“The close relationship between colonization and translation has come under scrutiny; we can now perceive the extent to which translation was for centuries a one-way process, with texts being translated into European languages for European consumption, rather than as part of a reciprocal process of exchange.” – from Post-colonial Translation by Susan Basset & Harish Trivedi
Post-Colonialism
has long since wedged itself into the cultural limelight, notably in the realm
of pop culture and cultural appropriation. Translation and foreign literature has not
escaped its purview, and while many readers may shirk away for one reason or
another – to political, too liberal – it’s an important factor to think about.
For, to some degree, colonialism has chosen and reinforced what we read.
However, now
foreign novels are not translated into English nearly enough, meaning that we
know less about the world and its peoples than we did before. While novels,
movies, advertisements are translated out of English and into a multitude of
other languages; the international novel market in the United States is still
relatively small. The US has largely monopolized its culture
through exporting it.
So what can we
understand that’s useful for us readers about the translation and post-colonialism?
 |
| Russian novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov |
The first
question: who decides what we read about whom? This, in reality, equates to th
Why?
There is the
expectation of low sales. They must also pay the translator in addition to the
author. It is difficult to ascertain the market value of stories that do not
fall into the already established categories (classics,
stuck-in-the-violent-Middle-East thriller, awkward sexual metaphors in Japan, zen
adventure in India, etc). Will the reader buy it if it doesn't ring authentic
to what they already know?
This is all given
freedom of press – most likely on both sides. One country may be less inclined
to share works that may show its negative aspects.
Why some texts and not others?
Ideology is
certainly a factor in which fictions get sold – although less so in the US.
Still, something that is diametrically opposed to US lifestyle, for example,
will most likely be found only at universities. Westernstruck is an example of such a text (albeit it’s non-fiction),
which seems often neglected in current discourse in the news regarding US-Iran relations in
everyday discourse. Some may say this is because it somewhat “dated”, although
in reality, it has certainly seemed to influence some leaders in Iran.
Even more
important is the stretching of reader’s comfort zones. As I alluded to before,
there’s some reluctance to show a Pakistani or Afghani woman having some personal power. Odd sexual imagery seems to be an expectation from Japan (but don't get me wrong, I love Murakami's work).
Another example is
the transition from Q&A to the
film Slumdog Millionaire. The movie
differs from the book even to the point of the main character’s name. While the
novel warmly portrays India, albeit not without some criticism, the film
follows the rag-to-riches formula and its scenes (many which also differ from
the novel) to cater more to the western audience expectations.
So Who’s the Bad Guy?
 |
| Japanese novel 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami |
The quote from the
beginning suggests that past translation only into European languages fosters a
power imbalance – those with the translation have more power over the
perception of and information about non-European peoples.
This isn't
surprising. However, there has also been a lack of translations into English
and other European languages in terms of literature – especially quality
translations with contextual notes to explain the losses and gains. Overall, only 3% of books published in the United States are translated works. Translators have had
few guidelines, and many prominent translators, such as Edward Fitzgerald in
his translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar
Khayyam, have believed in their own literary superiority, and thus
corrupted their translations.
Concepts of
cultural superiority colonize the texts and morph them into something more
European. That behaviour and disregard for the original, manifests in an untrue
translation, even just from the intention. Without the proper respect given to
the text and source culture, stereotypes and inferior perceptions are bound to
crop up for the reader.
What Can The Reader Do?
A prominent
Bengali translator, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, once suggested that if
one wants to show solidarity with post-colonial texts, one should learn the
language of the original. This, however, is still not very practical. How many
resources are there for a mid-western American to learn Azeri? Marathi?
Georgian?
Every culture has
a wealth of stories – whether it’s in the oral or written tradition. And while
most countries recognize and enjoy American cinema and novels, Americans rarely recognize other cultures.
However, one thing
we can do is read more international fiction. The classics are a great place to
start, but it’s essential to push past national and intellectual favorites. Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Goethe’s Faust are fantastic reads (not to mention time-consuming, if you want to read deeply), but they
represent one small fraction in time, one continent.
Anything Else?
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| One Hundred Years of Solitude by Colombian authoer Gabriel García Márquez |
Post-Colonial
Translation is one theory among many. And it certainly gets people riled up
(often for good reasons). It should remind us to ask questions – as readers and
translators –what do we read, what translations get attention, what countries
do we hear from, and why? How can translations open the world up for the
reader?
True,
globalization and rapid spread of cultural symbols and information – often
without the historical significance, has created murky waters for what could be
appropriating literature and what could be solidarity. This makes
post-colonialism seem even more difficult to comprehend for many.
Still, the stories
we tell mean something, and from every story we read about the other, we learn
something new. No one writer can represent their whole nation, which for me is
another reason why an increase in translation and marketing for those
translations is in order.
Besides that, studies
have shown that reading fosters empathy. So when it comes to international
fiction, shouldn't we pay attention to our selection?
It's a big topic. Want
to know more?
Why Americans Don’t Read Foreign Fiction by
Bill Morris
By Emily
Williams
Lost:translation by Richard Lea
A very, very long list of Publishers of Works in Translation by PEN America
Translation and Post-Colonialism - An Interview with Professor Robert J.C. Young
Post-Colonial Criticism - Purdue OWL
Bassnett, Susan, and Harish Trivedi. Postcolonial Translation Theory and Practice. London: Routledge, 1998. Print.
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