“Elle Vient De Loin La Chanson” Afri-Frans As a Product of Cultural Exportation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
“Elle vient de loin la chanson” Afri-Frans as a product of cultural exportation Marion Strohwald Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Translation at the University of Stellenbosch Supervisor: Professor A.E. Feinauer March 2013 i Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis/dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. ................................................................. Marion Strohwald March 2013 Copyright © 2013 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Despite the fact that intertextuality is regarded as an established concept in the field of literary studies, research regarding the role of intertextuality within translation studies is relatively limited. In studies concerned with the problematic nature of the relationship between intertextuality and translation, the majority of scholars focus on the rendering of intertextual references that figure in the source text, while the use of intertextuality in the target text is often overlooked. This study addresses this latter facet of intertextuality by looking at the Afri-Frans translation project, and the way in which intertextuality is intentionally used in the target text. Conceptualised by Matthys Maree, the Afri-Frans project concerns the translation of thirteen Afrikaans songs into French, with the aim of introducing the Afrikaans culture abroad. The project is therefore concerned not only with the translation of the Afrikaans language, but also with the translation of the Afrikaans culture. Therefore Venuti‟s strategies of domestication and foreignisation are applied as theoretical basis of this study. These strategies are discussed in Chapter 3, together with other translation theory focused specifically on the functionalist approach, as well as the interaction between translation and culture. These translation theories are supplemented by a discussion of theories on intertextuality in Chapter 4. This thesis investigates the effect that target text intertexts have on translation, specifically with regard to domestication and foreignisation, so doing determining the potential of intertextuality as a translation tool. In order to establish whether the (Afrikaans) source text culture is properly represented in the (French) target text, the microstructural analysis, in Chapter 5, looks at specific textual fragments and the translation of culture- specific items. The macrostructural analysis, in Chapter 6, is concerned with extratextual analysis, where the focus is on intertextual, paratextual and metatextual aspects. These analyses show that translation inevitably involves a compromise between domesticating and foreignising strategies. Even though microstructural translation methods in Afri-Frans tend to domesticate, intertextuality shows promise as an effective translation tool with the potential to connect the target text audience with the source text culture, thereby bridging the two cultures. The use of intertextuality in translation enables the translator to remain loyal to both the source text culture and target text audience by providing the target text audience with interpretable cultural frames within which the source text culture can be better understood. iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Ten spyte daarvan dat intertekstualiteit as ʼn gevestigde konsep in die letterkunde beskou word, is navorsing wat die rol van intertekstualiteit in vertaling betref, redelik beperk. In studies oor die problematiese aard van die verhouding tussen intertekstualiteit en vertaling, is die hooffokus op die vertaling van intertekstuele verwysings wat in die bronteks voorkom, terwyl die gebruik van intertekstualiteit in die doelteks tot op hede nog min aandag gekry het. Hierdie studie hanteer laasgenoemde aspek van intertekstualiteit deur meer aandag te skenk aan die Afri-Frans vertaalprojek, en die manier waarop intertekstualiteit doelbewus in die doelteks gebruik word. Die Afri-Frans projek, geesteskind van Matthys Maree, behels die vertaling van dertien Afrikaanse liedjies in Frans, en beoog om die Afrikaanse kultuur aan die buiteland bekend te stel. Die projek onderneem dus om nie net die Afrikaanse taal te vertaal nie, maar ook die Afrikaanse kultuur. Venuti se strategieë van domestikering en vervreemding word om hierdie rede as die teoretiese grondslag vir hierdie studie gebruik. Hierdie vertaalstrategieë word in hoofstuk 3 bespreek, tesame met ander vertaalteorie wat spesifiek gefokus is op die funksionalistiese benadering, asook die wisselwerking tussen vertaling en kultuur. Hierdie vertaalteorieë word aangevul deur ‟n bespreking van teorieë oor intertekstualiteit in hoofstuk 4. