Language in African Literature

422 Pages·2011·18.46 MB·English

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A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick
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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.
viin
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. Finally, a case study applies the analysis to a
text which is translated, and transfer strategies discussed.