Ma. Abbygale B.

Ojales ABELS 4B
ELS 82: Translation Studies

1. Lefevere identifies two factors (the professional and patronage), combined with
poetics and ideology, which control the literary system. Examine each function in
specific translations in your own culture. Which seems to be the more important?
Are there other factors which you would add? (35 pts).

- Lefevere’s ideas on the factors that control the literary system derive from his
“sociology of translation” theory and analysis of translation’s role in molding
literary systems. According to Lefevere, the literary system is primarily
influenced by two factors: the professional (critics, academics, teachers,
translators) and the patronage (influential individuals, institutionalized groups,
government). Together with poetics and ideology, these factors interact to
define and regulate the literary landscape. In terms of poetics and ideology,
both equaled in their ability to provide information to be fed to the public. They
hold the utmost power that only they could provide through method and
systems.
- When we think of what seems to be more important in the culture of being a
Filipino, albeit we often take pride on education as the most vital form of
information that we can get through professionals, it is still up to the patronage
who can alter or control what the information being released in the public.
Ideally, these “fake news” should be banned and should be controlled by the
government, yet, there are a lot of instances wherein the government itself
holds a ring for spreading such falsity. These wealthy and powerful individuals
could control everything in just the palm of their hand; from print to media
outlets, so long as they could benefit from it and remain in power, they could
do anything even as far as to hide the truth and alter the reality.
2. Should women writers ideally be translated by women only? What about the male
writers? Cite published translations and their prefaces to see how often this is an
important consideration. (35 pts)
- In an ideal world, every gender in the spectrum should know the importance of
female empowerment and female rights in the literary field. Some claim that
having female translators may give a more nuanced knowledge and
interpretation of women’s experiences in literature, because at the end of the
day, who would amplify the voices of the oppressed women none other than
those women who could? An example of this the work of the female Polish
author, Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk, best known for her works such as
"Flights" (Bieguni) and "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" (Prowadź
swój pług przez kości umarłych). Her works have been translated into English
by female translators over the years. The following are just the examples:
 "Primeval and Other Times" (1996) and "House of Day, House of Night" (1998)
which are all translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. And "The Books of Jacob"
(2014) and "Flights" (2007) which are translated by Jennifer Croft, with the latter
translation even winning the International Booker Prize in 2018. These works
of translation are here to suggest that female translators are more ideal in terms
of handling a female author’s work, as they try to remain as close and as
attached in conveying the real thoughts, feelings, and opinions, of the female
gaze.
- However, others contend that gender should not be a determining factor in the
quality or authenticity of a translation. It is important to highlight that in a
translation process, it should incorporate a variety of aspects such as language
ability, cultural awareness, and literary sensibility; none of which are
necessarily gender-related. And so, male translators could and have still done
their part to cite works by women writers, perhaps the same as how women
translators would also cite a man’s work.
3. Choose one translation theory and explain its concept and usage by citing two or
more case studies. (35 pts)
- Queer Translation theory is a method that looks at how queer theory and
translation studies connect with each other. It looks at how the practices and
processes of translation can affect how gender, sexuality, and LGBTQ+
identities are shown in works that have been translated. Moreover, queer
translation theory tries to question normative beliefs and power relations in
translation. It also tries to make sure queer experiences and opinions are
represented in a way that is inclusive, visible, and accurate.
- Two cases are presented to support the idea of Queer translation theory: Brian
James Baer and Jill Suzanne Smith’s case study entitled: “Translating
Sexualities: Queer Subjects in Fiction and Film” (2011) in which it looks at how
gay subjects are portrayed in books and movies, and how sexual identities and
behaviors are translated across countries and languages. It also looks at the
problems and possibilities that come up when queerness is represented in
translation. The writers look at specific works and talk about how hard it is to
translate queer identities and experiences while keeping their purity and
subtleties. Another case study to support the theory is “Translating Desire: The
Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Thai Fiction in Translation”
by Peter Jackson and Nerida M. Cook (2019) in which it looks at how gay issues
are dealt with in the translation of modern Thai fiction. It examines how gender
and sexuality are interpreted, as well as how translation affects how LGBT
identities are shown. The writers also investigate how translators deal with
differences in culture and language to convey the complexities and subtleties
of queer desire, identity, and politics in Thai writing.