Document généré le 30 sept. 2021 08:17 Meta Journal des traducteurs Translators' Journal Successful strategies in drama translation: Yasmina Reza’s “Art” Marta Mateo Volume 51, numéro 1, mars 2006 Résumé de l'article « Art », de Yasmina Reza, a reçu un accueil extraordinaire dans le monde URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/013006ar entier depuis sa représentation à Paris en 1994 : les différentes productions qui DOI : https://doi.org/10.7202/013006ar ont fait suite à la mise en scène originale dans plus de quarante pays ont atteint un succès semblable. Une telle réussite, aussi bien parmi les publics les plus Aller au sommaire du numéro divers que chez les critiques dramatiques, peut être attribuée aux thèmes universaux dont s’occupe la pièce, au ton et la richesse du dialogue, ainsi qu’au jeu excellent dont ont fait preuve la majorité des mises en scène. Mais le fait Éditeur(s) que la pièce ait été appréciée dans des pays et des langues si différentes implique, inévitablement, que la traduction joue également un rôle central Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal dans un accueil si réussi. Dans l’article présent sont analysées deux traductions d’« Art » – le texte anglais de Christopher Hampton et la version espagnole de ISSN Josep M. Flotats –, lesquelles, bien qu’ayant été conçues dans un même but, à savoir, que la pièce puisse être jouée sur scène, révèlent différentes stratégies 0026-0452 (imprimé) en matière de traduction afin qu’elle marche bien dans les divers contextes 1492-1421 (numérique) auxquels elle s’adresse. Découvrir la revue Citer cette note Mateo, M. (2006). Successful strategies in drama translation: Yasmina Reza’s “Art”. Meta, 51(1), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.7202/013006ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 2006 Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d’auteur. L’utilisation des services d’Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d’utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit. Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l’Université de Montréal, l’Université Laval et l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. https://www.erudit.org/fr/ BLOC-NOTES Successful strategies in drama followed the French opening: in Berlin in 1995, translation: Yasmina Reza’s “Art” London in 1996, New York, Oporto and Madrid in 1998, to name but a few of the large number of RÉSUMÉ countries in which this French play has already been « Art », de Yasmina Reza, a reçu un accueil extraor- performed in their respective languages, including dinaire dans le monde entier depuis sa représenta- Letonia and Croatia. This was certainly not the first tion à Paris en 1994 : les différentes productions success scored by the French writer, who started as qui ont fait suite à la mise en scène originale dans an actress in the theatre world and soon established plus de quarante pays ont atteint un succès sem- her reputation as a playwright winning a Molière blable. Une telle réussite, aussi bien parmi les Award with her first play, Conversations après un publics les plus divers que chez les critiques dra- enterrement, and being nominated for another with matiques, peut être attribuée aux thèmes univer- her translation of a stage version of Kafka’s La méta- saux dont s’occupe la pièce, au ton et la richesse du dialogue, ainsi qu’au jeu excellent dont ont fait morphose. “Art” earned her two Molière Awards preuve la majorité des mises en scène. Mais le fait heading a long list of prizes which have accompa- que la pièce ait été appréciée dans des pays et des nied the play wherever it has been performed.1 langues si différentes implique, inévitablement, Not surprisingly then, reviews of the play have que la traduction joue également un rôle central several times referred to it as a “rare miracle.”2 A not dans un accueil si réussi. Dans l’article présent irrelevant sign of this wonder is the fact that by April sont analysées deux traductions d’« Art » – le texte 2000 the play had grossed £157 million worldwide anglais de Christopher Hampton et la version espagnole de Josep M. Flotats –, lesquelles, bien and profits only in Britain stood then at £2.6 mil- 3 qu’ayant été conçues dans un même but, à savoir, lion. This becomes even more telling if we consider que la pièce puisse être jouée sur scène, révèlent that contemporary drama in translation does not différentes stratégies en matière de traduction afin figure prominently in the latter country and that, qu’elle marche bien dans les divers contextes although modern plays sometimes “have more stay- auxquels elle s’adresse. ing power [than classic works] in the long run” ABSTRACT (Vivis 1996: 42), “it is not a common occurrence for a foreign play to be a box-office hit” on British stages Yasmina Reza’s “Art” has been widely acclaimed ever since it