| UNIT 422-10: SOCIAL CONTEXT OF LITERARY TRANSLATION
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| The audience's angle in the translation can be very well observed if we have look at the translation of Shakespeare's plays in Indian languages. It makes the translator's find various devices to make the play communicable. In Bharatendu Harishchandra's translation of "Merchant of Venice" in Hindi under the title "Durlabh Bandhu" the whole setting is Indianized, places and people have been given Indian names to make the play to fit in Hindustani culture. Rangeya Raghava's Hindi translation of Shakespeare's play (Merchant of Venice, Hamlet) there is no change in the setting. The author sticks to prose instead of trying the verse. So does Amrit Rai in translating "Hamlet". But Raghuvir Sahay tries the medium of poetry and translates "Macbeth" in Kavitta metre. Amrit Rai and Raghuvir Sahay do not need to indianize the setting so very much as they have translated for late 20th centuries readers most of whom are quite familiar with Shakespeare's play in English. |
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| Raghuvir Sahay's use of Kavitta metre for poetic translation of "Macbeth" suited for its production in Yakshagan style of folk drama which was chosen for its performance under the direction of B.V. Karnath. The translation of "King Lear" by Neelabh (for the direction of Amal Allama) shifts the play to Indian setting of royal Rajasthan. Lear is Rajput Maharajam, Yashwant Rais with his daughters Maya, Mona and Chitra. |
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| All these efforts are aimed at making the translation credible and reaching close to the sensibility of the audience. Though sometimes such effort of replacement of setting lead to lack of credibility also. This happens when the propriety of time and space is not appropriately maintained. So it happened in the case of Neelabh's version of Brecht's "Mother courage" under the title "Himmat Mai" where the theme set in Germany, in the background of two world wars, is put to the Indianization in quite unimaginative manner. Shifting the 20th century theme to the 17th century in the stuggle of Jatadharies and Tilakdharies of Son Tari region of Central India. The translator has failed in the time and space. The environment of Brechtian play seemed to be misfited in the war of two groups. The behavior of the characters and the events of 20th century play of Europe refused to be put in the frame of 17th century Indian society. Therefore, inspite of the excellent performance by the actors the play lacked credibility. |
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| 422.10.9 : THE LINGUISTIC SENSIBILITY AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT |
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| We have already referred to the transfer of the text from one linguistic culture to the other linguistic culture. This refers to the idiom of expression of TL as well as the social contexts of the meaning in TL. For example read the following lines of original and translation of "Raag Darbari"
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Original
donon naslon ke saahab -
goren yaa kaalen - dehaaton men
jab dauren par jaaten to wahin
rukten the. {317}
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Translation
Saheb's of both races - white
and brown - would stay there
when on tour (p. 329)
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| The term "Kala Saheb" has been subjected to the TL social context in the translation. In Indian context "Gora" means British rulers, who were Sahibs. Opposed to "Gora" is "Kala" which signifies Indians. So "Kala Saheb" means Indian bureaucrats. But dictionary equivalent of "Kala" would not convey this sense to the English speaking world outside India. Black refers to a different socio-cultural context. Therefore Gilliam Wright has used the term "Brown Saheb". |
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| In this manner the linguistic sensibility is subjected to TL socio-cultural situations. This is done so in order to make the translation meaningful and credible. In the translation of drama its need to be maintained more carefully and perfectly than other genres of literature. Being the art of spoken word here the social atmosphere is formed by the words uttered by the actors. The colloquial temper, the intonation, the phonetic beauty associated to the language are the main factors that make the context communicable in live terms. This the reason why the translators of drama are found more experimental and innovative than the translator's of other forms of literature. |
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| As soon as the translator fails to catch the social context of the meaning the language belies him. In the following examples of Jai Ratan's translation of "Godan" Hori says to his wife Dhania |
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"mard to saaThe par bhi paaThe
hote hai"
{prisTha 8} |
"Men are not men before six-
ty".
(page 6) |
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| "saaThe par paaThe" is commonly used expression in Hindi speaking society. It means being as youthful and strong at sixty as if one is in one's twenties. But the translator missed the whole idea associated with it and his version conotates something different. Similarly in the following example from "Raag Darbari" Gillian Wirght has missed the social context : |
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| A line from Hindi film is played on Gramophone "Mujhko Apne Gale Laga Lo ai maire Hamarahi" ( page 319) Gillian Wright renders it as "Embrace me oh my companion of the road" (page 331). But "hamarahi" is not the road side lover. The "companion of the road" would have rather disrespectful connotation in Hindi and signifies non-seriousness and temporariness, while "Hamarahi" is the companion in the journey of life. The translation has missed the sense and tone involved in the meaning. |
