DECEPTIVE EQUIVALENCE IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF MUNSHI

PREMCHAND’s GODAAN
Ali. R. Fatihi
MANGALAYATAN UNIVERSITY
Aligarh
fatihi.ar@gmail.com

During the past two or three decades, developments in the fields of linguistics have exerted
great influence on general translation theory, facilitating the discipline of translation to expand
the areas of exploration and to present fresh insights into the concept of correspondence on
transference between linguistic and cultural systems. However, when applied to the translation
of fiction, these are seen to be insufficient and inadequate. ‘Translation of fiction’ has benefited
very little from resent developments in linguistics. Shen Dan (1996) in particular emphasizes
the necessity for applying literary stylistics to the translation of prose fiction, which is a
significant contribution to the study of fiction translation, because some specific problems
posed by translation of fiction such as “deceptive equivalence” can be rather effectively solved
by the introduction of stylistic analysis. Shen Dan's attempt to introduce literary stylistics into
translation of fiction is quite significant. However, the nature of fiction translation cannot be
restricted in the literary stylistic analysis that considers style only as artistically or thematically
motivated choices and focuses on the translation of foreground features of prose fiction.
“Deceptive equivalence” is not the only problem that occurs in translation of fiction. The
complicated process involved in the translation of fiction embraces encoding of the message by
the prose fiction writer, and decoding and re-encoding of the message by the fictional translator.
The message, including meaning, style and function, is what the prose fiction author wishes to
convey through his/her fiction in the order of
 pragmatic level (intention of the author or the theme of the fiction),
 semantic level (choice of words),
 syntactical level (choice of sentence patterns, etc.) and
 Discourse level (integrating the former three levels into the entire discourse).
This is the progression how the fiction writer encodes his/her message. However, the process of
decoding the message is in the reverse order. At first, the translator comes across the whole
discourse of the prose fiction, and then he/she analyzes it at the syntactical, semantic and finally
pragmatic levels. At the end, the translator perceives the message conveyed by the source
language (SL) text. The most important thing is how the translator re-encodes the message
he/she understands, which is the basis of the translating activity. The order is very similar to the
fiction writer's encoding process, but the language employed is different. If target language
text (TLT) is to be considered a translation of source language text(SLT), then there should be
some strong link between them:
 the original‘s communicative intention should remain somehow unaltered,
 the content of TLT may vary if the target language linguistic and cultural norms call for
a modification in order to maintain the SLT‘s textualized intention, and
 The stylistic devices will vary as they are bound to the TL text and language typology.
 Any modification of the SLT‘s communicative purpose outside the above mentioned
parameters will yield TLT which may have a hypertext-hypo text relationship, but which
cannot be called translations proper. They will be adaptations, summaries,
commentaries, etc., but not translations.
This paper intends to discuss the necessity and inevitability of introducing the notion of
“deceptive equivalence” to analyze the English translation of Prem Chand’s Godaan. Godaan
was first published in 1936 and is considered one of the best novels of modern Indian literature.
The novel revolves around the socio economic denial as well as the abuse, maltreatment and
exploitation of the village poor. Godan was translated into English in 1957 by Jai Ratan and P.
Lal. In 1968 Gordon C. Roadarmel translated it into English. It is now considered "a classic in
itself. The style of Premchand in particular causes serious challenges for the translators of
Godaan, which sometime result in the loss of meaning in the translations.
The paper attempts to enlist the main translation problems emerging out of deceptive
equivalence in the English translation of Godaan. The irregularities and anomalies emerging out
of deceptive equivalence encountered during the study were classified according to the different
parameters in each textual dimension. This study argues that fiction as distinct from non-
literary texts have a real but hard to-define “added value”, carried by the particular way in
which they exploit lexis, grammar, and pragmatics; this added value is everything to do with the
text’s style. A good literary translation must reproduce something of the source text’s style;
otherwise the distinguishing literariness in the original will not be conveyed in the target text.
Stylistic and corpus methods can help identify important stylistic features in the original, and
can help us to evaluate whether equivalent features are or are not present in one or several
translations of original text.
Once it is accepted that strictly conceptual sameness cannot exist between the source language
and target language, the issues such as loss and gain, and compensation deserve a further
discussion. The aim of the translator is to reduce translation loss. Compensation is a translation
technique used to compensate for translation loss and to achieve a compensational translation
gain. Harvey defines it as “a technique for making up for the loss of a source text effect by
recreating a similar effect in the target text through means that are specific to the target language
and/or the target text” (Harvey, 1995: 66). Baker (1992: 78) also argues that compensation is a
technique for dealing with “any loss of meaning, emotional force, or stylistic effect which may
not be possible to reproduce directly at a given point in the target text.
Sound System (Alliteration, Assonance and Homonyms)
Prose texts, like poetic works, also have their own distinct sound system. In fact, in lengthy
works of prose, like the novel, it is the sound system (rhythm, rhyme, accents, alliteration,
homonyms, onomatopoeia, and euphonic effect) which consciously and unconsciously holds the
reader’s interest in the text. In Godaan, Premchand uses a variety of phonological devices to
strengthen his narrative style. These phonological tools, narrative tones help him express his
intended message in the best possible way, especially at the emotional moments but these
phonological features like alliteration, assonance and homonyms are hardly captured in English
translation of Godaan. Unlike rhythm, the use of assonance, alliteration and homonyms is
language specific, and, therefore, their equivalents in TL do not create similar sound effects.
Thus, recreating them in TLT poses a real (almost impossible) challenge to translators.
Table1 : Alliteration:
Sl no Original Text of Godan English Translated Text
1 Bebaat kee baat mat bako “don’t say such terrible things”
2 Paanee marate hi marate to maregaa “self-respect takes a long time to die”

