CREATIVITY AND CONSTRAINTS IN TRANSLATING LITERARY TEXTS

1. CREATIVITY AND CONSTRAINTS IN TRANSLATING LITERARY TEXTS “DUNĂREA DE JOS”,GALAȚI FACULTY OF LETTERS MASTERS IN TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDENTS: BEJAN CARMEN NADA DIANA POPA CRISTINA VOINEA MARIANA

2. THE CONCEPT OF TRANSLATION • the process which involves the transfer of a message from a source language into a target language. • the transfer is seen as the rewriting of the original text. • the product has a manipulative effect on the receivers.

3. THE CONCEPT OF TRANSLATION • Andre Lefevereconsidered that: “Rewritings can introduce new concepts, new genres, new devices, and the history of translation is the history also of literary innovation, of the shaping power of one culture upon another. (Lefevere, 1992: xi)

4. The Nature of TranslatiON • Translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style. • Translating must aim primarily at “reproducing the message”. To do anything else is essentially false to one’s task as a translator.

5. THE PURPOSE OF TRANSLATING A TEXT • the translator might be allowed some liberties at the linguistic level as long as the representation is “potentially refining, improving, extending the language of the receiving culture.” (Lefevere, 1992: 4) • translator’s first concern must be faithfulness.

6. THE PURPOSE OF TRANSLATING A TEXT Susan Bassnettpoints out 3 stratagems within translation theories: • a redefinition of the terminology of faithfulnessand equivalence • the importance of highlighting the visibility of the translators • a shift of emphasis that views translation as an act of creative rewriting. (Bassnett, 2002: 6)

7. THE PURPOSE OF TRANSLATING A TEXT • thereciprocal relationship betweenconstraint and creativity: “creativity within and thanks to constraints.” (Hermans, 2006: x) • creativity plays a very important role, especially in literary translation. • the translator’s subjectivity

8. THE CONSTRAINTS OF TRANSLATING A LITERARY TEXT • Become manifest especially at the linguistic level • “geographical proximity, relationships between languages, close links between societies do not ensure identical linguistic structures.” (Bassnett & Bielsa, 2009: 7).

9. THE CONSTRAINTS OF TRANSLATING A LITERARY TEXT • Translation therefore is “a deliberate, conscious act of selection, assemblage, structuration and fabrication and even, in some cases of falsification, refusal of information, counterfeiting, and the creation of secret codes.” (Gentzler and Tymoczko, 2002: xxi)

10. THE CONSTRAINTS OF TRANSLATING A LITERARY TEXT • the strategy of omission- a form of censorship. • “to translate not what is there but what is not there, to translate the implicit and the assumed, the blank spaces between words.” (Bassnett & Bielsa, 2009: 6)

11. THE CONSTRAINTS OF TRANSLATING A LITERARY TEXT • Nida established the two types of meaning: referential meaning (or denotation), which deals with the words as signs or symbols, and connotative meaning (or connotation), which is the emotional reaction engendered in the reader by a word.

12. IDIOMATIC STRUCTURES • it's raining cats and dogs– ploua cu galeata/ ploua torential • storm in a teacup – din tantar armasar • to cut to the chase – a trece la subiect • blood is thicker than water – sangele apa nu se face. • early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise – cine se scoala de dimineata departe ajunge.

13. THE CONSTRAINTS OF TRANSLATING A LITERARY TEXT There are four types of constraints : • Patronage • Poetics • Universe of Discourse • Ideology (Lefevere, 1992: xiv)

14. CREATIVITY AND WRITING There are two assumptions: • the translator is subject to constraints which do not apply to the original author. • the act of translation is by nature less creative than the act of writing an original work. (Jean Boase-Beier and Michael Holman,1998: 13-14)

15. THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY • very complex matter • creative thought processes are the result of conceptual constraints. • translation is derivative in a way original writing is not. (Jean Boase-Beier and Michael Holman ,1998: 14-16).

16. THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY • it is unlikely that a clear distinction between the original and translation can be made • terms such as “faithfulness” or “creativity” are anything but clear-cut. (Jean Boase-Beier and Michael Holman ,1998: 16-17).

