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The translations of the The translations of the Communist Manifesto, Communist Manifesto,

1919-1951: some 1919-1951: some preliminary findings and preliminary findings and

remarks remarks

Christina DelistathiChristina Delistathi

Middlesex UniversityMiddlesex University

c.delistathi@mdx.ac.ukc.delistathi@mdx.ac.uk

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Aims of the presentationAims of the presentation

To show how certain translational To show how certain translational choices made by the translator of the choices made by the translator of the Communist Manifesto can be linked Communist Manifesto can be linked to politico-ideological struggles in to politico-ideological struggles in Greece.Greece.To show how translational choices To show how translational choices assisted the KKE’s wider political assisted the KKE’s wider political project: to appropriate the Marxist project: to appropriate the Marxist theory.theory.

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The corpusThe corpusLefevere (1992:14) “Translations are not made in Lefevere (1992:14) “Translations are not made in a vacuum. Translators function in a given culture a vacuum. Translators function in a given culture at a given time.”at a given time.”19191919193319331948194819511951The translation/publication/dissemination: The translation/publication/dissemination: institutionally organised activitiesinstitutionally organised activitiesDiachronic discussion during a period of intense Diachronic discussion during a period of intense linguistic and socio-political changelinguistic and socio-political changeAll translations were in DimotikiAll translations were in DimotikiAll were booklets except the 1951All were booklets except the 1951

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Translational choicesTranslational choices

Four translational choices:Four translational choices:

1.1. 19191919: Addition of verbs in the first person : Addition of verbs in the first person plural in the TT plural in the TT

2.2. Thematic paragraph numbering Thematic paragraph numbering (educational role)(educational role)

3.3. 19331933: The translation of the title: The translation of the title

4.4. The presence of German words in the The presence of German words in the translation (linked to a political project)translation (linked to a political project)

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The 1919 translation The 1919 translation

The SEKE a new party The SEKE a new party without internal without internal ideological coherenceideological coherence

The Communist The Communist Manifesto: symbolic Manifesto: symbolic significancesignificance

Marxist principles and Marxist principles and not many Marxist texts not many Marxist texts translated: educational translated: educational significancesignificance

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The educational role of the The educational role of the Communist Manifesto: the 1919 Communist Manifesto: the 1919

translationtranslation

To educate the audience in Marxist ideas To educate the audience in Marxist ideas

Part of the intended audience was largely Part of the intended audience was largely illiterateilliterate

Sipitanou (Sipitanou (ΣηπιτάνουΣηπιτάνου,1998:42):,1998:42): throughout this period half the population throughout this period half the population was illiterate.was illiterate.

How could the workers and peasants How could the workers and peasants access the Communist Manifesto’s access the Communist Manifesto’s ideas?ideas?

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Institutionally organised efforts for Institutionally organised efforts for education in Marxism despite illiteracy: education in Marxism despite illiteracy:

Party meetings - communal reading Party meetings - communal reading (Chartier, 1992) of the Communist (Chartier, 1992) of the Communist ManifestoManifesto

Public reading: established social practicePublic reading: established social practice

Translational choice: potential audience Translational choice: potential audience participation in the textparticipation in the text

Addition of verbs in the first person, plural Addition of verbs in the first person, plural (20 instances in TT/8 in ST – 13 additions)(20 instances in TT/8 in ST – 13 additions)

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• 19191919: : ΒλέπουμεΒλέπουμε λοιπόν πως οι εργάτες, σ’ αυτό το βαθμό λοιπόν πως οι εργάτες, σ’ αυτό το βαθμό της εξελίξεως, δεν αγωνίζονται εναντίον των αληθινών τους της εξελίξεως, δεν αγωνίζονται εναντίον των αληθινών τους εχθρών, αλλά πολεμούν τους εχθρούς των εχθρών τους, … (p. εχθρών, αλλά πολεμούν τους εχθρούς των εχθρών τους, … (p. 37)37)

•19331933: Στη βαθμίδα λοιπόν τούτη οι προλετάριοι δεν πολεμάνε : Στη βαθμίδα λοιπόν τούτη οι προλετάριοι δεν πολεμάνε τους εχθρούς τους, μα τους εχθρούς των εχθρώνε τους, … (p. τους εχθρούς τους, μα τους εχθρούς των εχθρώνε τους, … (p. 34)34)

•19481948: Σαυτή τη φάση οι προλετάριοι δεν πολεμάν ακόμα τους : Σαυτή τη φάση οι προλετάριοι δεν πολεμάν ακόμα τους δικούς τους εχθρούς, αλλά τους εχθρούς των εχθρών τους, … δικούς τους εχθρούς, αλλά τους εχθρούς των εχθρών τους, … (p. 31)(p. 31)

•19511951: Σ’ αυτό το στάδιο οι προλετάριοι δεν καταπολεμούν : Σ’ αυτό το στάδιο οι προλετάριοι δεν καταπολεμούν ακόμα τους δικούς τους εχθρούς, αλλά τους εχθρούς των ακόμα τους δικούς τους εχθρούς, αλλά τους εχθρούς των εχθρών τους,... (p. 38)εχθρών τους,... (p. 38)•ST gloss: At this stage, therefore, the proletarians fight not ST gloss: At this stage, therefore, the proletarians fight not only their enemies but the enemies of theironly their enemies but the enemies of their enemiesenemies……

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2. Thematic paragraph numbering2. Thematic paragraph numbering

Signalled new theme or conceptSignalled new theme or concept

Re-focused hearer/reader’s attentionRe-focused hearer/reader’s attention

Facilitated memorising and Facilitated memorising and referencingreferencing

Re-segmented and reorganised the Re-segmented and reorganised the texttext

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The 1933 translation The 1933 translation

KKE: consolidated its KKE: consolidated its ideological identity.ideological identity.