In the examples cited above Premchand creates alliteration by using the consonants “b” & “t”
and “m” & “r” respectively. In both cases, it represents urgency of the emotions. However, the
English translations of these original expressions fail in preserving the above alliterations.
Unlike the conscious use of alliteration in the source text of Godaan, homonyms are usually
unintentional and only intelligible to Hindi Urdu readers. For example,
Table 2: Homonymy:
Sl no Original Text of Godan English Translated Text
1 paanv mein mote chaandee ke kare the, “Thick silver anklet was in the feet,
gale mein mote sone kee hansalee, big gold cloves in the neck, however,
cheharaa sookhaa huaa; par dil haraa the face was dry; But heart was
luxuriant”

In this sentence Premchand creates an internal rhyme by connoting its other homonymic
meaning, the color “green”. The connotation “green” contrasts with other color combinations,
white and yellow (chaandee meaning “silver” is white and sona meaning “gold” is yellow).
Also, while white and yellow symbolize fadedness and paleness; green represents liveliness,
thus happiness and gaiety. However, in the English text haraa is translated as “gay” and “young
and luxuriant” respectively; neither of which captures its homonymic meaning.
Use of Compounds in original text:
Premchand uses compound words in three forms: (1) Coupled Synonymy, (2) Reduplicated
forms, and (3) Echo forms.
Coupled Synonymy:
In linguistics, lexical doublets are two distinct words derived from the same source but by
different routes of transmission. Doublets are also known as lexical doublets and etymological
twins. When the two words are used together in a phrase they are called coupled
synonyms or binomial expressions. Coupled synonymy is seemingly identical duplicative
narratives of the same event. Premchand has made use of these doublets in his own style but
they are left un-translated in the English translated text.

Table 3 : Coupled Synonymy:

Sr.No. Word from original text Translated text Equivalence Type
e.g. ( Godan) (English Translation
of Godan)
1. sani-pani Null
2. sadi-gami - Null
 3. lallo-chappo - Null
4. kahna-sunna Negotiation Formal
5. shadi-byah marriage ceremony Formal
6. dana –pani Null

Table .4: Frequency of Equivalents

Null equivalence 04
Dynamic equivalence 01
Formal equivalence 01
bhar as Adjectives Total 06

Fig 4.1: Bar chart of the frequency of the type of equivalent used in English Translation.

These compound words are either left untranslated in TLTs or their equivalents do not create
equal rhythmic effect. In TLT, four of these compound words are not translated; another two
words are either translated as single words which do not create any rhythmic effect or only their
senses are preserved.
Reduplicated Expressions:
Premchand uses reduplicated expressions in sentence(s) at definite intervals to create rhythm.
The reduplication (R) of an entity modifies the relation of this entity with one or several of the
other constituents in the statement: for a noun, R modifies the relation of this noun with the
predicate, for an adjective, R modifies the relation between the noun and the adjective, for a
verb (always a dependent one when reduplicated in Hindi), R modifies the relation of the
dependent predication with the main predication For instance, in the following three examples:
Table 4 : Reduplicated Expressions
Sr.No. Reduplicated Expressions Translated text Equivalence Type
e.g. from original text (English Translation
( Godan) of Godan)
1. dhire dhire Null
2. sath sath - Null
3. jaldi jaldi - Null
4. sadi - byah Marriage Dynamic

