Following the Translator’s Rite of Passage from Local Reaction to Global Perception

8/11/2019 Following the Translators Rite of Passage from Local Reaction to Global Perception

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by intercultural so$ourners8. These ad$ustments, it is suggested, can only ta'e place as beliefs change through experience, learning and the ac>uisition of new s'ills andresources (not discussed here . I will assume, for sa'e of argument, that translators insome way will be &intercultural so$ourners..%odelling is the basis of many cognitive disciplines (/atan )))9 )47)= . The models of cognition, or belief change, as proposed here are simplified, deleted, distorted and

generalised copies of what happens in reality. %ore importantly, as "onnor (4


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differences are simply not, to use +perber and 5ilsons ( )-*9 B4 term, &manifest . 2eis also very careful to note that 6oppressed people may navigate the development of intercultural sensitivity differently from those in the dominant group8.Translators, not actually seeing or even reacting to the others cognitive environment,

but engrossed in own interpretationsat this level based on fulfilling our ownexpectationsare either students or the unwitting tend to produce wor' that

provideproviders of the stoc'comic relief for tourists for comedians and wry smiles fromtouristsin hotels and restaurants (see for example s,, #ryson ))


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contributioncomment d &Jollity in Jesolo, a seaside resort and close to 0enice. 2e begins with the textwith a >uote from a the tourist brochure advertising the resort 9

65e as'ed9 5hy Jesolo for your holidaysO E...G ecause, the well7rounded beauty in the illustration replies, &Jesolo can be reached so easily that my

husband is able to come and see me every wee'7end, and each time he findsme more and more sun7tanned. I assume this is a close translation of theItalian original, and, as it is sexist, the translator should have left out thereference to the husband and confined himMherself to Jesolos accessibility andits warm weather.8

2ere, Hewmar' is suggesting that a translator should manipulate the text to fit the hislocal domestic (and superior culture . 2e presumes that his local interpretation of thevisual and verbal sign is universally ( demeaning to women is the only interpretationand also that these signs should be replaced with a superior guiding belief (i.e. non7sexist . ?egarding his first point, because the translation is &sexist. The generali:ed

belief underpinning his statement is that a picture of a 6well7endowed beauty8 whospends the wee' suntanning herself, by herself, is doing this for her husband. A reader within the Italian context of culture or habitus would note that anybody who can getaway from the humidy and the heat of the 0eneto region in the summer, does so andeither so$ourns in the mountains or by the sea (/atan )))9 B . Jesolo is the closest

beach area to industrial %estre, and those that can (usually wives and children ta'erefuge there, while the (hardly sexist husband has to remain in town and at wor' tillthe wee'end.

As translators, we are tied to a source text, but wetranslators need 6profound cultural'nowledge8 (5olf ))19 41 to be fully aware of the context of culture before we theycan begin to evaluate another cultures way s. As 5olf ( ))19 41 says 6what is re>uiredis profound cultural 'nowledge gained by fieldwor'8.This 'nowledge would haverevealed the fact that it is an Italian family tradition for those who can (home7employedwives and children to escape from the summer heat and the humidity of the urban areasto the beach, and for the husbands to $oin them when they can at the wee'end. %any

people of both sexes, it transpires from the translation, en$oy the effects of the sunsrays. b$ectively, this may well be dangerous for the s'in but is not necessarily6wounding or demeaning to those whose sex, EF G leaves them vulnerable to the raw

power of words8 (#ryson, ))B9 B4; .+econdly, and more importantly, Hewmar' believes that translators should censor text inaccordance with this locally imposed limiting belief.

&eversal An interesting &option in the intercultural sensitivity model is the phenomenon of &reversal. This still revolves around superiority, but in reverse. It is the 6denigration of ones own culture and an attendant assumption of the superiority of a different cultureP

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(#ennett ))=9 =) . !eople in this position feel themselves to be, as exemplified by0enuti ( ));9 4) 6a nomad in my own country, a runaway from the mother7tongue8.The reasons may be manifold, but generally involve 6 EFG a disavowal of all E" G valuesand an embracing of unchanging E"4G values8 (%ilton ))=9 B< . 0enuti ( ))-9 ualun>ue. E/ramerG portava una borsa di cuoio [F ] che urlava9 6Io costo cin uecentodollari 8

5hat happens, though, is that many outsider groups do not necessarily appreciate the price being spelled out with so much technical clarity, except in a purely commercialcontext between buyer and seller. The behaviour is pan7cultural, but at the higher levelsof strategy (when and how it is appropriate and values (why, the meaning the gaps arewide. "arroll ( )--9 4-7) , for example, explains how %editerranean cultures tend to

value the American propensity towards technical clarity9 6%oney. +omeone should tal' about money. [...] the face of an American could easily be replaced by a dollar sign asign of Nincurable materialismN, of arrogance, of power, of NvulgarN, unrefined pleasure8.+o, a translation of this particular technical sign which does not mind the value gap, onlyserves to strengthen the ethnocentric stereotype of American superficiality. i n a more day7to7day level, Ho less importantly, asaccording to @evine and Adelman( )-= point out , understanding the behavioural differences , such as those outlined by

