Ampm Brink's Lmaginings of Sand/Sandkastele
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Focalisation in the translationlrewriting of narrative texts: A.P. Brink's lmaginings of sand/Sandkastele J.L. Kruger Focalisation in the translationlrewriting of narrative texts: AmPm Brink's lmaginings of sand/Sandkastele Jan Louis Kruger Hons. B.A., M.A. (English) Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in the School of Languages of the Vaal Triangle Campus of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education Promoter: Prof. M.M. Verhoef Co-promoter : Dr. M.J. Wenzel Assistant promoter: Prof. A.L. Com brin k Vanderbijlpark 200 1 Acknowledgements 1 would like to express my gratitude to the following people, who each contributed significantly to this study in one way or another: Haidee for her love and support as well as her various inputs under tremendous pressure. Prof. Marlene Verhoef for her support and encouragement as promoter, colleague and friend. Dr. Marita Wenzel for providing expert guidance at very short notice. Prof. Annette Combrink for her guidance and as well as for introducing me to the field of translation studies. The National Research Foundation for financial assistance. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are not necessarily to be attributed to the National Research Foundation. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 . INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 1 1.1 Contextualisation ....................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the problem ............................ .., ......................... 6 1.3 Aims ............................................................................................. 8 I. 4 Hypotheses ................................................................................. 8 1.5 Method ...................................................................................... 9 1.6 Envisaged contribution of the study ........................................ 12 2 . JACQUES DERRfDA AND TRANSLATION .................... 14 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................. 14 2.2 Deconstruction and translation theory ..................................... 14 2.3 Diffkrance .................................................................................... 17 2.4 Equivalence, status and untranslatability ................................ 20 2.4.1 Equivalence ............................................................................. 20 2.4.2 "Original" and translation: towards a contract .......................... 26 2.4.3 Translation and the unnameable, untranslatable ..................... 32 2.5 Gaps and traces .......................................................................... 36 2.6 Conclusion: translating outwards - deconstruction and the desire for meaning ............................................................... 37 3 . THE THEORY OF NARRATIVE: 1MPOSTULATlON AND FOCALISATION ...................................................... 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................. 3.2 Towards a definition of impostulafion ...................................... 3.2.1 An etymology of impostulation (Tulloch. 1993) ......................... 3.2.2 lmpostulation defined ............................................................... 3.2.3 Monika Fludernik's natural narratology (1996) ......................... 3.3 Focalisation ................................................................................. 3.3.1 Mimesis and personification ..................................................... 3.3.2 Telling versus seeing................................................................ 3.3.2.1 Narrative levels: diegesis versus extradiegesis 3.3.2.2 'Who sees?" versus "Who speaks?" - terminological confusion 3.3.3 Focalisation as relationship of mediation or mediacy ............... 3.3.4Focalisation as access to consciousness ................................. 64 3.3.5Focalisation as interpretive strategy . .. ... .... ..... .... .. ... ... ... .. 66 3.4 Focalisation and narrativity: impostulation ............................. 69 3.5 lrnpostulation and differance: the absence of presence ......... 70 3.6 lrnpostulation and deixis ............................................................71 3.7 Markers of impostulation: Deixis, subjectivity and characterisation ...................................................,................,...., 74 3.8 Conclusion and working definitions ......................................... 79 4. ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON: IMAGININGS OF 85 SANWSANDKASTELE .................................................... 4.1 lntroduction .............................. ............. ........ .. .. .. ..... 