Translation Practices in a Developmental Context: An Exploration of Public Health Communication in Zambia Mwamba Chibamba A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate in Philosophy degree in Translation Studies Under the supervision of Dr. Annie Brisset School of Translation and Interpretation Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Mwamba Chibamba, Ottawa, Canada, 2018 ii ABSTRACT Translation in Africa has been studied mostly through the prism of postcolonialism and literary studies. Some scholars have argued that this approach restricts translation studies scholarship on and about the continent. The gist of the postcolonial approach lies in the inherent power relations that exist in the inevitable cross-cultural contact arising from colonialism. Of late, some scholars have suggested that it is time to move beyond the post-colony. It is against such a backdrop that this dissertation broaches the study of translation phenomena in Africa from a developmental perspective. This thesis argues that the postcolonial era is not monolithic and that the African condition has evolved over the years. While it acknowledges the legacy of colonialism with all of its devastating consequences, the study understands the concept of the developmental context to offer the perspective of a continent in charge of its own destiny in contrast to the perspective that sees only a victim. Accordingly, this study seeks to explore translation practices within a developmental context and concentrates on one of the most important development issues: health. In line with global health priorities that now approach health from a preventive rather than a curative perspective, health promotion and communication have become central to the development agenda. This dissertation therefore discusses the historical, political, linguistic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that inevitably affect translation in public health communication in Zambia and, to a lesser extent, the southern African region. While emphasizing the sociological context of the case study, this research takes translation as a cluster concept and a communicative act in order to investigate how translation is practiced. The research involves a contextual analytic exploration of a few selected health communication products. Drawing on Jakobson’s three types of translation, descriptive translation studies, and functionalist theories, this dissertation brings to light the importance of intersemiotic translation in societies that are anchored in oral culture. iii RÉSUMÉ La traduction en Afrique est principalement examinée à travers le prisme du postcolonialisme et des études littéraires. Des spécialistes ont critiqué les limites de cette approche qui, s’agissant du continent africain, s’intéresse essentiellement aux rapports de pouvoir inhérents aux contacts interculturels issus de la colonisation. Récemment des voix se sont élevées, affirmant que le moment est venu d’aller au-delà de la postcolonie. Sur cette toile de fond, l’étude aborde les phénomènes de traduction en Afrique dans l’optique du développement : le postcolonialisme n’est pas monolithique et la situation africaine a évolué au fil des années. Sans nier l’héritage de la colonisation ni ses conséquences dévastatrices, l’étude envisage le développement comme un contexte qui offre au continent la possibilité de prendre en charge sa propre destinée par opposition à la condition victimaire où l’approche postcolonialiste tend à la cantonner. L’étude explore des pratiques de traduction qui vont dans le sens de cette émancipation. Elle se concentre sur un des secteurs les plus importants en matière de développement : la santé. Conformément aux priorités mondiales suivant lesquelles mieux vaut prévenir que guérir, la communication et la promotion des pratiques sanitaires sont désormais au cœur des politiques de développement. Les circonstances historiques, politiques, linguistiques, socioéconomiques et historiques qui entourent la communication et donc la traduction en matière de santé publique dans un monde en développement sont discutées en détail. Entendues au sens d’un ensemble flou et comme instances de communication, les pratiques de traduction sont analysées au moyen d’exemples représentatifs en prenant soin de les situer dans leur contexte sociologique respectif. Tout en faisant appel à la typologie de Jakobson (traduction intralinguistique, interlinguistique, intersémiotique), l’analyse se situe dans la lignée d’une traductologie descriptive et fonctionnaliste. Elle fait ressortir l’importance particulière de la traduction intersémiotique dans des sociétés où prévaut une culture de l’oralité. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the contribution and support of several people. I reserve my most sincere thanks and gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Annie Brisset. Annie, thank you so much for all your dedication and all the time and hard work you put into this project. You supported me in so many ways and were always there at every step, even when I was feeling stuck and totally overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. Merci infiniment! You are the best! Appreciation is also due to the dynamic team of translation studies scholars that formed the teaching staff of the August 2014 TS summer school for Africa in Lusaka, Zambia. The valuable insights I gained from the various discussions that I had with a number of these scholars were instrumental in shaping my research, which was still in its infancy at the time. I am also indebted to the various organizations and individuals who supported me in accessing pertinent information resources during my research. I am eternally grateful to my parents, who made it all possible, and to my sisters, Mumbi and Musonda Chibamba, for always being there for me and for all their encouragement and support—not just through my doctoral studies—but throughout my life. This thesis is as much your success as it is mine. Thanks also to the Sichangwa family of Edmonton, Alberta, who provided me with a home away from home and for their immense support over the years. Last but certainly not the least, I extend my deepest appreciation to all the wonderful friends that formed part of my support network in Canada and elsewhere. Many thanks also go to all my colleagues in the STI and especially to my office colleagues with whom I formed wonderful friendships in the last few years. To all those who completed their studies before me, I say many thanks for all your encouragement, and to all those who are still in the process, I will be cheering you on to your own finish lines! v Dedication To the memory of my father, my biggest cheerleader in my doctoral journey, Mulenga Abraham Chibamba vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii RÉSUMÉ ....................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ v TABLE OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... x ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ...................................................................................... xi INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER I: TRANSLATION IN CONTEXT: ThEORETICAL AND METhODOLOGICAL ISSUES ........................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Translation as a function of context ..................................................................................... 8 1.2 Contextualizing translation ................................................................................................ 15 1.3 Discourse analysis and translation ..................................................................................... 17 1.4 Multimodality and intersemiotic translation ...................................................................... 18 1.5 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER II: EThNOLINGUISTIC BACKGROUND ............................................................. 23 2.1 Geographical and historical background ........................................................................... 23 2.2 Ethnic and linguistic diversity ................................................................................................ 25 2.2.1 Ethnicity and policy ......................................................................................................... 30 2.2.1.1 Colonial policies ........................................................................................................ 30 2.2.1.2 Post-independence policies ........................................................................................ 33 2.2.1.3 Continental policies ................................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER III: HEALTh AND DEVELOPMENT ....................................................................