The Literary Translator as Dispersive Prism: Refracting and

The Literary Translator as Dispersive Prism:
Refracting and Recomposing Cultures
Jean Anderson
Victoria University of Wellington
All translation requires a balancing act on the part of the translator who must
juggle his or her understanding of the complexities of the source text
embedded within its culture with the need to produce a text acceptable to a
target-culture reading. In this sense the translator as first reader acts like a
prism in breaking text down into its constituent, separable colours. This is not
unlike Appiah’s concept of ‘thick translation’ (1993), proposed as a means of
preserving the complex richness of texts from unfamiliar cultures. Such
prismatic reading requires a high degree of source culture knowledge on the
part of the (possibly endogenous) translator. This approach results, however,
in heavily annotated text best suited to academic purposes. Prismatic in its
revelation of component ‘colours’, it lends itself to dispersed reading.
Translating works for a more literary end purpose, as perceived by publishers
responding to market expectations, requires recomposition, such that the target
text appears ‘smooth’, whole and unified, a reversal of the original refraction.
It is here that the translator, in recomposing the refracted text, must make
choices, each of which has the potential to distort its multiple meanings. In the
translation of postcolonial texts, these decisions are additionally complicated
by the existence within the refracted text of elements that speak differently to
indigenous and settler readers and that will resist the ‘smoothing’ of the
recomposition process.
Drawing on examples from works of New Zealand and Tahitian literature as
illustrative of issues in postcolonial translation, I attempt to identify those
elements most likely to pose recomposition challenges, and the reasons for this
resistance.
Jean Anderson is Associate Professor (Reader) and Programme Director for
French at Victoria University of Wellington, where she founded the New
Zealand Centre for Literary Translation in 2007.
Translation-related publications:
Edited Book (conference proceedings):
Jean Anderson and Heather Elder, eds. Literary Translation in New Zealand. SAELC,
Victoria University of Wellington, 2006.
Edited Book (translations):
Been there, Read That! Stories for the Armchair Traveller. Wellington, Victoria
University Press, 2008.
Book chapters:
“Bringing home the banter: Translating “empty” dialogue in exotic crime fiction”,
Susanne M. Cadera and Anita Pavić Pintarić, The Voices of Suspense and their
Translation in Thrillers. Approaches to Translation Studies, 39. Amsterdam:
Rodopi, 2014. pp. 127-139.
“What’s So Funny About That? Translating Postcolonial Humour” in Creative
Constraints: Translation and Creativity. Leah Gerber and Rita Wilson, eds.
Melbourne: Monash University Press, 2012, pp. 103-118.
“Introduction” with William Rodarmor, in French Feast: A Traveler’s Literary
Companion, ed. William Rodarmor, Whereabouts Press, San Francisco, 2011,
pp. vii-x.
“La Traduction résistante: Some Principles of Resistant Translation of Francophone
and Anglophone Pacific Literature”, Cultural Crossings: Negotiating
Identities in Francophone and Anglophone Pacific Literatures, ed. Raylene
Ramsay, Brussels: Peter Lang, 2010. pp. 285-301.
“The Fraudulent Translator: Some Aspects of Translator Affect as Presented Through
Fiction”, in Jean Anderson and Heather Elder, eds. Literary Translation in
New Zealand. SAELC, Victoria University of Wellington, 2006. pp. 29-38.
Articles:
“Hardboiled or Overcooked? Translating the Crime Fiction of Léo Malet.”
JoSTrans (Journal of Specialised Translation, UK). Issue 22 July 2014, pp.
28-43. http://www.jostrans.org/issue22/art_anderson.pdf.
“Inside Out or Outside In? Translating Margins, Marginalizing Translations. The Case
of Francophone Pacific Writing.” TranscUlturAl, vol.5.1-2 (2013), 9-21 (April
2014) http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/TC
“Behind the Lines: Translator and Editor in Conversation”, co-written (50%) with
Gillian Tewsley. New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters 2012
Proceedings, 2013. pp. 96-102 (Peer-reviewed conference proceedings).
“Translating Chantal Spitz: Challenges of the Transgeneric Text.” Australian Journal
of French Studies, vol. L, 2 (May-August 2013), pp. 177-189.
