“Murder alla siciliana” – Representations of the Sicilian “exotic other” in translation by Natasha Joan Siniscalchi Submitted to the Faculty of Humanities in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M.A (Translation) University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) Supervisor: Dr E A Meintjes 2012 Abstract The different ways in which the translators of Camilleri’s La Gita a Tindari have (consciously or unconsciously) used the translation procedures outlined by Vinay and Darbelnet are analysed in this study in an attempt to identify instances of foreignisation and/or domestication in the English, French and Spanish Target Texts (TTs). The translation of Camilleri’s very Sicilian/Sicilianised work involves much decision-making concerning Italian/Sicilian cultural and linguistic aspects which both characterise the Montalbano series and render it arguably inaccessible to those with little or no Italian/Sicilian Source Culture familiarity. This study is a comparative analysis revolving around the use of the translation procedures outlined by Canadian scholars Vinay and Darbelnet in the English, French and Spanish translations of Camilleri’s La Gita a Tindari and the foreignising and/or domesticating effects the use of these strategies has in relation to the rendition of Source Culture and Source Language elements in translation. The analytical model used in the study is a descriptive and comparative one based on an approach to translation studies which is both quantitative and qualitative. On the basis of the findings drawn from the micro-textual and para-textual analyses conducted herein, this study presents conclusions in respect of the overall foreignised and/or domesticated feel of the English, French and Spanish Target Texts in relation to the depiction of Sicily and Montalbano as “exotic others”, or “localised others”. ii Declaration I hereby declare that this research report is my own, unaided work, submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of M.A in Translation Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in the year 2012. It has not been submitted before any degree of examination in any other university. __________________ Natasha Siniscalchi Signed at _________________ this _____________ day of __________ 20______ iii Dedication This study is dedicated to my supervisor, Dr Libby Meintjes, whose enthusiasm for Translation Studies is contagious, and to my mother, who really does always know what’s best for me. iv List of Abbreviations The following abbreviations have been used in this study: ST: Source Text (La gita a Tindari 2010) TT-E: English Target Text (Excursion to Tindari 2005) TT-F: French Target Text (L’excursion à Tindari 2010) TT-S: Spanish Target Text (La excursión a Tindari 2004) Pilot Study: Siniscalchi, N. (2010) “Translating Camilleri – Committing murder “alla siciliana” in English” Unpublished Pilot Study. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand. SL: Source Language SA: Source Audience SC: Source Culture TL: Target Language TA: Target Audience TC: Target Culture DTS: Descriptive Translation Studies v List of Tables Borrowing – Table 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Table 2 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Table 3 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Table 4 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Table 5 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