Translation : PACHOLA [Marathi] into FALL [English]

       If we examine and analyze "Fall" on the tenets of the theory of translation so far, by what is usually expected of a good or successful translation, the following points have to be considered:

        (a) Linguistic equivalence at the lexical / idiomatic level, and syntactic level.

       (b) Consistence of rural turns of expression in English.

       (c) Rural Cultural Tone in translation.

     If we begin to consider these one by one, some light can be shed on the challenges Marathe has faced.

        Due to the basic difference between the rural dialect and the educated English of the translation, we notice that the lexical equivalents of many Marathi dialectal words such as kaarta, kalkudri, maayandali and many more such words do not reflect the same shades of meaning. Kaarta for example means a boy whose deeds are condemnable, and usually, it refers to a born unfortunate child. The word has been used in its neuter gender form that has rendered it as even more contemptuous. Usually used in masculine form, kaarta, for a boy, or in feminine form, kaarti, for a girl, when it is used in its neuter form, it is still worse, not even giving the person the status of a human. The words Marathe uses as equivalents for karta in two different places on the same page (p.2) are rascal and brat. Rascal is a dishonest person or when referred to a child, it means the one who misbehaves or plays tricks, but is regarded with fondness. In Marathi, we have a word labaad. Surely Parbati does not refer to Garad's son with fondness. In fact, an apt equivalent for English rascal for a child is labaad as mothers and others fondly refer to such children. A brat is an ill-mannered child. However, it means much less than kaarta. Perhaps, if Marathe had used "a damned boy/child" for kaarta, it could have been closer to the original. Kalkudri could have been perhaps, reflected better in culprit in the particular context, though that is not the meaning of the word. Usually, it means the one who sets people to quarrel by talking ill of one to the other. Maayandal means plenty, or a great deal. Marathe has translated this as really and truly as he could have translated the sentence as: "He was immensely angry”.

     Well, at times, there is not enough time given by the publisher to really check small details. The translators have to be content with approximate equivalents.

     At the idiomatic level, there is bound to be a great deal of difference. A few instances of idiomatic transference from Marathi appear on pages 45 and 67, for example. "He's cut my nose before the folk." (p.45) "He is respected in government and all. He will spend money like water, if he has to" (p67). These and similar others must be purposeful transferences to give the translation the flavour of the original Marathi expressions.

     At the syntactic level, there are a large number of sentences in "Fall", may be for a similar effect as in the original, which are without a subject. They begin with the verb, though they are not imperatives. The sentence, "popped up in his bed suddenly like a jack in the box" (page 66) is not Marathi, while on the other hand a phrase like "jack in the box", a very western concept, not mentioned in the original at all has been added. On other occasions, sentences appear to be direct pick-ups from Marathi resulting in non-English syntax. For example, “I don't want ye to yell and scream after, that's why I am warning ye right now” (page 98). Perhaps, to achieve the effect from the original, the translator seems to have taken syntactic liberties. In this sentence, the word after is rather interesting while it should have been either later, or afterwards. Usually, after would need a time referring object such as an event, or a specific time reference.

      It must have been difficult for Marathe to find an English equivalent dialect to translate the rural dialect R.R. Borade has chosen for his novel, Pachola. Marathe has tried to create some effect by using only a few dialectal words in English such as ye for you. However, this choice has not been consistently made use of. Ye and you have been used as free variants. Marathe has made use of colloquialisms to substitute the lack of dialectal repertoire. For an urban scholar of literature, taking up a whole rural/uneducated community's dialect from English such as the Cockney, or the Black English Vernacular and so on is a difficult choice and it is far too exhausting an effort to interpret from a rural dialect of Marathi and to keep fitting the essence and the matter accurately into a rural or uneducated dialect of English. And yet, which of such dialects in English to choose would also be hard to think. The best decision would be to make a firm choice right at the outset, realizing the limitation, and state it in the foreword that the translation would make use of normal English known to the majority.

      Some cultural concepts need to be brought into a translated text in the same form, as they exist in the original writing. They are so culture specific that there is no equivalence for them in another culture, and hence, in the language. In this context, some of the terms are borrowed from the original. Words and phrases like choli, uparna, roti-kordyas, Mriga, Bhabi, or a few translations like eating-house man, seventeen different mouths mouthing seventeen different things, are some of the examples. Marathe has been successful in bringing out the rural and cultural tone in his translation, though.

          To sum up, it can be said that Marathe could have been careful with some choices of words or expressions, but in other cases, he has done the best possible. Translations are, after all, intercultural documents. Making literature from culture specific concepts/terms could perhaps, be summarized, or paraphrased. And yet, they may fail to convey the exact sense, and spoil the compactness of expression. Borrowing or code mixing is the only way out which makes a translation interesting and colourful. If this remains within a proportionate limit, a translation becomes readable. Marathe has limited his borrowings and made the translation readable.