Language in African Literature (London: Heinemann, 1986)
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University of Warwick institutional repository: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/36074 This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. MAPPING TRANSFERENCE: PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN LITERATURE AND TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH INTO ENGLISH by Moses Nunyi Nintai (Lic. ês Lettres, MA) Thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Warwick in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Translation Studies Supervised by Professor Susan Bassnett University of Warwick Centre for British and Comparative Cultural Studies November 1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 0.1 Present situation of African Literature 1 0.2 Statement of the research problem 10 0.3 Aims of the thesis 12 0.4 Methodology and organization of the thesis 13 CHAPTER 1: AFRICAN LITERATURE: ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSLATION 1.1 Definition of African Literature 16 1.1.1 Early definitions 17 1.1.2 Criteria for definition 18 1.1.2.1 Geographical area or setting of the work 19 1.1.2.2 The race of the writer 20 1.1.2.3 The origin of the writer 21 1.1.2.4 The language in which the work is written 23 1.1.2.5 The subject matter of the work 29 1.1.2.6 The implied audience of the work 29 1.1.2.7 Proposal of a working definition 35 1.2 Significant features of African literature in European languages: English and French 40 1.2.1 African content of the work 40 1.2.2 Cultural environment of the work 43 1.2.3 Peculiar use of European languages 45 1.3 Audience of African literature in European languages 55 iii 1.4 Implications for translation 60 1.4.1 The content of the work 60 1.4.2 Frequent references to African culture 61 1.4.3 The special use of the European language 61 1.4.4 The target audience 62 CHAPTER 2: TRANSLATING AFRICAN LITERATURE: HISTORY, THEORY AND PRACTICE 2.1 A historical overview of the translation of African literature 66 2.1.1 Origins of creative writing in Africa: introduction or creation of scripts 67 2.1.2 Effects of the scripts and colonial policies on translation 76 2.1.3 Translation between European languages: from French into English 89 2.2 Theoretical research in the translation of African literature 99 2.2.1 Ade Ojo 99 2.2.2 Irene D'Almeida 100 . 2.2.3 Brenda Packman 101 2.2.4 Charles Nama 102 2.2.5 Other research work 103 2.3 Practice of the translation of African literature 104 2.3.1 Remarks by translators on their own works 105 2.3.2 A review of some of the existing translations 107 CHAPTER 3: TRANSLATION THEORIES AND THE TRANSLATION OF AFRICAN LITERATURE 3.1 Modern theories of literary translation 118 3.1.1 Literary translation as a process 120 3.1.1.1 Literary translation as a creative process 120 \V 3.1.1.2 Literary translation as a decision-making process 126 3.1.2 Literary translation as a product 129 3.1.2.1 Literary translation as manipulation 129 3.1.2.2 Literary translations within the target polysystem 135 3.1.3 Literary translation and cultural transfer 139 3.1.4 Philosophical reflection on literary translation 148 3.1.4.1 Walter Benjamin 149 3.1.4.2 Jacques Derrida 151 3.1.4.3 Paul de Man 153 3.2 Relevance of literary translation theories to the translation of African literature 157 3.2.1 Intended functions of translated African literary texts 157 3.2.2 The translation process 163 3.2.2.1 The content of African literary works 164 3.2.2.2 Frequent references to African culture 168 3.2.2.3 The special use of the European language 169 3.2.2.4 The target audience 171 CHAPTER 4: MAPPING TRANSFERENCE IN THE TRANSLATION OF AFRICAN LITERATURE FROM FRENCH INTO ENGLISH 4.1 Relevance of a mapping of the translation of African literature 175 4.2 Definition of strategy in translation 177 4.3 Nature and scope of analysis 180 4.4 Objectives of the analysis 182 4.5 Analysis of strategies 185 4.5.1 Factors in the translation of African literature 185 4.5.1.1 The source text 185 V 4.5.1.2 The translation initiator 187 4.5.1.3 The translator 191 4.5.1.4 The target audience 193 4.5.2 Intended functions of translated texts 193 4.5.3 The translation process 196 4.5.3.1 ST analysis and interpretation strategies 197 a) Reading strategies 198 b) ST analysis strategies 199 i) Linguistic analysis 199 ii) Extralinguistic analysis 200 C) ST interpretation strategies 203 4.5.3.2 Transfer