Hida, without an understanding that there is also aof the gap differen cet between belief and value systems will, in the end, result in stress and also depression for the so$ourner.This will be caused by the internal conflict in the evaluation of insider "ulture 4

behaviour using outsider "ulture values. At the beginning, I mentioned the translator who is attracted or at least interested in Nthe otherN. The positive feeling towards a secondculture will not last long if a translator simply distorts the target text to ta'e account of differences in communication style.In fact, there are many writers (including insider writers suffering from reverse cultureshoc' who, while professing their passion for a particular cultures different way of doing things, cannot seeperceive , let alone respect, the different logical valuessupporting the different behaviour. 5hat they seerespond to , instead, is a conflict with

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their own value system for example, criticism of the obscurity of the Italian (see /atan)))9 )1 or the hypocrisy of politeness in nglish . as noted by As #eppe +evergnini(in i'id 9 4=B. Though he is, a declared Anglophile who and wor's for the Econo#ist ,

put itwe can clearly see how his ironic comments belie a conflict with his " valuesystem 9 6the nglish language is deliciously hypocritical. It doesnt force those whospea' it to any of the embarrassing Italian fran'ness8. Th is comment, by the way, adds

another nail in the coffin of "hestermans universal belief infurther contextualises theuniverse of ose who believe that &6 clarity 8. is an nglish communication style ta'enote .ne of the difficulties at this stage of intercultural sensitivity lies with the fact thatvalues are part of identity. If we are able to respect different values (at the level of values then our identity will necessarily be affected. Internalising multiple valuesystems can, of course, lead to personality disorders. It is much less threatening, on theother hand, to denominali:e the fro:en 6values8 state, and to consider, instead, theexperiential roots attached to 6what a culture values8. 5e can respect these withoutthreat to our own identity.A2owever, at the Acceptance stage t this stage , the translator is attempting to enlarge hisor her own culture7bound map of the world, rather than construct a separate map tomodel the &6other 8 system. 5ith a separate model to wor' with, translators will be inthe position to ma'e their own moral, professional, ethical and translation decisions butto do so, they firstwhich means that they need to be capable of ta'ing multiple positions.

-.+tage ;9 Adaptation6...respect for the integrity of cultures, including ones own8 (#ennett, ))-9 4-

At this stage 6new s'ills appropriate to different world views are ac>uired as an additive process8 (#ennett ibid ))= 9 ;4 . I have discussed elsewhere the importance of theability to mindshift, and for the translator to be able to move between various perceptual

positions ( )))a, )))b . 5hat #ennett ( ))-9 4- points out at this stage is th at peoplecane 6use 'nowledge to intentionally shift into a different frame of reference8.The &cultural turn mar'ed a series of reference shifts. isCwasocus shifted from formalfidelity to the original text, to 6The &Death of the Author8 (Arro$o ))1 and interest inreader response. It mar'ed the beginning of a discussion on the translators status, and in

particular, the translators (in visibility ( i'id , 0enuti ));, ))- . This entailed a new belief regarding the translators tas', as +nell72ornby ( )--9 4= points out9 6the starting point is the exact opposite of that represented by the linguistically orientated school E...G9not intended e>uivalence but admitted manipulation8.

ere ( si#ply /ish to co#plete the 0nified 1ield #odel introduced at the 'eginning. The 2ogical 2evels #odel3 as ( #entioned3 /ill change para#eters according to ti#e4 and in particular3 'eliefs /ill change according to one5s position on the intercultural develop#ent cline. As 'eliefs change3 so does every other level.

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The #odel of the /orld as seen through the syste# of 2ogical 2evels /ill also changeaccording to perceptual position: the degree in /hich one is fully associated *and cannot perceive the other culture or the gaps or disassociated *and can see the other culture and the gaps . o/ a translator /ill #ind the gaps depends3 as /e have seen3 onthe 'eliefs that are held at that #o#ent in history. The final 0nified 1ield #odel *adapted here is as follo/s:

Core )alues 6eneralised 'eliefs Translation strategies (ndividual translationdecisions7rientation to: a'out translator5s task co##unication co##unication nor#sdifference the 8other5 hierarchy ideologies

9., E#pathyThe first level of adaptation is e#pathy3 /hich is an atte#pt to understand 'y i#agining /hat the other side of the gap #ust 'e like. The translator5s perceptual position changes/ith the reali ation of *to use 2efevere5s ter# the refraction". o/ever3 the pro'le# intranslation is that3 co##on to e#pathy itself3 it is still an outsider5s pro;ection of /hat the differences could 'e. At this stage3 it is still difficult to feel certain a'out theexactitude of the gaps3 and /hat the array of possi'le uptakes fro# the foreign text #ight 'e. 1or a nu#'er of successful translators3 this stage /ill si#ply 'e ane#'arrassing or painful #e#ory3 due to the /ell-intentioned translation gaffes

produced4 or si#ply to the inordinate ti#e it took to translate 'efore really getting a feel for a text and ho/ it #ight 'e read. As Bennett *i'id: ;udge#ent is paraly ed 'y a plethora of e?ually valua'le alternatives". The translator3 at this stage3 cannot yet

fully disassociate fro# his or her o/n value syste#3 nor can s@he full associate /ith theother culture.

