'n Funksionalistiese benadering tot die hantering van taal- en kultuurverskille in 'n Afrikaanse proefvertaling van Daniel Kehlmann se roman Die Vermessung der Welt
Date
2017
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LitNet
Abstract
Dit is verbasend dat daar so min vertalings van Duitse letterkundige werke in Afrikaans bestaan, siende dat Afrikaans en Duits tot dieselfde taalfamilie behoort en heelwat taalkundige ooreenkomste toon. Die enkele vertalings wat daar is, is ’n geruime tyd gelede gemaak en het dikwels betrekking op ouer, klassieke werke. Daar het egter gedurende die afgelope drie dekades ’n aantal moderne Duitse romans verskyn wat in verskeie tale vertaal is en internasionaal topverkopers geword het. Die Vermessung der Welt van Daniel Kehlmann is een van hierdie romans wat in 2005 verskyn het. Die roman beskryf episodes uit die lewens van twee wêreldbekende Duitse wetenskaplikes, Carl Friedrich Gauss en Alexander von Humboldt, met ’n grappige en satiriese aanslag.
In hierdie artikel ondersoek ons die invloed van taal- en kultuurverskille op die moontlike vertaling in Afrikaans van die roman Die Vermessung der Welt. ’n Proefvertaling van ’n uittreksel uit die teks word verskaf ten einde die uitdagings wat sodanige vertaling aan die vertaler stel, met spesifieke verwysing na taal- en kultuurverskille, in besonderhede te bespreek. In hierdie vertaalhandeling is daar deurgaans drie kulture en leefwêrelde ter sprake: dié van die 18de-eeuse tekswêreld en die historiese konteks waarmee die roman in gesprek tree, dié van die hedendaagse Duitse bronteksleser, en dié van die waarskynlike Afrikaanse leser van die doelteks. Vanuit ’n vertaalteoretiese raamwerk voer ons aan dat ’n funksionalistiese vertaalbenadering hier aangewese is, aangesien dit die vertaler in staat stel om effektief tussen bogenoemde drie kulture en leefwêrelde te bemiddel. Die funksionalistiese benadering, wat deur o.a. die teoretici Hans Vermeer en Christiane Nord gevestig en uitgebou is, stel die behoeftes en kultuur van die doelteksleser onderworpe aan die “skopos” (die doel van die vertaling). Nord se lojaliteitsbeginsel, wat verwys na lojaliteit teenoor sowel die skrywer van die bronteks as die doelteksleser, word ook in ag geneem.
Gebaseer op die unieke genre en skryfstyl van die bronteks het ons ’n vertaalbenadering gekies waar ’n letterlike (direkte) vertaling daargestel word wat steeds lojaliteit teenoor die kultuur van die doelteksleser as oogmerk het. ’n Proefvertaling van enkele gedeeltes uit die roman word aangebied, asook ’n bespreking van die vernaamste vertaalprobleme en ’n motivering vir van die keuses wat gemaak is ten einde hierdie vertaalprobleme op te los.
Very few German literary works are available in Afrikaans translation. The works that are available are in most cases older, classical works that were translated a number of years ago. Over the past three decades, German literature has been said to have “come out of the national ghetto” (Parkes 2002:263) and a number of German novels have been published that were translated into various languages and became international bestsellers. Die Vermessung der Welt, published in 2005by Daniel Kehlmann (born 1975), is one of these novels. In this paper we argue that various factors, including the novel’s unique genre, its international appeal and the relationship between German and Afrikaans, would make an Afrikaans translation of the novel popular among a range of audiences. Die Vermessung der Welt is regarded as one of the most successful post-war German novels to date and has been translated into more than 40 languages. In a humorous vein, the novel narrates episodes from the lives of two famous 19th-century scientists, Carl Friedrich Gauss and Alexander von Humboldt. Many critics have responded positively to the novel, praising Kehlmann’s sense of humour and his use of satire and irony. Others, however, concerned that the novel might be interpreted as a work of non-fiction, have argued that it contains too many anachronisms and factual inaccuracies. Kehlmann’s response to these comments was that he did not write a biography of one or both of his main characters, but that his novel is a work of fiction. Due to the interplay of historical context and fiction, the specific events and situations narrated, and Kehlmann’s unique approach, the novel’s genre is difficult to define. It could, for example, be viewed as a portrait of two elderly men, each lonely in his own way; a satire on the German classical period; an image of the German bourgeoisie at the start of the 19th century; a study of the sacrifice and morality of science; or an adventure novel.
Very few German literary works are available in Afrikaans translation. The works that are available are in most cases older, classical works that were translated a number of years ago. Over the past three decades, German literature has been said to have “come out of the national ghetto” (Parkes 2002:263) and a number of German novels have been published that were translated into various languages and became international bestsellers. Die Vermessung der Welt, published in 2005by Daniel Kehlmann (born 1975), is one of these novels. In this paper we argue that various factors, including the novel’s unique genre, its international appeal and the relationship between German and Afrikaans, would make an Afrikaans translation of the novel popular among a range of audiences. Die Vermessung der Welt is regarded as one of the most successful post-war German novels to date and has been translated into more than 40 languages. In a humorous vein, the novel narrates episodes from the lives of two famous 19th-century scientists, Carl Friedrich Gauss and Alexander von Humboldt. Many critics have responded positively to the novel, praising Kehlmann’s sense of humour and his use of satire and irony. Others, however, concerned that the novel might be interpreted as a work of non-fiction, have argued that it contains too many anachronisms and factual inaccuracies. Kehlmann’s response to these comments was that he did not write a biography of one or both of his main characters, but that his novel is a work of fiction. Due to the interplay of historical context and fiction, the specific events and situations narrated, and Kehlmann’s unique approach, the novel’s genre is difficult to define. It could, for example, be viewed as a portrait of two elderly men, each lonely in his own way; a satire on the German classical period; an image of the German bourgeoisie at the start of the 19th century; a study of the sacrifice and morality of science; or an adventure novel.
Description
CITATION: Holtzhausen, K. & De Roubaix, L. 2017. 'n Funksionalistiese benadering tot die hantering van taal- en kultuurverskille in 'n Afrikaanse proefvertaling van Daniel Kehlmann se roman Die Vermessung der Welt. LitNet Akademies, 14(3):266-304.
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
Keywords
Translating and interpreting, Literature -- Translations, Kehlmann, Daniel, 1975- Vermessung der Welt, German literature -- 21st century -- History and criticism
Citation
Holtzhausen, K. & De Roubaix, L. 2017. 'n Funksionalistiese benadering tot die hantering van taal- en kultuurverskille in 'n Afrikaanse proefvertaling van Daniel Kehlmann se roman Die Vermessung der Welt. LitNet Akademies, 14(3):266-304.