TRANSLATION AND
INTERNATIONALISATION
TRANSLATION AS
INTERNATIONALISATION
IN EUROPE AFTER THE FIRST
WORLD WAR
Francis Mus
University of Leuven
Liège University
BRUSSELS
1919-1922
FRENCH
ANTWERP
1919-1923
FRENCH
ANTWERP
1920-1923
FRENCH
ANTWERP
1921-1925
DUTCH
FRANCE
1968-1972
1. PERIODICAL RESEARCH :
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
-
[in general]
the periodical as pars pro toto ?
-
[in particular]
important role in Belgian (francophone)
literature
2. INTERNATIONAL LITERATURES IN PERIODICALS
⌐ a large definition of the periodical
as cultural practice
as group
3. HOW TO EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE OF TRANSLATIONS ?
⌐ A: the ubiquity of the notion of internationalism
- semantic vagueness
- semantic network: (supra)nationalism, universalism, cosmopolitism…
3. HOW TO EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE OF TRANSLATIONS ?
⌐ A: the ubiquity of the notion of internationalism
⌐ B: specific publication format: periodical
3. HOW TO EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE OF TRANSLATIONS ?
⌐ A: the ubiquity of the notion of internationalism
⌐ B: specific publication format: periodical
• Both sides develop passive capacity in the language of
the other
(so both speak their own language).
• Both sides adopt a lingua franca.
• The contact situation adopts and develops a pidgin
• One side adopts the language of the other.
• Both sides learn each other’s language and use
code-switching.
• Both sides develop passive capacity in the language of
the other
[…] l’orthographe des patronymes russes transcrits à l’allemande est pour les Français le comble du ridicule. Qu’est-ce que ce Petrow-Wotkin ? Le russe ne comporte point de w dans son alphabet ; or si en allemand, le v se prononce f, est-ce donc la faute aux Français ? J’eus la surprise d’y lire le nom de : Valérian Brjussoff… Connais pas. À bien chercher, je déniche le célèbre romancier et poète Valeri Brussef… SSollogub pour Sologoub ! Bunin pour Bousine ! Mereschkowski pour Méréjkovski ! Je m’arrête là, voyant que l’on ne saurait davantage relever les bévues de quelqu’un, après ce qui précède. C’est le cas de le dire : il faut tirer l’échelle.
[…] The orthography of Russian surnames, transcribed in the German way, is for the French the height of stupidity. Who is this Petrow-Wotkin? The Russian language does not have a w in its alphabet; now, if in German, the letter v is pronounced as F, is the fault due to the French? I was surprised to read the name of: Valérian Brjussof… Don’t know. Having looked well, it turned out to be the famous novelist and poet Valeri Brussef… SSollogub for Sologoub! Bunin for Bousine! Mereschkowski pour Méréjkovski! I will stop here, because after this there is no need anymore to point to the blunders of someone else.
[…] l’orthographe des patronymes russes transcrits à l’allemande est pour les Français le comble du ridicule. Qu’est-ce que ce Petrow-Wotkin ? Le russe ne comporte point de w dans son alphabet ; or si en allemand, le v se prononce f, est-ce donc la faute aux Français ? J’eus la surprise d’y lire le nom de : Valérian Brjussoff… Connais pas. À bien chercher, je déniche le célèbre romancier et poète Valeri Brussef… SSollogub pour Sologoub ! Bunin pour Bousine ! Mereschkowski pour Méréjkovski ! Je m’arrête là, voyant que l’on ne saurait davantage relever les bévues de quelqu’un, après ce qui précède. C’est le cas de le dire : il faut tirer l’échelle.
[…] The orthography of Russian surnames, transcribed in the German way, is for the French the height of stupidity. Who is this Petrow-Wotkin? The Russian language does not have a w in its alphabet; now, if in German, the letter v is pronounced as F, is the fault due to the French? I was surprised to read the name of: Valérian Brjussof… Don’t know. Having looked well, it turned out to be the famous novelist and poet Valeri Brussef… SSollogub for Sologoub! Bunin for Bousine! Mereschkowski pour Méréjkovski! I will stop here, because after this there is no need anymore to point to the blunders of someone else.
• Both sides adopt a lingua franca.
• Translation (1) – transposition, transcription, adaptation,
…
« Le jardinier d’Amour frappe aussi par la sobriété des moyens poétiques qui, dans la langue originale, doit être balancée certes par le rythme de vers. Ici, dans l’adaptation du Mme Mirabaud, certains d’entre eux revêtent un caractère de sentences qui n’est pas, d’ailleurs, pour déplaire, mais qui confère aux poèmes une netteté d’intention à laquelle Tagore n’a jamais été, je crois, très attentif. »
“Le jardinier d’amour is also remarkable for the
sobriety of the poetic instruments, which, in the original language, definitely has to be balanced by the rhythm of the verses. Here, in the
adaptation of Mme Mirabaud, some of them hold a meaning which is not, by the way,
unpleasant, but does give them a clear intention for which Tagore has never been respectful, I think.”
