1rans|at|ons

1ranslaLlons ls a LhreeacL play by lrlsh playwrlghL 8rlan lrlel wrlLLen ln 1980 lL ls seL ln 8alle 8eag
(8allybeg) a small vlllage aL Lhe hearL of 19Lh cenLury agrlculLural lreland lrlel has sald LhaL
1ranslaLlons ls a play abouL language and only abouL language buL lL deals wlLh a wlde range of
lssues sLreLchlng from language and communlcaLlon Lo lrlsh hlsLory and culLural lmperlallsm

8r|an Ir|e|
8rlan lrlel was born ln Cmagh CounLy 1yrone (norLhern lreland) ln 1929 Pe recelved hls college
educaLlon ln uerry MaynooLh and 8elfasL and LaughL aL varlous schools ln and around uerry from
1930 Lo 1960 Pe ls Lhe auLhor of many plays LhaL have Laken Lhelr place ln Lhe canon of lrlsh
LlLeraLure lncludlng lblloJelpblo nete l come! (1964) lovets (1967) 1tooslotloos (1980) 1be
commoolcotloo cotJ (1982) and uoocloq ot loqbooso (1990) ln 1980 he founded Lhe Lourlng LheaLre
company lleld uay wlLh SLephen 8ea

Jor|dv|ews]Ideo|og|es
O ,olte represenLs a hlsLorlcal facL and Lhe modernlsaLlon of lreland Lhrough her pragmaLlc
and pracLlcal approach Lo Lhe learnlng of Lngllsh
O eo represenLs Lhe pragmaLlc collaboraLlon and Lhe pracLlcal opporLunlsLlc vlew
O noqb favours Lhe pasL and ls dlsmlsslve of Lhe Lngllsh porLraylng Lhem as Lhe uneducaLed
Lngllsh
O lmmy ock llves ln Lhe denlal of reallLy ln hls classlcal world

;otes
O eo We name a Lhlng and bang! lL leaps lnLo exlsLence! (page 422)
O ollooJ Lven lf l dld speak lrlsh ld always be an ouLslder here wouldnL l? l may learn Lhe
password buL Lhe language of Lhe Lrlbe wlll always elude me wonL lL? (page 416)
O noqb Was lL Lamon? ?es lL was Lamon (page 397)
O lmmy l am a barbarlan ln Lhls place because l am noL undersLood by anyone (page 443)
O lmmy uo you know Lhe Creek word eoJoqomelo? lL means Lo marry wlLhln Lhe Lrlbe And
Lhe word exoqomelo means Lo marry ouLslde Lhe Lrlbe And you donL cross Lhose borders
casually boLh sldes geL very angry (page 446)

onvent|ons
Language shapes convenLlons (Lhe recognlsable paLLerns of a LexL) and Lhese convenLlons can subverL
or supporL whaL Lhe auLhor ls Lrylng Lo say

Jtltets ofteo ose estobllsbeJ qeotes ooJ qeoetlc cooveotloos to commeot oo tbelt
soclol coltotol ooJ/ot blstotlcol cooJltloos ulscoss ltb tefeteoce to ooe ot mote texts
yoo bove stoJleJ

SLaglng and performance are cenLral Lo lrlels represenLaLlon of Lhe plays parLlcular
worldvlews A ma[or parL of Lhe sLaglng dlrecLlons of Lhe play ls Lhe manlpulaLlon of
space lrlel uses a dlsused barn or hayshed LhaL doubles as a Pedge School 1hls serves
Lo deflne Lhe culLural space of Lhe play where Lhe amblvalenL sense of lrlsh peasanLry
and scholarshlp come LogeLher 1be toom ls comfottless ooJ Josty yet fooctloool 1hls
romanLlc vlew of lreland aL Lhe polnL [usL prlor Lo Lnglands modernlsaLlon of lreland ls
one LhaL would have resonaLed wlLh audlences ln 1980

8y furLher conslderlng Lhe sLaglng of Lhe play we are remlnded of a sLrucLural
convenLlon LhaL ls evldenL LhroughouL a vasL range of llLerary LexLs Lhe conLrasL of Lhe
manmade world and naLure as a medlum for lnLroduclng confllcL ln AcL Cne Scene
Cne Lhe maln acLlon of Lhe play Lakes place lndoors ln Lhls world raLlonal Lhough
Lends Lo domlnaLe as ls shown Lhrough Lhe process of renamlng 8alle 8eag Powever ln
AcL 1wo Scene 1wo ?olland and Malre pronounce Lhelr love for each oLher ln a scene
remlnlscenL of komeo ooJ ollet WhaL ls plvoLal Lo Lhe undersLandlng of Lhls scene ls
LhaL lL Lakes place ouLdoors a seLLlng LhaL ls ofLen assoclaLed ln drama wlLh Lhe
lnLroducLlon of confllcL

1he n|stor|ca| and o|on|a| ontext Cf 8r|an Ir|e|s 1rans|at|ons
WhaL Lransplres ln lrlel's play as Lhe 8rlLlsh army proceed Lo map Lhls parLlcular corner of Lhe emplre
ls LhaL llke language lLself lL ls noL so much Lhe namlng and Lhe changlng of names buL whaL LhaL
slgnlfles and whaL Lhose names slgnlfy ln a parLlcular conLexL comlng from a parLlcular mouLh A
slmple posLcolonlal readlng could vlew such evenLs as a vlolaLlon of geographlc space lmperlallsm
afLer all ls an acL of geographlcal vlolence Lhrough whlch vlrLually every space ln Lhe world ls explored
charLed and flnally broughL under conLrol" and an approprlaLlon and subverslon of ldenLlLy

1he pracLlcallLles of dayLoday exlsLence are clear ln Malre's deslre Lo learn Lngllsh so she can work ln
Amerlca Cwen exempllfles engagemenL wlLh Lhe colonlal cenLre ln conLrasL Lo hls broLher Manus
Powever when Lhe play has Laken lL's Lraglc Lurn lL ls Cwen who suffers lgnomlny aL Lhe command of
Lancey who orders hlm uo your [ob LranslaLe" (AcL 3) 1he LranslaLlons acqulre Lhe blLLer LasLe of
compllclLy beLrayal and shame ln Cwen's mouLh

Cwen also serves poLenLlally as 'mlmlcman' ln hls role as servanL of Lhe emplre one who
slmulLaneously relnforces colonlal auLhorlLy and dlsLurbs lL Pls flnal exlL Lo flnd uoalLy be lL Lo help
hlm or hlnder hlm as a ?eaLslan 'man of acLlon' poLenLlaLes Lhls aspecL of Lhe LheoreLlcal Lype Pls
blend of pragmaLlsm and wllllngness Lo engage mark hlm as a poLenLlally llberaLlng force