TRANSLATION and

POPULAR CULTURE

John Milton

ContentsIntroduction to high and low culture

Kitsch and midcult

Factory translation

High and LowTranslation studies have traditionally been an integral part of high culture

Many literary translations have been aimed at the learned few, the aristocratic, gentlemanly or academic coterie.

The kind of translation that Schleiermacher recommends aims to preserve the linguistic and cultural difference of the foreign text, but only as it is perceived in the translation by a limited readership, an educated elite“ (Venuti, 1991: 130)

Thus, a translation, which should or could make a work available to all the literate members of a new language group, may be directed to a specific clique or coterie, thereby excluding the great majority of readers

Romantic Art19th Century: the rise of democracy and the enfranchisement of the masses.

Romantic art as a child of democracy since it is popular in contrast with modernism which is anti-popular and difficult to understand.

Modern art = dehumanization of art

Bourdieu’s Survey on cultural tastes

• Intellectual classes believe more in the form of representation (painting, music, literary work). A withdrawal from concrete.

• Popular taste believes in the things themselves. More interest in what is said rather than the way in which it is said.

The crowd has suddenly become visible: it has installed itself in the preferred places of society. Previously, it did exist but went unnoticed; it was part of the background of society, now it has come to the forefront, it is the main character. Now there are no protagonists, there in only a choir. (Ortega y Gannet, 1984: 47)

The elite must take the "higher path" and distinguish itself from the masses. Heraclitus says:

Why do you want to take me everywhere, o illiterate ones? I didn't write for you but for those who could understand me. One person is worth a hundred thousand for me, and the mob's worth nothing. (in Kok 8)

The splendor and mystery of translationTranslation as a way of escaping from the crowd It is a mysterious and impossible task in which one can attempt to bring other languages and great authors to affect one's own thought and language to rise above cultural levelling of modern society

Conflict is between high and low culture and thus forignization and domestication

Kitsch and MidcultKitsch by Umberto Eco: the imposition of the fixed effect, to be enjoyed by the consumer, who does not have to attempt to understand the more complex patterns of the operations of the artistic work. And by enjoying this effect, the reader or viewer supposes that he/she is experiencing a privileged aesthetic experience. The emotional reaction of the reader/viewer is all-important and any kind of reflection on the causes of this reaction is missing

Midcult by Dwight Macdonald: trivializes works of art and tries to produce certain effects.

The characteristics of the midcultit borrows avant garde processes and adapts them to make a message which can be enjoyed and understood by all

it uses these processes when they have been known, usedand are worn out

it constructs a message as a provocation of effects

it sells them as art;

it tranquilizes the consumer, convincing him that he hasencountered culture, so that he won't feel other worries

Examples: Revised Standard Version of the Bible

Thus we can see the complexities of the work of art reduced: mass culture makes the classics into products to be consumed rather than to be contemplated (Arendt in Eco: 41).

According to Marcuse, the cheapness and ready availability of the "great" canonised works of literature lead to a certain blasé attitude to these “greats". They are taken down from their pedestals to become the cheapest and most available of book.

No sub-standard language/ homogenized language

Polyphonic elements were cut

Translations are squeamish

Scatological references are cut

Religious censorship

Adaptation Strategies (Milton)

Translation theory has worked with Faithful/unfaithful and content/style framework. Now within other fields.

Translation has an afterlife but may take on a very different form to the original

Invisible translation such as instructions

Factory Translation

Rather than being the work of an individual it’s the work of a team, a mere part of an assembly line. Without the name of the translator. A prestigious translator will not have his name on it. Anonymous or Pseudonym.

Standardization or Fordism in production of factory novels and translations.

• Theme: the work is tailored to suit the tastes of readers• Language: sub-standard language and dialect is cut out• Style: the work should not deviate from a strict narrative style• Size: Reduced to fewer pages• Weight: a low weight to cut postal costs

Characteristics of Factory Translation

Commercial production ignores the so-called sacredness of the author as a result of the possibility for reproduction of form of art. Such as movies and photographs. More people are involved in movie production

Definite commercial strategies will be used. Translation will be directed to a definite market, e.g. female readers and male readers

Deadlines are important. Meeting deadline is more important than perfectly accurate copy. Thus minimum time for proofreading

Characteristics of Factory Translation

19th century novel tradition is reusable in different shapes and guises, i.e. condensation, films, cartoons, etc. 20 th centuries novel does not so much go for adaptation

It is often cheaper to recycle an already existing translation than to commission a new one. Thus a few change in an existing translation suits it for different markets.

Packaging is enormously important

Commercialism is not beyond a few tricks. The reader may not be so respected. The production of “special translations”.

Characteristics of Factory Translation

A common marketing trick is Pseudotranslation, i.e. introducing original as a translation. The reason for pseudotranslation is mostly commercial.

Such translations are ephemeral, throwaway, not catalogued by libraries and information networks.

Characteristics of Factory Translation

Thanks

For Your Patience