17. BIBLIOGRAPHY • Nida, Eugene A., Charles R. Taber, (1974) , The Theory and Practice of Translation, Leiden: Netherlands • Munday Jeremy, (2001), Introducing Translation Studies – Theories and Applications, London & New York: Routledge • Ernest-August Gutt (2000), Translation and Relevance – Cognition and Context, , Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing • Jean Boase-Beier and Michael Holman (1998), The Practices of Literary Translation. Constraints and Creativity, Manchester:St. Jerome • Bassnett, Susan, (2002), Translation Studies (third edition), New York: Routledge • Billiani, Francesca, (2009), “Censorship” in Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (second edition), edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha, New York: Routledge • Gentzler, Edwin and Maria Tymoczko,(2002) “Introduction” in Translation and Power, edited by Maria Tymoczko and Edwin Gentzler, Amherst and Boston: University of Massachusetts Press • Hermans, Theo, (1985) “Introduction: Translation Studies and a New Paradigm” in The Manipulation of Literature: Studies in Literary Translation, edited by Hermans, Kent: Croom Helm Ltd, • Lefevere, Andre, (1992), Translation/ History/ Culture, London & New York: Routledge

18. Text samples • “Bătrânul împărat Wilhelm, în uniforma de mareșal, stătea cu mâinile la spate, in fața ferestrei care privea spre piața Operei. Razele soarelui ii aureau favoriții albi, stufoși,ce-i incadrau obrajii plini, rozalii. Deși trecuse pragul celui de-al noualea deceniu de existența, stătea drept, ținând pieptul scos inainte, ca un soldat la paradă. Fruntea îi era innourată de gânduri. Buzele-i strânse i se subțiasera ca doua fire de ața.” • “Silueta masivă a prințului imbrăcat in redingota neagra a uniformei de cuirasieri din Sydlitz, se încadra pe fundalul ușii albe asemenea unei statui plasate intr-o nişă.” Vintila Corbul si Eugen Burada,“Uragan asupra Europei,” vol. I, p. 6 Nada Diana-(her own translation) •  “The old Emperor Wilhelm, with his marshal uniform on and his hands behind his back, was standing in front of the window which overlooked the Opera plaza. The sunbeams were gilding his white bushy whiskers that framed his pinkish chubby cheeks. In spite of entering his ninth decade of existence, he was standing as ramrod straight as a soldier at a parade. His forehead was clouded with thoughts. His clenched lips had become as thin as two threads.” • “The massive silhouette of the prince, who was wearing the black frock coat of the Seydlitz cuirassiers’ uniform, perfectly fitted against the white door as a statue placed in a niche.”

19. Text samples • Nu trece mult după asta, şi-ntr-o zi, prin luna lui mai, aproape de Moşi, îndeamnă păcatulpe bădiţa Vasile tântul, că mai bine nu i-oi zice, să pună pe unul, Nic-a lui Costache, să mă procitească. Nică, băiat mai mare şi înaintat în învăţătură până la genunchiul broaştei, era sfădit cu mine din pricina Smărăndiţei popii, căreia, cu toată părerea mea de rău, i-am tras într-o zi o bleandă, pentru că nu-mi da pace să prind muşte... Şi Nică începe să mă asculte; şi mă ascultă el, şi mă ascultă, şi unde nu s-apucă de însemnat la greşeli cu ghioturape o draniţă: una, două, trei, până la douăzeci şi nouă. Măi!!! s-a trecut de şagă, zic eu, în gândul meu; încă nu m-a gătit de ascultat, şi câte au să mai fie! Şi unde n-a început a mi se face negru pe dinaintea ochilorşi a tremura de mânios… Popa Cristina Maria Childhood Memoriesby Ion Creangă from Memories of My Boyhood, Stories and TalesTranslated by Ana Cartianu and R.C. JohnstonMinerva Publishing House, Bucharest, 1978 • Not long after this, one day in the month of May, close upon the Whitsun Moşi1 festival, the Evil One promptedMaster Vasile, the blockhead, for I have no better word for him, to appoint a fellow called Nică, Costache's son, to test my knowledge. Nică, who was older than me and whose scholarship was a trifle more than non-existent, had quarrelled with me on account of little Smaranda, whom, one day, with every sign of regret, I had been forced to shove awaybecause she would interfere with my catching flies. So Nică began to examine me, and just went on examining and examining and didn't he just score mistakes wholesale on a piece of shingle: one, two, three, and so on up to twenty-nine! "My word, this is past ajoke," I said to myself. "He has not yet finished examining me, and think of all the mistakes to come!" All of a sudden, everything went black in front of meand I began to tremble with anger.

