Lang 5800 / Hnrs 4900: Practice and Theory of Literary Translation, Dr. Jeffrey Angles, Western Michigan University

Translation has played a critical role in the development of literature throughout history. These influences are rarely one-sided, however. One could point to the tremendous influence of translations of French and Belgian symbolist poetry on Japanese poets such as Kitahara Hakushū (1885-1942) as well as the profound impact of translations of Chinese and Japanese poetry on Western imagists such as Ezra Pound (1885-1972) to show that translations have played a critical role in spurring new literary movements all over the world.

Theories of translation and the role of the translator, however, have changed significantly over time. At times, translators have been seen as little more than middlemen pouring words from the vessel of one language to the vessel of another; however, this view neglects the enormous role that the translator plays in shaping the text. The translator is typically faced with the question of whether to modify the world of the text in order to make it accessible to the target culture or whether to attempt to bring the readers toward the culture that produced the text. How different translators respond to these issues has a large bearing on the ways that the target audience sees the world of the text and culture that produced it.

This seminar brings together students of multiple languages to talk about translation in both its theoretical and practical aspects. The course divides time evenly between discussion of theoretical writings on translation and discussion of the practical side of translation. During the theoretical discussion, class discussion will focus on articles about the kinds of bias that translators might bring to their text, the various possible modes for translating different sorts of texts, some of the ways that translation has shaped literary history, and the relationship between translation, nationalism, international representation, literary fame, gender, and representivity.

For the hours dedicated to the practical side of translation, students will be required to translate one brief text of their own choosing from another language into English. Each week, we will examine the progress of one or two students, discuss the problems of translating from his or her particular language, the textual issues raised by the act of translation, and practical approaches to address these issues. In this way, the seminar couples discussion of the issues inherently raised by translation with a concrete exploration of the nuts and bolts of the act of translation itself. Living in our postmodern world of rapid globalization, these issues have significant implications for our daily lives.

GOALS OF THE CLASS:

· To examine the implications of translation, as both as art and as an act of writing, especially in relation to issues of authority, power, canonization, gender, and globalization.

· To provide a survey of the burgeoning field of translation studies.

· To create a forum in which students can work on an individual translation project of their own choosing.

· To create a cross-linguistic environment in which students from different linguistic backgrounds can discuss the challenges of translating from their particular language.

GRADING:

· 20% Two short take-home essay questions or book reports (5-7 pp. each)

· 20% Presentations on status and problems of individual research project

· 20% Final status of translation project

· 20% Final exam

· 10% Participation in internet discussion

· 10% Class participation

The instructor promises to have graded essays and other materials to students within two weeks after students submitted their work.

ON PRESENTATIONS REGARDING INDIVIDUAL PROJECT:

· Beginning in the late part of the second week, approximately half of the class time of each class period will be dedicated to student presentations on status and problems of their individual translation project.

· Each student should expect to report to the class on their project twice or three times per semester, depending on the size of the class.

· When presenting, students should bring the following for all students: (1) a copy of one original passage from the text being translated, (2) a translation that is as literal as possible, (3) a more polished, "finished" translation, and (4) a list of problems, difficulties, and issues encountered in translating the passage.

· The class will work through the passage with the presenter, discussing the problems encountered, the readability of the translation, and other various issues as they arise.

ON INTERNET PARTICIPATION:

In order to facilitate discussion about the reading assignments, all students should e-mail the instructor with at least one discussion question about the reading assignments per week.The questions should be submitted by e-mail by one pm of the day the work is to be discussed. Students can submit questions regarding the historical context of the essays, the biases of the writer(s), points that the writer(s) do not cover sufficiently, and so on.

How to post a question to the discussion boards of WebCT:

· Go to http://gowmu.wmich.edu & enter your user name & password

· Click on "My Courses"

· Click on "Foreign Lang Lit Translation"

· Click on "Discussions"

· Click on "Discussion/Questions for Week 2"

· Click on compose

· Write your comments or questions for the week

· When finished, click "post"

REQUIRED TEXTS:

· VENUTI, Lawrence, ed. The Translation Studies Reader. 2nd edition. London: Routledge, 2004 [ISBN 041531920X].

· VENUTI, Lawrence. The Scandals of Translation: Towards an Ethics of Difference. NY: Routledge, 1998 [ISBN 0415169305].

· SCHULTE, Rainer and John BIGUENET, eds. Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992 [ISBN 0226048713].

· BIGUENET, John and Rainer SCHULTE, eds. The Craft of Translation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989 [ISBN 0226048691].