“Why Two Heads are Sometimes Better than One: Collaborative Translation of Janet
Frame’s The Lagoon and Other Stories”, (with Nadine Ribault),
Commonwealth Essays and Studies (Sorbonne, Paris), printemps 2011, pp. 2132.
“How Strange are the Strangers? On Translating New Zealand Literature for the
Belles étrangères”, (refereed) Proceedings of the 2006 Conference of the New
Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters, Auckland, NZSTI, 2008.
pp. 34-44.
“On Translating Voice: the Problem of Fluidity”, in Leena Salmi and Kaisa Koskinen,
eds, Proceedings of the XVII World Congress, International Federation of
Translators, Paris, 2005, pp. 198-199.
“The Double Agent: Aspects of Literary Translator Affect As Revealed in Fictional
Work By Translators”, Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series 4, (2005),
(special issue: Fictionalising Translation and Multiculturalism), pp.171-182.
Book Translations:
The Missing King, translation into English of Moetai Brotherson’s Le Roi absent.
Auckland: Little Island Press, 2012.
Mutuwhenua, la lune dort, co-translation (with France Grenaudier-Klijn) into French
of Patricia Grace’s Mutuwhenua, the Moon Sleeps. Papeete: Au Vent des îles,
2012.
Indian Tango, translation into English of Ananda Devi’s Indian Tango, New York,
Host Publications, 2011.
Shortlisted for American Library Association’s Book of the Year award,
literary fiction category. Reprinted, Random House India, 2013.
Le Bataillon maori, co-translation into French of Patricia Grace’s novel Tu, with
France Grenaudier-Klijn, Papeete, Au Vent des îles, 2010. (Series: Littératures
du Pacifique)
So Far the World, translation into English of Tavae’s Si loin du monde, Auckland,
Little Island Press, 2010.
The Collector’s Dream, translation into English of Pierre Furlan’s novel Le Rêve du
collectionneur, Wellington, Victoria University Press, 2010.
Listed in the year’s top 100 books (international), The Listener, December
2010 Vol 226 No 3683
Radio New Zealand serial reading 2012, 2014
Les Enfants de Ngarua, co-translation into French of Patricia Grace’s novel Dogside
Story, with France Grenaudier-Klijn, Pape‘ete, Au Vent des îles, 2009.
(Series: Littératures du Pacifique)
Island of Shattered Dreams, translation of Chantal Spitz’s novel (Tahiti) L’Ile des
rêves écrasés, Wellington, Huia Books, 2007.
Bluebeard’s Workshop and Other Stories, book-length translation of Pierre Furlan’s
short stories L’Atelier de Barbe bleue, Wellington, Victoria University Press,
2007.
Électrique cité, co-translation with Anne Magnan-Park of Patricia Grace’s short
stories, Electric City, Pape‘ete, 2006, Au Vent des îles, (Series: Littératures du
Pacifique)
Les Yeux volés, co-translation into French with France Grenaudier-Klijn of Patricia
Grace’s novel, Baby No Eyes, Pape‘ete, Au Vent des îles, 2006. (Series:
Littératures du Pacifique)
Le Lagon, co-translation with Nadine Ribault of Janet Frame’s short stories, The
Lagoon, Paris, Editions des femmes, 2006.
Favourably reviewed in Le Magazine littéraire, March 2006; Le Monde des
livres, 21 April 2006; New Zealand Books, October 2006; Lire, November
2006.
Selected Shorter translations:
“Ghost Writers”, Claude Bleton, Words Without Borders, June 2013.
http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/ghost-writers
“Weaving Dreams”, Ananda Devi, Words Without Borders, May 2012.
http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/weaving-dreams
In French Feast: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, ed. William Rodarmor,
Whereabouts Press, San Francisco, 2011:
“Tears of Laughter”, Nadine Ribault, pp. 97-115.
“Brasserie”, Marie Rouanet, pp. 125-131.
“Spinach Should Be Cooked With Cream”, pp. 132-142.
“The Legend of Bread”, Michel Tournier, pp. 143-147.
“Pique-Nique”, Dominique Sylvain, pp. 174-181.
“My Kingdom for a Horse”, Moetai Brotherson, Wasafiri (London, Open University)
63, Autumn 2010, pp. 47-52.
In Brèves 91 Special issue on Pacific writing, Part 1 (May 2010) the following cotranslations into French with France Grenaudier-Klijn:
“Nos histoires sont en nous”, Serie Barford, pp.11-15.
