Constructing Relational Dynamics in Translating Fiction

Abstract

The paper tackles cross-cultural pragmatics through translation, namely, how the relational dynamics between fictional characters are constructed through rendition of speech acts, in the Russian and Greek target versions of an English novel, The Shell Seekers by R. Pilcher. The study uses naturalistic evidence (the Russian and Greek target versions of the novel) to trace relational shifts in speech act performance and highlight the appropriate relational dynamics between characters, across the parallel versions. It also uses experimental research methodology in that it elicited data, through questionnaires, from bilingual or trilingual respondents with respect to the appropriateness of the relational dynamics portrayal in a target version. Findings show that speech act performance, in the three data sets, manifests itself through variation in interpersonal distance (Brown and Levinson in Politeness: Some universals in language use. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1987) between interlocutors or in the dimension of power distance (Hofstede et al. in Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. McGraw Hill, New York, 2005). Questionnaire respondents confirm that power distance is, rightfully, highest in Russian, in the communicative context of the novel, and lowest in Greek (manifesting itself through idiomatic expressions and lower tenor vocabulary allowing the characters to express opinions and feelings more freely). The significance of the study lies in that it shows translation to be a sensitive indicator of variation in the relational dynamics between characters, thus offering a novel arena for measuring pragmatic phenomena.

Appendix: Questionnaires

1.1 Questionnaire 1

The research topic is the relational dynamics in the Russian and Greek versions of the novel The Shell Seekers.

Summary of the novel

The Shell Seekers (Ψάχνοντας για κοχύλια) is a novel by Rosamunde Pilcher which describes the last months in the life of Penelope Keeling, the protagonist of the novel, who is portrayed as a bohemian English lady, daughter of a famous painter. In the novel, the author mainly focuses attention on Penelope’s relationships with her three children, Nancy, Olivia and Noel. Nancy is the eldest daughter and is very close to her mother caring for her. She also likes portraying herself as a high-class lady (for instance she lives in a big house, with a byre and horses) following social conventions (for instance eating in the dining room no matter whether it is cold there or not), having servants who show almost no respect to her. However, Nancy and her husband do not have enough income to cover these expenses. Olivia is a successful business woman, not famous for her looks when she was young, but quite impressive. Noel is a handsome young man, a self-aware egotist, who is interested in spending his time pleasurably. As suggested, the focus is on family relationships and the interaction of the family members with other people.

Instructions: Please answer the following questions by ticking the appropriate box. Thank you for your cooperation.

• 1. Penelope Keeling (63 years old) thanks a young taxi driver for taking her to her destination. Which do you think her choice would be?

ST.:

“Oh, that’s kind of you”.

Penelope remembers herself at the age of 19 when she met her future husband, who was a young officer at the time. Which of the two versions most appropriately renders the style of their conversation?

ST.:

“Hop in, then, and I’ll give you a lift.”

“Are you going that way?”

“No. But I can do.”

“I’ve seen you around, haven’t I? You work in the Wardroom.”

“That’s right.”

“Enjoying it?”

“Not much.”

“Why did you take the job, then?”

“I couldn’t do anything else.”

Which one, do you think, the conversation between them would be?

• 2. Please, choose one of the two translations which would sound most natural according to your taste of the language.

• Olivia is smart, independent but very abrupt in her manners. In this situation, she talks to her sister about their mother’s doctor informing them that she doesn’t agree with his view. Which one do you think Olivia’s characterization of the doctor would be?

ST:

A country GP

• Nancy converses with her domestic helper, Mrs Croftsway, who is insolent and rude. Which do you think are Mrs. Croftsway’s words?

“I thought your mother was out of hospital and home again.”

• Nancy believes she has been wronged and is jealous of her siblings. She talks to George, her husband, about Noel, her brother, for whom she has very little appreciation:

ST.:

Twenty-three he was and he’d never paid a penny’s worth of rent to her

• 3. Please choose the version you like best with reference to the way each child calls their mother.

All three of Penelope’s children called her by a different name. Noel addressed her as Ma. Nancy, for some years, had called her Mother, which she considered suitable to their ages and to Nancy’s own station in life. Only Olivia—so hard-hearted and sophisticated in every other way —persisted with “Mumma.”