· MUNDAY, Jeremy.Introducing Translation Studies. London: Routledge, 2001. [Available over the internet through WestCat (WMU Library System)]

· Assorted other essays that will be made available via WebCT. (Those essays are included in the schedule below in blue text.)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

· All students should have completed or be currently enrolled in a 300-level foreign language course or have prior permission of the instructor.

· The instructor has designed this course on the assumption that students do not necessarily read the languages of all the other students in the course.The goal is to gain experience with the historical status of the idea of translation, the social meaning of translation, and the nuts and bolts of embarking upon a translation in your area of expertise.

COURSE READINGS & SCHEDULE (Subject to change):

Week 1
1/10 (T)

· Introduction to the Course

·

1/12 (R)

· Jeremy MUNDAY, "Chapter 1: Main Issues of Translation Studies" and "Chapter 2: Translation Theory Before the Twentieth Century," Introducing Translation Studies (London: Routledge, 2001) 1-34.

·

Week 2
1/17 (T)

· John DRYDEN, "On Translation," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 17-31.

· Arthur SCHOPENHAUER, "On Language and Words," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 32-35.

·

1/19 (R)

· Friedrich SCHLEIERMACHER, "From On the Different Methods of Translating," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 36-54.

· Wilhelm Von HUMBOLT, "From the Introduction to His Translation of Agamemnon," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 55-59.

· Johann Wolfgang von GOETHE, "Translations," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 60-63.

·

Week 3
1/24 (T)

· Walter BENJAMIN, "The Task of the Translator," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 71-82.

1/26 (R)

· Jose Ortega Y GASSET, "The Misery and Splendor of Translation," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 93-112.

·

Week 4
1/31 (T)

· Ezra POUND, "Guido's Relations," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 81-92.

· Paul VALERY, "Variations on the Ecologues," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 113-26.

· Vladimir NABOKOV, "Problems of Translation: Onegin in English," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 127-143.

·

2/2 (R)

· Octavio PAZ, "Translation: Literature and Letters," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 152-62.

· Yves BONNEFOY, "Translating Poetry," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 186-92.

·

Week 5

2/7 (T)

· Roman JAKOBSON, "On Linguistic Aspects of Translation," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 144-51.

· Henry SCHOGT, "Semantic Theory and Translation Theory," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 193-203.

·

2/9 (R)

· Short Essay #1 Due

·

Week 6
2/14 (T)

· Eugene NIDA, "Principles of Correspondence," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 153-67.

·

2/16 (R)

· George STEINER, "The Hermeneutic Motion," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 193-99.

· Gideon TOURY, "The Nature and Role of Norms in Translation," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 205-18.

·

Week 7
2/21 (T)

· Jacques DERRIDA, "From Des Tours de Babel," Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, ed. Rainer SCHULTE and John BIGUENET (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992) 218-227.

· Jacques DERRIDA, "What is a 'Relevant' Translation?," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 423-46.

·

2/23 (R)

· Jeremy MUNDAY, "Chapter 8: Varieties of Cultural Studies" and "Chapter 9: Translating the Foreign, The (In)Visibility of Translation," Introducing Translation Studies (London: Routledge, 2001) 126-161.

·

2/27 (T) -
3/2 (R)

SPRING BREAK

Week 8
3/7 (T)

· Annie BRISSET, "The Search for a Native Language: Translation and Cultural Identity," trans. Rosalind Gill and Roger Gannon, The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 343-375.

·

· Gayatri Chakravorty SPIVAK, "The Politics of Translation," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 397-416.

·

·

3/9 (R)

· Susan BASSNETT and Harish TRIVEDI, "Introduction: Of Colonies, Cannibals, and Vernaculars," Post-colonial Translation: Theory and Practice, ed. Susan BASSNETT and Harish TRIVEDI (London: Routledge, 1999). [Available on WebCT]

·

Week 9
3/14 (T)

· Andre LEFEVRE, "Mother Courage's Cucumbers: Text, System, and Refraction in a Theory of Literature," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 239-55.

· Andre LEFEVERE, "Composing the Other," Post-colonial Translation: Theory and Practice, ed. Susan BASSNETT and Harish TRIVEDI (London: Routledge, 1999). [Available on WebCT]

·

3/16 (R)

· Lori CHAMBERLAIN, "Gender and the Metaphorics of Translation," The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti (London: Routledge, 2000) 314-330.

·

·

Week 10
3/21 (T)

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