Literature in Translation: Teaching Issues and Reading Practices

African Europhone Literature in Translation: Language, Pedagogy, and Power Differentials

176 literature in translation 176 African Europhone Literature in Translation: Language, Pedagogy, and Power Differentials Paul Bandia AfricanliteratureischanneledandreceivedintheWestmainlythroughtranslations .Asaliteratureoftengroundedinlanguagesandcultureswithoutliterary capital,ithasmadeitswayintotheinternationalliteraryspacemainlythrough itswritingandtranslationinglobalEuropeanlanguages.Vernacular-language writing is on the increase, enhanced by writing practices in more widespread, locally derived lingua francas such as Swahili and pidgins, but such writing is often destined for local consumption, and it relies heavily on translation to become known beyond its ethnic and linguistic boundaries. Circumscribed forthemostpart withinthelandscapes ofits specificethnictraditions,African literature has yet to gain the kind of international recognition enjoyed by its European-language counterpart. Hence, the reading and teaching of African literature in institutions of higher education across the world (including Africa , for that matter) is highly dependent upon translation. The significance of translation is compounded by the fact that even the creative writing of African literature in European languages has recourse to translation practices in representing African sociocultural realities and worldviews. Therefore, by its very nature, African literature cannot be fully understood without a reading and teaching practice that explores both the writing-as-translation strategies used by creative writers and the interlingual translation processes involved in the translating of intercultural writing from non-Western societies. Coming to America To understand the significance of translation in the teaching of African literature in North America, a brief history of the emergence of this litera- african europhone literature in translation 177 ture in American universities and the polemics concerned with its critical framework is in order. African literature made its way into the curricula of American universities as a consequence of the civil rights movement and the black studies movement, which thrived on campuses in the mid-1960s. There was a general outcry against the Eurocentric bias of university programs and a call for the representation of other cultural viewpoints, to reflect the diverse ethnocultural makeup of the university community and society at large. African literature was therefore typically introduced into American universities as part of various black studies programs, to meet the demands of African Americans who had expressed an increasing desire to explore the literary and cultural heritage of African Americans and the history of black people in general. Given the conditions of contestation under which African literature was adopted in American academia, and given the fact that African literature was appended to black studies programs, there was a need to make this literature available to American students in English (whether in original or translated versions), in order to reach a diverse population of students from a variety of disciplines. For ease of use, African anglophone literature was quickly adopted and was eventually followed by English translations of francophone and lusophone works. The label “African literature” is increasingly becoming a misnomer, as it doesnotreflectthefactthatAfricanpracticesofwritinginEuropeanlanguages varyaccordingtocolonialhistories.Moreover,todaytherearemanyEuropeanlanguage translations of works initially written in indigenous or national languages. Although these works often gain recognition in global European languages, it has become common practice to emphasize their national character by using labels such as Nigerian, Senegalese, or Cameroonian literature. ThisbalkanizationofAfricanliteraturereflectsthedeep-seatedfeelingthatthe cultures from which the writers draw their inspiration are clearly distinct and varywidelyfromoneethnolinguisticgrouporregiontoanother.Thesplitting up of African literature along national lines makes it even more necessary to read it as translation, in order to highlight its specific national provenance. Through a reading-as-translation strategy, students will become aware of the differences in cultural background between a Nigerian novel and a Kenyan novel, for example, even though both novels are written in English. When African literature entered American universities, it usually did not have a department of its own, so it was assigned to a variety of departments, often in minor or optional courses taken by students with some interest in 178 literature in translation Africa.Thesecourseswereofferednotonlyinliteratureprogramsbutacrossa widerangeofdisciplines,suchaseconomics,history,anthropology,sociology, fine arts, and the sciences. It quickly became obvious that for some, African literaturewasviewednotasliteraturebutratherasameanstobecomefamiliar with African culture. This attitude was encouraged and sustained by literary criticsandacademicswhoapproachedAfricanliterarycriticismfromamainly anthropological standpoint. For these Eurocentric critics and academics, African literature provided a window into an exotic, premodern world, giving them a glimpse of what their own world was like before modernity and the age of reason and rationalism. Through this literature, Africa became a sounding board for Western notions of reason, technological advancement, and civilization; issues of language, translation, and literary aesthetics were of secondary importance. Delivered in English translations or African English writing, the literature merely served as a way to satisfy the need for exotica. Even when African literature began to...