9. PluralismAt this second level of Adaptation , disassociation and subse>uent association is

complete. It is here that the translator satisfies 6the re>uirement that understanding of difference must derive from actual experience /ithin that cultural frame8 ( ibid#ennett))= 9 ;; . And it is at this stage that a translator can be said to be 6 bicultural 8, with aminimum of two maps in one mind. 2ermans discussion of polysystem theory showshow translators are now much more prepared to loo' beyond the text to the system or system of systems it is part of. As he says ( )))9 < , 6it has benefited translationresearch by placing translation s>uarely in a larger field of cultural activity8. #ut, as herightly points out, it this field is still vague and abstract. Also, as #ochner points out

B

Associated Ti#e@(ntercultural $ensitivity

Disassociated


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( )- 9 4 , 'nowing more than one culture is a necessary, but not a sufficient conditionfor cultural mediation, which is the next stage. 5hat the translator still needs is a belief system which is ready to exploit specific translation competency s'ills (see !ymforthcoming at the level of global perception rather than local reaction which is thenext level.

).+tage *9 Integration Mcultural mediation.At this stage, 6 ne does not have culture one engages in it8 (#ennett ))=9 ;4 .Translators, as mediators, 6see their identities as including many cultural options, any of which can be exercised in any context, by choice at a certain stage8 ( i'id 9 *< .

., Contextual EvaluationThe first level of integration is where 6one attains the ability to analy:e and evaluatesituations from one or more cultural perspectives EFG the outcome of this action is a

$udgement of relative goodness that is specific to some identified context ( i'id 9 * . Atranslator is not only able to mindshift and associate with both the +T source text and thevirtual TT target text (see /atan )))a9 4B7 4; , but is also able to ta'e a third

perceptual position (/atan 3 +traniero7+ ergio 4


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8cultural 8 identity , and there are. 2is or her identity contains no un>uestionedassumptions. As the heading title implies, marginality brings with it isolation. Thereason has much to do with the beliefs about &the other insiderMoutsider gap. Cellowinsiders trust each other partly because they have similar boundaries, and share the samegaps. A mediator, at this level, may help negotiate others gapscultural differences , butwill have few of his or her own to share.

2oweverI believe , however, that once a translator has reached mediation is e>ually possible at the contextual evaluation stage, a where a translator has already fullychanged status andas mediator is already capable fully able to satisfy Tafts ( )- 9 ;=re>uirement that mediators are capable of 6interpreting the expressions, intentions,

perceptions, and expectations of each cultural group to the other EFG6 . 7 rather thanlocally reacting to texts. (Taft )- 9 ;= .


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outsider. In the following example, +tefania is Italian, as is the coffee, and she is notimpolite9 6+he as'ed the waiter for an espresso, 6thic', double and really hot8.

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Dillon, eorge ( ))4 &Insider ?eading and @inguistic Corm9 "ontextual /nowledgeand the ?eading of @ingistic Discourse8, in %. Toolan (ed 2anguage Text and Context ,@ondon and Hew Kor'9 ?outledgeDilts, ?obert ( ))< Changing Belief $yste#s /ith 2% , "alifornia9 %eta !ublications.+odds #$- %&&:, ;*llantica commedia degli errori) hat is it Thats Going on 4ere?) "ediating CulturalFrames in Translation=- Textus ,, , pp.9 79&2718$6atan + ., avid ( %&&&a, Translating Cultures, an Introduction for Translators,

Interpreters and Mediators - St$ #erome Publishing ,9 "anchester$6atan + ., avid ( %&&8 b, ;The Translator as Cultural "ediator=- Duaderno( Programma Sociologia Interna ionale, Se ione Rela ione Interna ionali - Duaderno ,n$ &8 @ 1-ori:ia9 Istituto di +ociologia Interna:ionale. pp. 7 .

=

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/atan, David ( ))*a PDeedes and %isdeedes9 the "ulture #ound Hature of Interpreting%eaningP, in ". J. Taylor (ed , Aspects of English ((3 "ampanotto, Ldine. 4 7 B


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i Another example of the impact of a translation which does not ta'e account of the value gaps can be found in /atan( ))* .

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Following the Translator’s Rite of Passage from Local Reaction to Global Perception