Do Literary Translators Have a Style of Their Own? Lessons from C.S.Z. Ntuli’s Translation of D.B.Z. Ntuli’s Short Story Uthingo lwenkosazana (The Rainbow)

Abstract

Translators have been preoccupied with translations since Babel. Different texts have been translated from one language into another to enable target readers to access the source text message. Literary translation is not exempt from this. Literary translation is done with the purpose of allowing the reader of the translated literature to be as inspired, moved and aesthetically entertained as the reader of the original text. Since translation has for a very long time been considered a derivative of the original text, translators are said not to have a style of their own on the basis that they reproduce the work of the original writer. However, this assumption is repudiated by scholars such as Baker (2000), who maintains that “it is impossible to produce a stretch of language in a totally impersonal way. It is like handling an object without leaving one’s fingerprints on it”. On the basis of this assumption, this article seeks to illustrate that translators can leave their own trademark on a translation and still preserve effects similar to those found in the source text. The paper will focus on C.S.Z. Ntuli’s translation (1997) of D.B.Z. Ntuli’s short story Uthingo lwenkosazana (1978) (The Rainbow) as illustration. An exposition of style in translation will be carried out with the intention of placing C.S.Z. Ntuli’s style of writing in its proper perspective. This article will mirror his manner of using the target language to convey the source text message.

Opsomming

 Sedert die tyd van Babel het vertalers hul besig gehou met vertalings. Verskeie tekste, insluitende letterkundige werke, is van een taal na ’n ander vertaal om die bronteksboodskap toeganklik te maak vir teikenlesers. Letterkundige vertaling word gedoen met die doel om die leser van ’n vertaalde werk op ‘n soortgelyke manier te inspireer, aan te raak en esteties te vermaak as die leser van die oorspronklike teks. Aangesien vertaling vir ’n lang tyd as ’n blote afleiding van die oorspronklike teks be-skou is, word gemeen dat vertalers nie ’n styl van hul eie het nie, omdat hulle slegs die werk van die oorspronklike outeur reproduseer. Hierdie aanname word egter weerlê deur vakkundiges soos Baker (2000) wat beweer dat dit onmoontlik is om ’n stuk taal op ’n totaal onpersoonlike manier te produseer. Teen die agtergrond van hierdie aanname, beoog hierdie artikel om te illustreer dat vertalers hulle eie stempel op ’n vertaling kan afdruk en nog steeds dieselfde uitwerking kan behou as dié in die bronteks. Die artikel fokus op C.S.Z. Ntuli (1997) se vertaling van D.B.Z. Ntuli se kortverhaal Uthingo lwenkosazana (1978) (Die Reënboog) ter illustrasie. Die vertalingstyl sal uiteengesit word met die doel om die skryfstyl van C.S.Z. Ntuli in sy regte perspektief te plaas. Hierdie artikel sal die outeur se gebruikstyl van die teikentaal om die brontaalboodskap oor te dra, weerspieël.