstract metaphor that the translator does not Das, Chittaranjan, 2003, Odia Sahityara Itihas: Samajika- want it to be. Sanskrutika Bhittibhumi, Pathika Prakashani: Conclusion: Bhubaneswar Pati, Biswamoy, 2001, Situating Social History: Orissa, Translating Gorky’s The Mother in Odia 1800-1997 (New Perspectives in South Asian History), not only depicts the socio-political situation of Orient Blackswan Russia but also it signals the oppressed voices to Sherlock, Stephen. "Berlin, Moscow and Bombay: The voice against the exploitation. It does not lead Marxism that India Inherited." South Asia: Journal of the readers to an impossible utopia. It makes the South Asian Studies 21.1 (1998): 63-76 marginalized class aware of their real situation. Simon, Sherry, and Paul St-Pierre. 2002, Changing the This translation makes Ananta Patnaik a terms: Translating in the post-colonial era. Orient revolutionary translator who wants a change and Blackswan who wants to end up the oppression that has been Patnaik, Jitendra Narayan, 2008, Oriya Novels in the there directly or indirectly by the ruling class and 1930s and 1940s in Odisha Review, September-October: by the system established by them. Interestingly, pp 73-78 there is another Odia version of Gorky’s The Mother which was translated by Baisnab Charan Parida and published by Vidyapuri in 1998. It is a research-worthy area to explore by doing a Aditya Kumar Panda, National Translation Mission, comparative study of both the versions. Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore-570006.

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