“Our Sea of Islands”, Epeli Hau’ofa, pp.16-24.
“Les nuits blanches de Crummer road”, John Pule, pp.66-76.
“Tout le temps”, Sia Fiegel, pp.92-99.
In Brèves 91 Special issue on Pacific writing, Part 2 (May 2010) the following cotranslations into French with France Grenaudier-Klijn:
“Un brin de puha”, David Eggleton, pp.20-23.
“Considérations”, Teresia Teaiwa, pp.24-30.
“La Littérature océanienne”, Albert Wendt, pp.32-39.
“Three New Caledonian Poets”, work by Nicolas Kurtovitch, Frédéric Ohlen, Paul
Wamo, for Poetry New Zealand, 35, September 2007. pp. 10-32
In Writing the Pacific: An Anthology, eds Jennifer Webb and Kavita Nandan, Suva:
University of the South Pacific Press, 2007.
Extract, novel Matamimi, la vie nous attend, Ari’irau (Tahiti) pp. 2-5
Extract, novel Good night, friend, Nicolas Kurtovitch (New Caledonia)
pp.79-86
Extract, autofictional novel Mutismes, Titaua Peu (Tahiti) pp. 100-107
Extract, novel Arioi, Vairaumati no Raiatea, (Tahiti) pp. 135-140
Extract, novel L’Ile des rêves écrasés, Chantal Spitz (Tahiti) pp.140-147
In a special issue, on New Zealand literature, of the review Europe (France), 931-932,
novembre-décembre 2006.
“Une volonté de garçon”, co-translation with Nadine Ribault of Janet Frame’s
short story, “A Boy’s Will”. pp. 75-86
“Entre Ciel et Terre”, co-translation with Anne Magnan-Park of Patricia
Grace’s short story, “Between Earth and Sky”. pp. 87-90
“Le Cœur dans la balance”, “Le lundi”, poems by Jenny Bornholdt. pp. 177179
“Querelle d’amoureux”, “La Trapéziste”, poems by Michael Harlow. pp. 165167
“Le Gauguin ne va pas te déranger, j’espère? Les littératures maori et pasifika
en Aotearoa / Nouvelle-Zélande”, translation of Alice Te Punga Somerville’s
and Selina Tusitala Marsh’s essay on Maori and Pasifika writing. pp. 46-63.
“4 poèmes de Vincent O’Sullivan”, and “3 poèmes de Jenny Bornholdt” (cotranslated with Charles Juliet), Voix d’encre (France), 33 (automne 2005),
pp. 23-26 and 53-57.
“Three Poems by Charles Juliet” translation of “Trois poèmes écrits en NouvelleZélande”, Poetry New Zealand, 31 (October 2005), pp. 43-45.
INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONS:
Invited speaker, “Trasnlating Léo Malet” City University London, MA in Translation
and Popular Culture / Public Lecture Series, November 2013.
Invited leader, workshop on literary translation “Murder and Mayhem” organised by
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, June-July 2013.
Invited speaker, La Maison du livre, Nouméa, New Caledonia, June 2012. Guest of
the New Zealand Consulate in Nouméa.
Visiting lecturer, two 2-hour translation classes, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie,
New Caledonia, June 2012.
Visiting lecturer, two advanced (Master level) classes, Université d’Avignon et des
Pays du Vaucluse, France, September 2011.
Visiting lecturer, three translation classes, University of Alberta, Canada, September
2011.
Keynote speaker, St Jerome’s Day Translation conference, University of Alberta,
Canada, September 2011.
Invited leader, workshop on literary translation “Translated!” organised by Monash
University, Melbourne, February 2011.
Invited chair of literary translation round table, “Les Enjeux de la traduction”,
Congress of the Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Français, Commission
Asie-Pacifique. University of Sydney. December 2010.
Invited chair of writers’ panel, Witi Ihmaera, Patricia Grace, Albert Wendt. Salon du
livre, “Lire en Polynésie”, Pape’ete, French Polynesia, November-December 2009.
Invited panelist, literary translation round table, Salon du livre, “Lire en Polynésie”,
Pape’ete, French Polynesia, November-December 2009.
Invited speaker, ‘Literary Translation in New Zealand”, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, USA, October 2008.
Invited speaker, ‘Translating the Pacific”, University of Indiana at Bloomington,
USA, October 2008.