Premchand creates rhythm with two different kinds of repetitions. The first example is an
Adverb which creates rhythm by the repetitive use of rhyming words dhire dhire. The second
example uses a compound word, sath sath, two times in between to recreate rhythm. In the
fourth example is the case of semantic reduplication which creates semantic rhythm. The
rhythms like these also get lost in the English translation of Godan. In English translated text,
the first example is left un-translated, and only the sense of the second and third is preserved.
The semantic reduplication also preserves sense but loses rhythm. It can cited as an example of
downgraders which are text modality markers which play down the impact an SLT expression is
likely to have on TLT readers. As stated above with regard to the primacy of the textual
pragmatic dimension, a translated text is said to be equivalent to the original basically if the SLT
author‘s intention is maintained in the translating process and reproduced and perceived
As such by the TLT readers. Thus the degree of faithfulness to the original, pragmatically
speaking, will increase as the number of cases of downgrading decreases or, ideally, approaches
zero.

Sentence, Tense and Voice Type

It cannot be denied that each sentence structure—simple, compound, complex,
imperative or optative plus their affirmative, negative and interrogative categories; tense
(Present, Past and Future and their four other types) and voice—active and passive—
types have a specific function in a language. E.g. a simple sentence gives a plain and
direct statement; compound sentence gives a flow of thought. Since a complex sentence
comprises one principal clause and one or more sub-ordinate clauses, it helps in
expressing the action and the idea(s) together. Similar is the case with tense and voice
types. While the use of present tense in a narrative gives urgency and speed, past tense
gives a sense of something which is over and is a plain fact. Future tense usually depicts a
hope and will. Passive voice is not only different in grammar from active voice but it also
changes the focus from the subject to the object, and vice versa. Thus any change in these
in a TLT will result in a different focus and meaning. Here are six examples respectively
exemplifying the above points:
Sl no SLT : GODAN TLT: English translation of Godan
1. Holi ka program banane lagaa “They began making plans for the
festival”
2. . Heera-bahoo “Hira’s wife
3. Yahaan baans na katenge “Those are not to be chopped down”
4. Bheetar hee baadhoonga “Better tie up the cow inside”

In the first example the SLT has a passive construction while the TLT exhibits the active
voice. In this example, the SLT construction is a clear passive voice. In TLT, the passive
voice of the first example becomes active voice which foregrounds the real subject “they”
(omitted in SLT) and also makes the subject of the passive voice an object. In the second
example the use of Heera bahu is the stylistic marker. In the eastern dialect of Hindi the
construction like “Heera Bahu” is very common bur it has been translated as the “wife of
Heera”. As a result of this change, stylistic intimacy of SLT, which arises by an informal
address system is lost in TLT. The address system has a communicative relevance and it
it creates a sense of belonging in the SLT. However, it becomes a plain narrative report in
TLT, arousing no such effect.
In the third example, even though the translation preserves both sense and the
grammatical form, the passive voice, still the stylistic effect gets lost as there is no way to
recreate the inverted passive voice of the SLT here.
In order to narrate his story properly, express what he wants to express through his
characters, and keep his narrative intact and lively, Premchand uses a variety of
syntactical devices in Godaan. Some of these syntactical devices which pose a challenge
to TLT translators are: detached construction, stylistic inversion, parallel and minor
clauses, suspense, and asyndeton and polysyndeton. Even though all of these syntactical
arrangements exist in the English language, translators fail in recreating these (stylistic
effects) in their translations. A description of these syntactical devices is as follows:
Detached Constructions
In Godaan, when the characters want to maintain some distance from what they
personally think or say, they use detached constructions. For this, they address
themselves by the first person plural pronoun “we” in place of the first person singular
pronoun “I” and may also change the verb accordingly. At times, when they omit
pronouns in their speech or thought, the change is still visible in the verb form which
corresponds with the omitted pronoun “we”. Neither of the translations succeeds in
recreating these constructions because they change the pronoun “we” to pronoun “I” and
then have to change the verb accordingly.
This is evident in the following two examples and their translations. In the first example,
the pronoun “we” is used and in the second the plural verb. Both TLT1 and TLT2 change
these to the pronoun “I” and its corresponding verb. This change makes the detached
(distant) effect and meaning of the SLT personal and individualized. The translations also
lose the emotional reaction which is created in readers’ minds by the speaker’s
detachment in speech and attachment in action.