strategies 204 a) Content 206 b) Culture-bound terms and expressions 210 c) Language use 214 i) Imagery and proverbs 215 ii) Oral literary genres 216 iii) "Francais petit negre" 220 d) The target audience 222 4.6 The translation as a literary work 225 CHAPTER 5: A CASE STUDY OF ANALYSIS AND TRANSFER STRATEGIES 5.1 Choice of corpus 228 5.2 Factors of translation 229 5.2.1 Analysis and interpretation of ST 229 5.2.1.1 Spatial and temporal setting of the novel 230 5.2.1.2 Life and works of Makombo Bambote 232 5.2.1.3 Situation of the excerpt in relation to the novel 235 VI 5.2.1.4 Bambote's style in Princesse Mandapu 238 5.2.1.5 The audience of Princesse Mandapu 243 5.2.2 Translation options for Princesse Mandapu 245 5.2.3 The audience for the translation of Princesse Mandapu 246 5.2.4 Discussion of translation choices 247 5.2.4.1 The translation of names 249 5.2.4.2 The translation of culture-bound terms 250 5.2.4.3 The translation of exclamations 255 5.2.4.4 Syntactic choices in the translation 256 5.2.4.5 Stylistic considerations in the translation 257 5.3 The excerpt and its translation into English 258 5.4 Conclusion 367 CONCLUSION 1. Focal argument of thesis 369 2. Significance and implications of the study 370 3. Suggestions for further research 374 BIBLIOGRAPHY 376 APPENDICES vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my supervisor, Professor Susan Bassnett, I would like to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for patiently guiding me through my research as well as encouraging and assisting me to test my ideas at international conferences. I also thank Professor Dorothy Blair for accepting to talk to me about her translations and for giving me information on a number of francophone African literary works in English translation. My thanks also go to the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon for offering me a scholarship, and to the authorities of the University of Buea for granting me study leave for my studies. I am especially grateful to Mr Wilfred Mbelem for his constant care and concern. I also owe a great deal to the encouragement and help of relatives and friends. My mother, brothers and sisters have been an immense source of strength and hope. Mr John Kanjo, Mr Joseph Maison, Dr and Mrs Wefuan, Dr Emmanuel Chia, and Dr Charles Nama deserve special mention for their support and kindness. To my wife, Stella, and children, George and Alvine, I owe a special debt, for their patience and understanding during the difficult years of separation. I can only hope that they find in this thesis some comfort and solace for the anxiety and pain caused by my absence. To all friends whom I cannot name here, thanks for your encouragement and help. vii n To my late father Who passed away While I was away. IX. ABSTRACT Although a number of African literary works have been translated from French into English since the middle of this century, research and debate on their translation has remained scanty, fragmentary, and scattered in diverse learned journals and other short publications. This thesis seeks to broaden the scope of research by mapping out aspects of transference in translation in terms of analysis and transfer strategies that have been, or could be, used. A selection of major translated works have been compared with their originals, to give textual examples indicative of transfer strategies. Current issues in African literature as well as typical features of the literature in French and English have been explored in order to examine differences between them and English and French literatures. The implications of these differences (at the levels of content, cultural setting, peculiar use of English and French, and the target audience) for translation are considered, and a brief historical survey of the translation of African literature provides insights into how translators have approached, and continue to approach, literary texts as well as cope with their target readership. Furthermore, dominant trends in literary translation studies (mainly in the West) are explored to determine if, and in what ways, they relate to translation studies in Africa. The analysis of transfer strategies focuses on the distinctive features of francophone African literary texts, drawing on relevant Western literary translation theories and models, on African literary theory and criticism, as well as on other disciplines likely contribute to an informed understanding of the texts.