Translatability of “Robinson Crusoe”: 300 Years Adventure in Time and Space
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Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 5 (2018 11) 814-822 ~ ~ ~ УДК 81.33 Translatability of “Robinson Crusoe”: 300 Years Adventure in Time and Space Veronica A. Razumovskaya* Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia Received 29.03.2018, received in revised form 13.04.2018, accepted 26.04.2018 The article deals with the creation and functioning issues of the secondary versions of literary texts. The main attention is paid to interlingual and intersemiotic translations of “strong” texts of culture. The paper explores fundamental assumption of meaning production process (“semiosis”) as translation process. Film adaptations are described as the results of cultural and chronological transcoding resulting into various narrative changes. Secondary texts of “Robinson Crusoe” – an outstanding English novel – served as the present research material. Keywords: “strong” literary text, secondary text, literary translation, film adaptation, “Robinson Crusoe”. DOI: 10.17516/1997-1370-0272. Research area: linguistics, culturology. Introduction about cross-literary communication. Among Being a special type of translating activity, all the types of translation it is the literary literary translation, undoubtedly, stays at the one that bares a remarkable resemblance to crossroads of two the most important areas of different arts and creative activities in the human’s creative performance – science and culture. Describing literary translation as a art. At different times this statement has been certain art, translation theorists have never yet constantly voiced by translation theorists and denied its scientific ground. To be more precise, makers (Levý, 1974; Chukovksky, Fedorov, 1930; literary translation can be defined as a unique Etkind, 1970). Crucially contributing to creation combination of science and art, which is hardly and extension of the national and world cultural to be completely separated. Thus, M. Enami, a spaces, literary translation serves to build “our”, theorist of diachronic and synchronic literary “their” and “mutual” culture in recipients and translation, claims that literary translation studies operates in the sphere of cross-lingual, cross- represents a contemporary science that lies at national and cross-cultural communication. the crossing point of philosophy, linguistics, Since this translation is conventionally focused psychology and sociology (Enami, 2001). This on literary texts, it is possible to speak even set of scientific branches, obviously, goes far © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] – 814 – Veronica A. Razumovskaya. Translatability of “Robinson Crusoe”: 300 Years Adventure in Time and Space beyond the list mentioned by M. Enami and can time, it is a process of de-construction – one of the be widened through semiotics, literary studies, main ideas in post-modernism. In this context, systematology, psycholinguistics, theory of W. Benjamin’s comprehension of translation, communication and intersystematic analysis and that has anticipated de-constructivism for numerous other. Apart from these scientific areas, several decades, gains significant importance. A literary translation has productive relationship philosopher and cultural theorist considers the with other range of cultural studies. target text as the most crucial life form of the original – it needs to be translated, it grows and Literary translation as creative continues living there (Benjamin, 1972). Further, process J. Derrida denotes translation (and translations) Literary translation means science, art as the source’s growth momentum (momenta) and translation experience – all at the same (Derrida, 1974). The source text keeps its life time. As for the first point, from the side of in the secondary texts generated in the process translators, the process of translation requires of interpretations through various sign systems particularly deep knowledge of two languages, (according W. Benjamin, they are language cultures and literatures involved and some basic systems mainly). In that way, “strong” cultural methodological approaches implying knowledge and literary texts are most frequently subjected and efficient application of universal scientific to such interpretations – that finally leads to categories in general and of specific theories and emerging extensive centers of translation focus. translation techniques in particular. At the same time, literary translation is recognized as art, since Robinson Crusoe as a “strong” text it insists on essential creativity, literary talent and of literature of culture: good taste to reconstruct the original information interlingual translation review system in the target text. When it succeeds, the Beyond any dispute, one of these texts can original aesthetics rebuilt in the secondary text, be exemplified by Daniel Defoe’s novel The“ Life will be perceived and comprehended by the and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson recipient who is unable to read the original text, Crusoe, Of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and and that to some degree (but not completely) Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island will be similar to the native reader’s perception. on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Translation is reasonably necessary there owing Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on to the fact that the recipient as a rule does not Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished speak the language that the original text is but himself. With An Account how he was at last written in. Such reader both linguistically and as strangely deliver’d by Pyrates” published in extra-linguistically belongs to another (“their”) April, 1719, in London. The novel has two sequels, culture. This fact poses a core (and extremely though the world’s heritage traditionally knows challenging) task for a literary translator – to the original part only. Indeed, it’s “destiny” from create the secondary literary text which would be the perspective of translatability is our subject. able to impress to the recipients that maximum of Robinson Crusoe has taken the world by the original information scope. storm and left a great influence on readers’ minds Thus, in the most general manner, literary as well as on writers’ works. Thus, just within translation can be regarded as some reconstruction the first year after being publicized, the original of the original information complex. At the same (“island” part) was re-published for four times. – 815 – Veronica A. Razumovskaya. Translatability of “Robinson Crusoe”: 300 Years Adventure in Time and Space Such literary and artistic masters as T. Smollett, Later, Robinson gained popularity in the East: the F. Marryat and H. Fielding tried to imitate first Japanese text appeared in 1848, Chinese – D. Defoe’s work. Robinson’s character had a in 1902. At this moment, there are 146 Chinese significant impact on J. Verne’s works. J. Swift versions of this novel (Li, Yao, 2015). The created Gulliver’s Travels to literary compete Turkish translation record of Robinson (including with Robinson. J.-J. Rousseau recommended this the Ottoman Turkish language) started in 1864 novel as merely the one which should educate and contains more than 120 publications made young people. It is noteworthy that Rousseau’s by 30 translators (Karadağ, 2008). The novel Emile, Or On Education has encouraged has been translated in more than 100 foreign translations of Robinson into a number of languages, involving Inuit, Copti, Esperanto European languages. L.N. Tolstoy as well found and Latin. Importantly, such a centuries-old a great educational influence of this novel: more history of interlingual translations of Robinson than once he referred to Robinson and one of the demonstrates examples of different translation teachers at Yasnaya Polyana School outlined the strategies used by the translators due to different novel to achieve academic purposes. A former reasons. Thus, the first Portuguese version (1785) student of this school remarks in his memoir on lacks many episodes of religious content (“zero” how he appreciated this book: “The 2nd and 3rd translation) owing to self-censorship of the had already left the school when we stayed to translator (Henrique Leitão) – he had troubles spend evenings, since Lev Nikolaevich liked to with the Inquisition (Monteiro, 2006). read in evenings. Our favorite book that time was Let’s briefly revise the history of Russian “Robinson Crusoe” (Verzilin, 1953). versions as well. The novel was firstly introduced Over its life, Robinson has become one of to Russia trough the French translation by the most translated and published books in the Ya. Trusov published in 1762 – 1764 in Saint- world. Certainly, this novel can be defined as a Petersburg. This Robinson was considerably “strong” text of the Anglophone culture which shortened (though the translator had added his has been keeping its “strength” in the space of own remarks) and oriented on children that “our” and “their” cultures and languages for largely determined the future for other Russian more than 300 years. In 2013 “The Guardian” translations of this text. Ye.P. Privalova, one noted that Robinson was the second in the top- of the first Russian specialists of children’s 100 English books (The Guardian, 1719). The literature who studies Robinson Crusoe’s “strength” of Defoe’s novel has decisively been history of publication and dissemination in the proved by such genre