Stylistic Inversions
Characters in Godaan use stylistic inversions all the time, especially in emotional
moments to emphasize a select word, phrase or thought. These inversions do not follow a
strict grammatical structure and use subject, verb and predicate in any order depending on
their needs. These inversions not only express characters’ ideas best but also create a new
effect in the novel. Both TLT1 and TLT2 translate these into the English language SVO
format which conveys the sense very well but loses the proper emphasis placed on the
select semantic units.
Sl no SLT ; GODAN TLT : English Translation
1. Naheen denaa hai hamein bhoosaa “we’re not about to give straw to anyone”
kisi ko
2. “Dhaniya ne poochhaa—kahan… " Dhaniya asked- ... what would you do
knowing it?"
kyaa karogee poochhakar?”
In the first example above the emotional emphasis on the action or verb “nahin dena”
“not giving” by stylistically inverting it to the first place and placing subject afterit. This
emphasis is absent in the TLT translation. To highlight its role in emotional moments, a
dialogue between Dhaniya and Hori can also be quoted. In the second example stylistic
inversions are used to express general agitation and emotional ebbing of Dhaniya and
Hori when Hori wants to return the cow. Since TLT use no stylistic inversions and
translate them in SVO format, the agitation and emotional ebbing of SLT1 are lost.
Connotation and a Rhythmic Narration
Connotation and a Rhythmic Narration respectively refer to the deliberate avoidance of
the use of a conjunction and the identical repetition of a conjunction in a sentence or
chain of sentences. Though they do not directly create any semantic meaning in the text,
they have stylistic importance as both of them mark variance from the standard grammar.
This variance gives newness in the reading and at times helps the text to achieve
connotation and a rhythmic narration; thus not preserving them in translation will mean
losing this newness, connotation and rhythm of the narration.
The narrator uses both Connotation and a Rhythmic Narration in Godaan and though
preserving them just means imitating their usage in TLT.

Sl SLT ; GODAN TLT : English Translation

no
1. usake jee mein aayaa, kuchh der came into his mind, that he should sit here
yaheen baith jay for a while

The deliberate avoidance of the use of conjunction “ ki” in the SLT projects the two
clauses of the complex sentence as two separate sentences. The deliberate avoidance of
the use of conjunction also makes the first sentence a narrative report and the second
sentence a free direct thought. The TLT replace the use of comma with the implied
conjunction “that” which makes the translation a complex sentence, a simple narrative.
Lexical Meaning
Premchand’s vocabulary in Godaan is enormous. It includes Tatsam and Tadabhav words
and phrases from Standard Hindi, their rural versions, and words from Hindi’s three
dialects (Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Brij) as well as common words from Urdu, English and
Persian. In fact, it is this complex arena of words and phrases which gives life to the
characters, literary quality to the text. But TLT translate all of these words into Standard
English. The cultural words like Mirjaee is translated into jacket which fails to capture
the real sense of the expression. Apart from the loss of this word variation, TLT also fail
in transferring many complex words. For instance, in Chapter 1 Hori thinks to buy a
pachhaaee gaay. In TLT, this becomes a “foreign pedigree cow”. Though the TLT
translation is close to the SLT word, but badly loses the colloquial expression. For
another example, chhichhore meaning flirtatious becomes “shameful” in TLT.
In the case of Hindi, words made by adding prefixes and suffixes, adjectives and
epithets play a very important part. They not only save sentences from being very long
but are also quick and effective. The SLT exploits this quality of Hindi language. In the
case of words made by prefixes and suffixes, there is not much that TLT can do. They
preserve the sense, but the effect created by them is lost. But in the case of adjectives and
epithets, they not only fail in capturing their exact sense but also make them adverbs or
full sentences.
Cognitive Part
Apart from the meaning which is solely produced by the linguistic units, some meaning
in any text is always produced by and is dependent on more than textual units. This
meaning arises from cognition, and therefore its loss in translation is almost inevitable,
however at times the translators are also responsible for this.
This kind of loss is also evident in the translation of the SLT expressions, which are
not allusions but are allusive in nature. For instance, when Bhola abuses Jhuniya,
Jhuniya thinks of death in these terms: Dharatee is vakt munh kholakar use nigal letee,
to vah dhany manatee! Though this is not an allusion, it still alludes to a similar
mythological episode of Seeta entering into the earth in Ramacharitmanas.
Like many readers, a translator is also a reader who reads the text, re-reads it, and
interprets it from his own perspective. It is from his understanding of a text through his
cognition that a TLT appears. Thus, in this process, it may happen that he, as a result of
his limited/incorrect background knowledge, may misunderstand something in the SLT or
may not understand it at all. In both cases, loss of meaning will occur. In the case of the
translators of Godaan, Jai Ratan and P. Lal are domestic readers and Gordon C.
Roadarmel is a foreign reader; thus they also have two different cognitive models. It is
perhaps because of these varied cognitions that their translations, at times, vary at great
length, and that they use different techniques to express their grasped meaning. It is also
because of their cognitions that they, at times, are inconsistent about some usages,
commit grammatical errors and misunderstand some SLT expressions. All of these
elements together cause loss of meaning in translation.

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