20. Text samples • Moși: literally "ancestors." Festival in commemoration of the dead held on Whit Saturday, and the occasion of a great Whitsuntide fair” • To prompt a witness= a influenta depoziția unui martor( Dicționar frazeologic E-R/R-E, editura Teora,2005) • To prompt smb’s memory to smth.= a împrospata memoria cuiva • A îndemna pe cineva să facă ceva= to move smb to do smth. • A îndemna pe cineva la băutură= to drive smb to drink • A îndemna pe cineva la acțiune= to stick pins into smb. • A îndemna pe cineva la drum= to egg smb on • Prost ca noaptea/ de dă in gropi= as stupid as a donkey/ a goose/ an owl; as silly as a goose; too silly for words • A trage o săpuneală=to dress smb down; to drop down on smb/ to give smb a set down • A trage cuiva o sfântă de bătaie= to lick/to tan smb/ to dust smb’s jacket • Bleandă=lovitură, împinsătura, brânci( Noul Dictionar Universal al Limbii Romane,Editura Litera International,2007) • Cu carul= in abundance/plenty;profusely

21. Text samples • “Luiîirămăseseînmemoriefrânturaaceea de melodiesăltăreaţăpe care încercasă o reinvie, cântând-o cu un degetpeclaviatura de fildeş, tot atât de albă ca şidinţiiunuicrocodil.” • “What we find in books is like the fire in our hearths. We fetch it from our neighbors, we kindle it at home, we communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.” Bejan Carmen Ana(her own translation) VintilaCorbul, 2009, UraganasupraEuropei, Bucureşti: Adevarul Holding • That piece of cheerful melody that he tried to revive, playing it with one finger on the ivory keyboard which was as white as the crocodile teeth, was imprinted in his mind." • Ceea ce găsim în cărţi este precum focul din vetrele noastre. Îl aducem de la vecinii noştri, îl stârnim acasă, îl împărtăşim altora şi devine proprietatea tuturor.

22. Text samples • De piatră de-aififost, şi nu se puteasă nu-ţisalteinima de bucuriecândauzeai, uneoriînputereanopţii, peMihaiscripcarul din Humuleştiumblând tot satulcâte c-o droaie de flăcăidupădânsulcantand. • Acuşiauvarga din coardăşivăcroiescde vămergpetecele! • Ş-apoi nu ştiicăeste-o vorbă: Dacă-icopil, să se joace; dacă-i cal, sătragă; şidacă-ipopă, săcitească... • Apoiîsi pun câte-o toalaîn spate sicâte-un coif de hârtieîn cap sicântaAleluiaşiDoamnemiluieşte, popaprindepeşte, de te scot din casă. • Fă-mă, Doamne, val de tei /Şi m-aruncă-ntrefemei! Voinea Mariana Childhood Memoriesby Ion Creangă from Memories of My Boyhood, Stories and TalesTranslated by Ana Cartianu and R.C. Johnston • Even if you had been a block of stone, you couldn't have sat still when you heard Mihai, the fiddler of Humuleşti, walking the village in the dead of night with a crowd of young fellows in his wake singing.” • Just let me get that stick from behind the rafter and I'll beat you black and blue. • Don't you know the saying: A child shall play; a horse shall draw; a priest shall read...” • Then, with a rug on their backs and a paper cap on their heads, they sing: Halleluja! God give grace, Our priest has gone and caught a dace! • Make of me, Lord, a lime infusion / To throw the girls into confusion!

23. Text samples • Literal word-for-word translation does not work for popular sayings such as proverbs. To properly translate a proverb requires several steps, and it often requires a translator to delve deeper into the culture of the source and target languages to determine the idiomatic translation. Proverbs often have an equivalent in the target language. However, even if a linguistic equivalent exists, there may be cultural differences to consider. • Translation by paraphrase is by far the most common way of translating idioms when a match cannot be found in the target language or when it seems inappropriate to use idiomatic language in the target text because of differences in stylistic preferences of the source and target languages. • The numerous proverbs and sayings often have exact English equivalents, though transferring the idea on a different plane. Those that were typically local have been necessarily translated, to preserve their original freshness. Some sayings enhanced by onomatopoeia and rhythm are very difficult to translate in rendering their sense or nonsense.