• 4. Darling has been rendered in various ways. Please, tick the best rendition of the term in Greek.

• Nancy is addressing her children, her 11-year old son and her 14-year old daughter.

ST.:

“Darlings, I have to go to London tomorrow to meet Aunt Olivia …”.

• Ambrose (her future husband) addresses Penelope:

ST.:

“Darling Penelope, you are the most delicious creature.”

• Penepole’s father addresses his daughter

ST.:

He (Penelope’s father) was seventy-four. Tall and distinguished, with a deeply lined, deeply tanned face and a pair of brilliant, unfaded blue eyes…..

“Papa.” His gaze was sombre, as though he did not recognize her, as though she were a stranger… Then, abruptly, he smiled, and raised an arm in a familiar gesture of loving welcome.

“My darling.”

She went to his side.

• 5. Please choose the most appropriate rendition according to your intuition, in Greek.

• EXPRESSING ANGER

Nancy talks to her servant, Mrs. Croftsway.

ST.:

“How old are you, then?” (η κυρία Κρόφτγουει ρωτάει)

She (Nancy) was outrageous. Nancy felt herself stiffen with the sheer offensiveness of Mrs. Croftway, and was aware of the blood rushing to her cheeks. She longed to have the courage to snap at the woman; to tell her to mind her own business, but then perhaps she would give in her notice and she and Croftway would depart, and what would Nancy do then with the garden and the horses and the rambling house and her hungry family to feed?

“As a matter of fact, I’m forty-three.”

“Is that all? Oh, I’d have put you down as fifty any day.”

Nancy gave a little laugh, trying to make a joke of it, for what else was there to do? “That’s not very flattering, Mrs. Croftway.”

“It’s your weight. That’s what it is. Nothing is so aging as letting your figure go. You ought to go on a diet … it’s bad for you, being overweight...”

TT.:

«Μα τότε πόσων χρονών είστε εσείς;» απόρησε η κυρία Κρόφτγουει.

Ήταν χυδαία. Μπροστά σε τόση προστυχιά η Νάνσυ ένιωθε το κορμί της να κοκαλώνει και το αίμα ν ’ανεβαίνει στο μάγουλά της. Ευχόταν να είχε θάρρος να την αποπάρει, να της πει με κοιτάζει τη δουλειά της, αλλά την εμπόδισε ο φόβος μήπως εκείνη τα παρατηρούσε όλα κι έφευγε μαζί με το Κρόφτγουει. Και τότε πως θα τα έβγαζε πέρα η Νάνσυ με τον κήπο και με τα άλογα μετά το ανοικονόμητο σπίτι της και μετά μαγείρεμα για την πεινασμένη οικογένειά της;

«Λοιπόν, είμαι 40 ετών»

«Τόσο μόνο; Έπαιρνα όρκο πως είστε πενηντάρα».

Η Νάνσι γέλασε απρόθυμα, προσπαθώντας να το ρίξει να κάνει; «Αυτό δεν είναι κολακευτικό για μένα, κυρία Κρόφτγουει».

Είναι του πάχους σας. Ναι, αυτό φταίει. Τίποτα δεν γερνάει περισσότερα από το πάχος …..»

ST.:

“I hate you, Mrs. Croftway. I hate you”.

• REQUESTING

She went on quickly before Mrs. Croftway could start objecting to these suggestions. “Perhaps you could give Croftway a message for me and ask him to take Lightning to the blacksmith”.

What did Nancy tell Mrs. Croftsway?

• The gardener addresses Mrs. Penelope:

“I won’t disturb you. If you could just show me what you want me to do…”

Please choose the gardener’s utterance

• ASKING

Penelope calls the solicitor’s office“Would it be possible to speak to Mr. Roy Brookner?”

“I wondered if you would be in this neighborhood sometime in the near future?”

• COMMANDING

The Wren Officer made a few notes on the form, and then screwed the top back on her pen.

“Stern. Your hair. You must do something about it.”

“It mustn’t touch your collar, you know. Naval regulations. Why don’t you get the hairdresser to cut it off?”

1.2 Questionnaire 2

(Questionnaire 2 was identical with questionnaire 1, with the Russian rendering in the place of Greek).