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die effek van doelteksintertekste op vertaling, veral met betrekking tot domestikering en vervreemding, om sodoende die potensiaal van intertekstualiteit as ʼn vertaalhulpmiddel te bepaal. Ten einde te bepaal of die (Afrikaanse) brontekskultuur bevredigend verteenwoordig word in die (Franse) doelteks, kyk die mikrostrukturele analise, in hoofstuk 5, na die vertaling van kultuurspesifieke items. Die makrostrukturele analise, in hoofstuk 6, behels ‟n ekstratekstuele analise, waartydens die intertekstuele, paratekstuele en metatekstuele aspekte ondersoek word. Hierdie analises wys dat vertaling onvermydelik ʼn kompromie tussen domestikering- en vervreemdingstrategieë vereis. Ten spyte daarvan dat mikrostrukturele vertaalmetodes in Afri-Frans geneig is om te domestikeer, blyk intertekstualiteit ʼn effektiewe vertaalhulpmiddel te wees met die potensiaal om die doelteksgehoor te verbind met die brontekskultuur, en sodoende dien dit as ʼn brug tussen die twee kulture. Die gebruik van intertekstualiteit in vertaling stel die vertaler in staat om getrou te bly aan sowel die brontekskultuur as die doelteksgehoor, deur die doelteksgehoor te voorsien van verstaanbare kultuurraamwerke waardeur die brontekskultuur beter verstaan kan word. iv Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements There are a number of people without whose support this study could not have been realised, and to whom I am greatly indebted. Dr A. Lourens, for her sage advice and guidance through the web of intertextual theories. To my supervisor, Professor A.E. Feinauer, my deepest and sincere gratitude. For her expert advice, detailed and constructive criticism, comprehensive knowledge and unparalleled proofreading skills. The staff of the JS Gericke Library, for ensuring that every visit to the library was successful. And in particular the staff of the Special Collections section, who made me love the library even more. My family, who have always indulged my bookworm peculiarities and put up with the endless range of books that have been on birthday and Christmas wish lists ever since I could read. And for loving me nevertheless. Lelani and Annemarie – because very few people are lucky enough to have their sisters as their best friends. My parents, Heinz and Marianne, for their unwavering love, support and encouragement. Not only in the writing of this study but throughout my life. And for teaching me that some of life‟s greatest treasures can be found in the pages of a book or in the lines of a song. v Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Table of contents DECLARATION - - - - - - - - ii ABSTRACT - - - - - - - - - - iii OPSOMMING - - - - - - - - - iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - - - - - - - - v “Neem my hand en vat my saam”1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction - - - - - - - 1 1.1 Background of the study - - - - - 1 1.2 Problem statement - - - - - - 1 1.3 Previous research - - - - - - 3 1.4 Research questions - - - - - - 5 1.5 Methodology - - - - - - - 6 1.6 Summary - - - - - - - 7 “En die Waalpad help jou as jy huis toe gaan” CHAPTER 2: Focus on the source text - - - - - 8 2.1 Afri role players - - - - - - 8 2.1.1 Matthys Maree – creator - - - - - 8 2.1.2 Naòmi Morgan – translator - - - - - 9 2.1.3 Myra Maud – singer - - - - - - 11 2.2 The Afri series - - - - - - - 12 2.3 The Afri-Frans project: inspiration and aim - - - 13 2.3.1 Inspiration - - - - - - - 14 2.3.2 Aim - - - - - - - - 14 2.4 Song selection for Afri-Frans - - - - - 17 2.5 The translation process - - - - - 18 “Opgesluit in wit en swart” CHAPTER 3: Theoretical approaches to translation - - - 21 3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - 21 1 In an attempt to illustrate the way in which intertexts can be recognised, the chapter titles used in this study reflect lyric lines taken from the source text. These titles serve the function of demonstrating the mechanisms behind reader recognition of an intertext, as well as summarising the content of the chapter in question. Relevant information of the intertext is provided in a footnote at the beginning of each chapter. vi Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za 3.2 Equivalence in translation - - - - - 22 3.3 The functionalist approach to translation - - - 23 3.3.1 The skopos theory - - - - - - 25 3.3.2 The translation brief - - - - - - 26 3.3.2.1 Loyalty - - - - - - - 28 3.3.3 Afri-Frans skopos - - - - - - 28 3.4 Synopsis - - - - - - - 29