A critical analysis of the two English translations of the first isizulu novel Insila kaShaka : a corpus-based approach

Abstract

Translating culture-specific items between different languages is a nerve wrecking task that often poses a great challenge to the translator. This can be ascribed to the fact that the items to be rendered are unknown or known, but not yet lexicalised in the target language. Translators faced with this challenge often have to make use of different approaches or strategies at their disposal in order to produce a comprehensible and acceptable translation in the target culture. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine and compare the approaches adopted by translators of the two English translations of the isiZulu novel Insila kaShaka, by Dr. JL Dube, in their endeavour to overcome the challenge of rendering items carrying cultural connotations. The first translation was produced by Prof. J Boxwell and appeared in 1951, and the second one was done by Mrs TN Nene and Mr RM Kavanagh and was released in 2017. Furthermore, the study seeks to determine whether the time period under which the two translations were produced as well as power relations between the two languages concerned had an influence on the choice of the approach employed by the translators. The study employed the corpus-based method for data analysis and interpretation, and a corpus-query software called ‘ParaConc’ for this purpose. Moreover, the approaches, namely descriptive translation studies, corpus-based translation studies and post-colonial translation theory were used as theoretical underpinnings of the research. The findings revealed that the translator of the first translation adopted the target text-oriented approach in his rendering of the novel while the translators of the second translation, on the other hand, strove to maintain equitable use of the source text-oriented and target text-oriented approach. The results further indicated that time period as well as power relations indeed exerted some influence on the choice of the approach employed by the translators.

Ukuhumusha amagama aphathelene namasiko phakathi kwezilimi ezehlukene kungumsebenzi onzima kakhulu ovame ukumnika inkinga lowo ohumushayo. Lokhu kudalwa ukuthi lawo magama okumele ahunyushwe awaziwa noma awanawo amagama ahambisana nawo kulolo limi okuhunyushelwa kulo. Abahumushi ababhekene nale nkinga kuvame ukuthi basebenzise izindlela noma amasu akhona ukuze bahumushe ngendlela ezwakalayo neyamukelekile ngokosiko lolimi okuhunyushelwa kulo. Ngakho-ke, inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukuthola kanye nokuqhathanisa izindlela ezasetshenziswa abahumushi bezincwadi ezimbili zesiNgisi ezahunyushwa zisuselwa kwinoveli yesiZulu ethi Insila KaShaka, eyabhalwa nguDkt. J.L. Dube, ekulweni nenkinga yoluhumusha amagama amayelama nosiko. Incwadi yokuqala yesiNgisi yahunyushwa nguSlz. J. Boxwell yase ishicilelwa ngonyaka ka-1951, kanti eyesibili yona yahunyushwa nguNkk. T.N. Nene kanye noMnu. R.M. Kavanagh yase ishicilelwa ngonyaka ka-2017. Ucwaningo luphinde futhi lufune ukuthola ukuthi ngabe isikhathi izincwadi zesiNgisi ezahunyushwa ngaso kanye namandla lezi zilimi ezimbili ezazinawo ngesikhathi sokuhumusha kwaba nawo yini umthelela kwindlela abahumushi abayisebenzisa uma behumusha le ncwadi. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzisa indlela yokucwaninga esebenzisa i-corpus, kanti lusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe obubizwa nge-ParaConc okuyibo obusetshenziswa uma kuhlaziywa. Ucwaningo luzoncika kwinjulalwazi i-Descriptive Translation Studies, i-Corpus-based Translation Studies kanye ne-post-colonial translation theory. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveza ukuthi umhumushi wencwadi yesiNgisi yokuqala wasebenzisa indlela evuna ulimi okuhunyushelwa kulo uma ehumusha le noveli, kanti abahumushi bencwadi yesibili bona balwela ukusebenzisa ngokufana indlela evuna ulimi okususelwa kulo kanye naleyo evuna ulimi okuhunyushelwa kulo. Iphinde futhi iveze ukuthi isikhathi izincwadi ezahunyushwa ngaso kanye namandla lezi zilimi ezimbili ezazinawo ngaleso sikhathi ngempela kwaba nomthelela ekukhethweni kwendlela abahumushi abayisebenzisa.

Go fetolela maina a setso magareng ga Dipolelo tsa go fapanafapana ke mosomo wo bothata kudu woo nako le nako o tlisago bothata bjo bogolo go mofetoledi. Se se ka dirwa ke gore maina ao a fiwago ga a tsebje goba a a tsebja fela ga a na tlhaloso mo lelemeng leo go fetolelwago go lona. Bafetoledi bao ba lebanego le bothata bjo gantsi ba somisa ditsela goba maano a go fapanafapana ao ba nago le wona gore ba ntshe phetolelo ya go kwesisega le go amogelwa setsong sa polelo yeo go fetolelwago go yona. Ka fao, maikemisetso a thuto ye ke go laetsa le go bapetsa ditsela tseo di somiswago ke bafetoledi ba diphetolelo tsa Seisemane tse pedi tsa padi ya isiZulu ya go bitswa Insila kaShaka, yeo e ngwetswego ke Dr J.L. Dube, maikemisetso e le go fenya mathata a go fa maina ao a sepelelanago le setso, Phetolelo ya mathomo e tsweleditswe ke Prof. J. Boxwell gomme ya phatlalatswa ka 1951, mola ya bobedi e tsweleditswe ke Mdi T.N. Nene le Mna R.M. Kavanagh gomme yona ya phatlalatswa ka 2017. E bile, thuto ye e nyaka go hwetsa ge e le gore nakong yeo ge diphetolelo tse pedi di tsweletswa le tswalano magareng ga dipolelo tse pedi tse, ge di bile le khuetso mo go kgetheng ga tsela yeo e somiswago ke bafetoledi. Thuto ye e somisa tsela ya khophase go fetleka le go hlatholla data, le lenaneo la khomphutha la go nyakisisa khophase la go bitswa ‘ParaConc’ e somisetswa wona mosomo wo. Ka fao, ditsela, tsa go bitswa ‘Descriptive Translation Studies’, ‘Corpus-based Translation Studies’ le teori ya ‘Post-colonial translation’ di somiswa bjalo ka diteori tse bohlokwa tsa nyakisiso ye. Dikhwetso di tsweleditse gore mofetoledi wa phetolelo ya mathomo o somisitse tsela ya sengwalo sa mothopo ge a fetolela padi mola bafetoledi ba phetolelo ya bobedi, mo le lengwe, ba lekile ka maatla go somisa ka go lekana sengwalo sa mothopo le tsela ya sengwalo seo se lebantswego. Dipoelo di bontshitse le go feta gore nako le ditswalano tse maatla di kgonne go huetsa mo go kgetheng tsela yeo e somiswago ke bafetoledi.