First Trotskyist First Trotskyist organisations in organisations in Greece: Archives of Greece: Archives of Marxism and Marxism and Pouliopoulos’s groupPouliopoulos’s group

The symbolic The symbolic significance of the significance of the Communist ManifestoCommunist Manifesto

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3. The translation of the title3. The translation of the title

19191919: The Communist Manifesto (front : The Communist Manifesto (front cover and beginning of text)cover and beginning of text)

19331933: The Communist Manifesto (front : The Communist Manifesto (front cover) and Manifesto of the Communist cover) and Manifesto of the Communist Party (beginning of text)Party (beginning of text)

19481948: Manifesto of the Communist Party : Manifesto of the Communist Party (front cover and beginning of text)(front cover and beginning of text)

19511951: Manifesto of the Communist Party : Manifesto of the Communist Party (front cover and beginning of text)(front cover and beginning of text)

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The translation of the titleThe translation of the title

Yiannis Kordatos (1927:15-16):Yiannis Kordatos (1927:15-16):

““Firstly, this title is now well-known... Secondly, Firstly, this title is now well-known... Secondly, nowadays, that there are Communist Parties nowadays, that there are Communist Parties all over the world, there can be a confusion. all over the world, there can be a confusion. Moreover, at that time, the title Manifesto of Moreover, at that time, the title Manifesto of the Communist Party meant the Manifesto of the Communist Party meant the Manifesto of a worldwide Communist League. It did not, a worldwide Communist League. It did not, thus, have the meaning that it was coming thus, have the meaning that it was coming from a local organisation.”from a local organisation.”

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The CC’s 1927 “Decision on the activity of the The CC’s 1927 “Decision on the activity of the propaganda section”: propaganda section”:

T h e m o n o p o l y o f t h e o r y. [emphasis in T h e m o n o p o l y o f t h e o r y. [emphasis in the original]. Our Party ought to aim at the the original]. Our Party ought to aim at the monopoly of representation of the Marxist-monopoly of representation of the Marxist-Leninist theory. This is also one of the numerous Leninist theory. This is also one of the numerous criteria of the theoretical and political maturity of criteria of the theoretical and political maturity of the Party. It must also seek through the the Party. It must also seek through the operation of a wide propaganda the spread of operation of a wide propaganda the spread of the Marxist-Leninist literature.the Marxist-Leninist literature.

Securing the monopoly of the Marxist and Leninist Securing the monopoly of the Marxist and Leninist theory strengthens the Party against hostile theory strengthens the Party against hostile organisations reactionary at heart, but which are organisations reactionary at heart, but which are hidden under the mask of communism and the hidden under the mask of communism and the communist teaching.communist teaching. (KKE Επίσημα Κείμενα, 1965, 2: 242-243)(KKE Επίσημα Κείμενα, 1965, 2: 242-243)

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4. German words in the translated text4. German words in the translated text

1919: 1919: Ο νεώτερος εργάτης απεναντίας, αντί να Ο νεώτερος εργάτης απεναντίας, αντί να υψώνεται από την πρόοδο της βιομηχανίας, υψώνεται από την πρόοδο της βιομηχανίας, κατεβαίνει ολοένα πειό κάτω από το ύψος της κατεβαίνει ολοένα πειό κάτω από το ύψος της τάξεώς του. Ο εργάτης μεταβάλλεται σε τάξεώς του. Ο εργάτης μεταβάλλεται σε φτωχόφτωχό, , και η και η φτώχεια φτώχεια μεγαλώνει πειό γλήγορα ακόμα μεγαλώνει πειό γλήγορα ακόμα από τον πληθυσμό και τον πλούτο. από τον πληθυσμό και τον πλούτο. 1933: 1933: Αντίθετα ο σύγχρονος εργάτης, αντίς ν’ Αντίθετα ο σύγχρονος εργάτης, αντίς ν’ ανεβεί με την πρόοδο της βιομηχανίας όλο και ανεβεί με την πρόοδο της βιομηχανίας όλο και ξεπέφτει χαμηλότερα απ’ το επίπεδο των όρων ξεπέφτει χαμηλότερα απ’ το επίπεδο των όρων της δικής του τάξης. Ο εργάτης καταντά της δικής του τάξης. Ο εργάτης καταντά θεόφτωχος (θεόφτωχος (PauperPauper), και η αδιάκοπη αύξηση της ), και η αδιάκοπη αύξηση της μαζικής φτώχειας (μαζικής φτώχειας (PauperismusPauperismus) αναπτύσσεται ) αναπτύσσεται γληγορότερα παρά ο πληθυσμός και τα πλούτη. γληγορότερα παρά ο πληθυσμός και τα πλούτη.

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1919 translation: Thematic paragraph 1919 translation: Thematic paragraph numbering and the addition of verbs in the numbering and the addition of verbs in the first person plural can be linked to the first person plural can be linked to the reading context: to assist an audience with reading context: to assist an audience with limited literacy.limited literacy.

1933 translation: quest for accuracy with 1933 translation: quest for accuracy with the presence of German words in the TT the presence of German words in the TT and the use of two titles can be interpreted and the use of two titles can be interpreted by looking at the political struggles within by looking at the political struggles within the Left at the time for the monopoly over the Left at the time for the monopoly over Marxism.Marxism.

Concluding remarksConcluding remarks

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Thank you!Thank you!