opened in Paris in 1994: the different (Anderman 1996: 182). productions which have followed the French origi- “Art” therefore offers a very good example of nal in more than 40 countries have enjoyed equal the way in which drama may travel through transla- success. This success, both among audiences and tion between different cultures with equal success critics, may be attributed to the play’s universal and provides us thus with good material to study themes, to the tone and richness of its dialogue the factors that determine both the insertion of a and to the good acting most productions have play in a target context and the strategies that afford displayed. But the fact that the play has been appreciated in so many different countries and it a favourable reception in the various theatres. This languages inevitably implies that translation is also will ultimately help us see the way in which lan- at the centre of its success. This paper analyses two guage, culture and performance all intertwine in translations of “Art” – Christopher Hampton’s drama translation. English text and Josep M. Flotats’s version into The success of Reza’s play, both among audi- Spanish –, which, despite having a similar aim, i.e., ences and critics – although some dissenting voices making the play function on stage, have followed have also been heard in Britain –, may be attributed different translation strategies to make it work in their different target contexts. to the play’s universal themes, to the tone and rich- ness of its dialogue and to the good acting most MOTS-CLÉS/KEYWORDS productions have displayed. drama translation, successful strategies, perfor- The play’s story revolves around Serge’s pur- mance elements, acceptability, theatre systems chase of a modern painting for a huge sum of money; his friend Marc cannot believe Serge, whom The reception of the play he has known and loved for 15 years, could possibly have forked out 200.000 francs on “un tableau blanc, Ever since it opened at the Comédie des Champs- avec des liserés blancs” and he reacts by verbally Elysées in Paris in 1994, Yasmina Reza’s “Art” has attacking Serge; Yvan tries to placate both sides and enjoyed both a box-office and a critical success with ends up being himself the target of his two friends’ all the different productions which immediately criticisms. This simple plot sparks off a debate not Meta LI, 1, 2006 01.Meta 51-1 .indd 175 3/22/06 1:31:14 PM 176 Meta, LI, 1, 2006 just about contemporary art and its function and “Art”’s success in previous countries has cer- value in modern society but also, and mainly, about tainly encouraged its being selected as a play for the three characters’ friendship. In fact, the dissen- production in consecutive places,6 but this must also sion about art is only one of the reasons for the have been decided by the fact that the discourse tensions and conflicts experienced by this male compatibility and harmony required to be chosen relationship and the plot itself is really an excuse to are easily met by Yasmina Reza’s play in many dif- touch on universal themes: the fragility of human ferent cultures, not only because of the universal relationships, the failure of our aspirations in life, nature of the themes it deals with but also because the conflict between being and perceiving, the value/ its discursive strategies make it accessible to a wide danger of sincerity, the loneliness inherent to human and diverse audience within one and the same con- beings, the power of words. At the Spanish opening text. “Art” is endowed with the possibility of differ- in Madrid, which she attended, the author explained ent readings and forms of enjoyment: as the Spanish that the title “refers to the art of words, the art of translator and director of the play puts it, “la obra keeping up human relationships, friendship” (my es tan rica que tiene tantas lecturas como lectores o translation) but she also said she believes that words espectadores; […] un público muy cultivado intelec- are utterly ineffectual since, rather than making tualmente tiene unas lecturas, y otro menos pre- relationships closer, they wreck them.4 The play is parado tiene otras distintas, pero todos obtienen also a reflection of the way in which our taste in and placer” (Josep María Flotats in Villora, 1999: 113). knowledge of art may turn out to be “a cruel system Behind an apparent simplicity and lightness of social distinction and class stratification,” as João lies a very elaborate text, both demanding and com- Fernandes wisely points out in the programme of the municative, with a rich dialogue in which comedy Portuguese production: Serge has an Antrios while and drama, laughter and emotion, are mixed in the Marc has a figurative painting, which both separates right proportion, appealing to the audience intel- them and draws a distinction between them.