85 4.1.1The impostuiatory structure of lmaginings of sand/Sandkastele . .. .. .. .. , . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 90 Table 1: Overall impostulatory structure of lmaginings of 94 sand/Sandkastele Table 2: Levels of impostulation in lmaginings of 96 sand/Sandkaste/e 4.2 Levels of impostulation in lmaginings of sand/Sandkastele .. 98 4.2.1Frame irnpostulation .......................................,.........,.... ..... ... 98 4.2.1.I Direct impostulated narrative 99 Table 3: Frame impostulation: direct impostulated narrative 99 f narrative present) 4.2. 1. 1.1 lntroduction 99 4.2.1.1 .2 Macrotextual analysis 102 4.2.1.1.3 Microtextual analysis 112 4.2.1.1.4 Comparison: paraltel texts and translation 4.2.1.7.5 Conclusion 4.2.1.2Metatextual impostdated narrative Table 4: Frame irnpostulation: metatextual impostulated narrative 4.2.1 2.1 lntroduction 4.2.1.2.2 Macrotextual analysis 150 4.2.1.2.3 Microtextual analysis 152 4.2.124 Comparison: parallel texts and translation 154 4.2.1.2.5 Condusion 157 4.2.2 Embedded impostulation...., .. .. .. .. ...... ....... ..... ........ .. , .. .. .... .. 158 4.2.2.1 Retrospective direct impostulated narrative Table 5: Embedded narrative - retrospective direct impostulated narrative 4.2.2.1.1 lntroduction 4.2.2. I.2 Macrotextual analysis 4.2.2.1.3 Microtextual analysis 4.2.2.1.4 Comparison: parallel texts and translation 4.2.2.1.5 Conclusion 201 4.2.2.2 Quoted dialogue/lmpostulated direct speech Table 6: Quoted dialogue/lmpostulated direct speech 4.2.2.2.1 lntroduction 4.2.2.2.2 Macrotextual analysis 4.2.2.2.3 Microtextual analysis 4.2.2.2.4 Comparison: parallel texts and translation 4.2.2.2,5 Conclusion 4.2.2.3 Introduced impostulated direct narrative Table 7 Introduced impostulated direct narrative 4.2.2.3.1 lntroduction 4.2.2.3.2 Macrotextual analysis Table 8 lntroduction to introduced impostulated direct narrative 4.2.2.3,3 Microtextual analysis 4.2.2.3.4 Comparison: parallel texts and translation 4.2.2.3.5 Conclusion 4.3 Conclusion ................................................................................ 4.3. I Introduction... , . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .+ . ., . .+, .. , . .. 4.3.2 Focalisation in lmaginings of sandlsandkastele ....................... 5. CONCLUSION AND AVENUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH...................................................................... 5.1 Introduction................................................................................. 5.2 Translation theory and deconstruction .................................... 5.3 Impostulation, focalisation and the narrative origo ................. 5.4 Towards a model for the translation of narrative fiction ......... 5.4.1 Deictjc markers ......................................................................... 250 5.4.2 Markers of subjective impostulation .. ... ., ... .... ... ... .. .. .. ..... .. 25 1 5.4.3 Markers of characterisation .. .. ... ... .. .. ......... ..... .. .... .... ,........,.... 253 5.5 Conclusion ................................................................................ 253 5.6 Avenues for further research .................................................. 254 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................. 255 ADDENDA: TRANSLATIONS (JLK) ....................................... 262 Addendum I:Direct impostulated narrative............................. .. ...... 262 Addendum 2: Metatextual impostulated narrative ........................... 270 Addendum 3: Retrospective direct impostulated narrative............. 27 1 Addendum 4: lmpostulated direct speech ................................... ..... 280 Addendum 5:lntroduced impostulated direct narrative ................... 292 I believe Ican say that if Ilove the word, it is only in the body of its idiomatic singularity, that is, where a passion for translation comes to lick it as a flame or an amorous tongue might: approaching as closely as possible while refusing at the last moment to threaten or to reduce, to consume or to consummate, leaving the other body intact but not without causing the other to appear - on the very brink of this refusal or withdrawal - and after having aroused or excited a desire for the idiom, for the unique body of the other, in the flame's flicker or through a tongue's caress (Derrida, 2001: 175). Abstract Narrative fiction presents translators with a particular challenge due to the subtle shifts in focalisation complicated by factors such as embedded narratives and hypothetical focalisation. Furthermore, the gaps and traces that arise from the (often) covert nature of shifts in focalisation necessitate meticulous analyses. In this study the role of focalisation in the translation of narrative texts is therefore investigated in terms of the various markers that foreground