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An Ongoing Dialogue Between Theory and Practice Found in Translation: An Ongoing Dialogue Between Theory and Practice by Zola Kell B.A., University of Victoria, 2012 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies Zola Kell, 2014 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Found in Translation: An Ongoing Dialogue Between Theory and Practice by Zola Kell B.A., University of Victoria, 2012 Supervisory Committee Dr. Charlotte Schallié, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies Supervisor Dr. Helga Thorson, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Charlotte Schallié, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies Supervisor Dr. Helga Thorson, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies Departmental Member In this thesis I outline my theory of translation as an interpretive tool. I undertake an analysis of the concepts of heteroglossia, hybridity, and positionality, as conceived of by Mikhail Bakhtin, Homi K. Bhabha, and Linda Alcoff, respectively. These ideas function similarly: heteroglossic forces are constantly being brought to bear upon languages, the hybrid nature of culture is continually being rearticulated, and the positionality of the interpreter is always subject to change. I establish a theory that allows for translation to remain open, a theory that sees all incarnations of a text (the source and all of its translations) as being perpetually discursive, rather than fixing upon one version as the definitive or “correct” rendering. Translations occupy a fluctuating, unstable, and therefore creative location; they provide an ever-shifting temporal and spatial perspective. I translate excerpts from texts written by the Afro-German poet May Ayim and the Turkish German author Emine Sevgi Özdamar from German into English. This brings my theory into application and demonstrates both the fluidity of translation and the depth of interpretation to be found within this process. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... v Dedication .......................................................................................................................... vi Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Building Blocks ............................................................................................... 13 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 13 Linking Heteroglossia and Hybridity ............................................................................ 14 Mikhail Bakhtin and Heteroglossia .............................................................................. 15 Homi Bhabha and Hybridity ......................................................................................... 17 Linda Alcoff and Positionality ...................................................................................... 19 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 2: Translation as Interpretive Tool ...................................................................... 25 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 25 Building Upon Hybridity and Heteroglossia ................................................................ 26 Positionality .................................................................................................................. 28 Retranslations ................................................................................................................ 33 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 3: May Ayim and Emine Sevgi Özdamar ........................................................... 41 Introduction: .................................................................................................................. 41 Why “afro-deutsch I” and “Mutterzunge” .................................................................... 46 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter 4: Retranslations .................................................................................................. 54 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 54 Putting Theory into Practice ......................................................................................... 55 Translating Ayim .......................................................................................................... 59 Translating Özdamar ..................................................................................................... 70 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 78 Summary and Reflections ................................................................................................. 83 Works Cited ...................................................................................................................... 93 Works Consulted ............................................................................................................. 101 Suggestions For Further Reading .................................................................................... 103 v Acknowledgments I must gratefully acknowledge the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada for awarding me a Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarship, and the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst / German Academic Exchange Service for allowing me to conduct research abroad with the assistance of a German Studies Research Grant. In addition I would like to thank the University of Victoria for having conferred upon me a Graduate Student Fellowship and a Graduate Student Travel Grant, both of which helped support me in my research and further education. With gratitude and humility, I acknowledge the tireless assistance, insight, and patience of my supervisor, Dr. Charlotte Schallié, and the constant support and encouragement of Dr. Helga Thorson. I also wish to extend my appreciation to the department that has fostered me: Matt, Elena, Peter, Helga, Gerlinde, Charlotte, Ulf, Megan, Julia, Serhy, Olga, Irina, Jason, Irene, Natasha, Tamara, Ryan, Veronica… I thank all of you who have passed through the halls of Clearihue D Wing for sharing your wisdom. Special thanks go to Dr. Christine Vogt-William, for her willingness to challenge me and for introducing me to the works of Audre Lorde; Dr. Gert Fehlner, for welcoming me as a guest in his department; the Helden, for making me brave; Dr. Karen Bennet, for noticing; and the Wiggies, for giving me a soap-box upon which to stand. Thank everything for my family–from the “Question Authority” sticker that inspired all this (Hi Dad!), and for the endless hours of listening and advice (Hi Mom!). Thanks to my brothers and sisters who showed me the way, and thanks to my heart. You know what you are to me. I love you all. I especially wish to acknowledge Dr. Ulrike Zimmermann, for her contribution to my education. You inspire me to constantly strive for great things. Thank you. vi Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the memories of May Ayim and Audre Lorde, whose words I look to for strength and guidance and whose wisdom and grace continue to inspire me. And as of August 14, 2014, to the memory of my best friend, Yuki–I love you forever. Introduction When people believe in boundaries, they become part of them.1 “Lost in translation,” I argue, is a trope that has little application in today’s multifaceted, multilingual, and multifarious world. This expression conveys an idea of translation that positions the source text2 as having sole access to a “true” meaning, thus implying that translations are always deceptive, incomplete, or diminished echoes of this meaning. The idea that meaning can be lost, when meaning must necessarily be relative (or the entire activity of literary analysis would be for naught), serves translations poorly, implying that, from the outset, they are always lacking something, always imbued with false meaning, always struggling to be taken seriously. These constraints on translation’s potential, I argue, are needless and detrimental to the way translation is approached. For translation scholars, translators-in-training, and translators seeking publication, the two goals that have always been paramount, transparent fluency in the target language and fidelity to the source text, in fact reduce the potential
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