Critical Perspectives on Cameroon Writing

39. Survival and Identity of African Literature: A Perspective of the Role of Translation

523 39 Survival and Identity Of African Literature: A Perspective of The Role of Translation by Moses Nyunai Nintai. Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters (ASTI) University of Buea Abstract This paper seeks to discuss the importance of translation at a time when African literature, especially in European languages of colonisation, is struggling maintain its identity and ensure its survival in a world dominated by the Western civilizations whose languages it uses. Analysis and conclusions will focus on translation of Francophone African literature south of the Sahara into English. A examining how translators have so far coped with the rendition of aspects that portray its identity, suggestions are made as to the role that could be played translation in the effort to preserve such identity and contribute to the survival of the literature. Introduction The twentieth century has witnessed the emergence and rapid development of African literature, especially in European languages such as French, English and Portuguese. This literature, like other postcolonial literatures, has tended to be regarded merely as an extension of the literatures of the corresponding European languages. However, although it could be argued that the use of European languages ultimately affects. the world view, cultural values, and experiences that are communicated, African literature in these languages presents certain features that give it an identity different from European literatures of corresponding languages. Abiola Irele has touched on some of these features: 524 The striking feature that gives interest to the Literature is a noticeable preoccupation not only with the African experience as the central subject of their works but also with the problem of a proper and adequate reflection of that experience, which involves in formal terms a reworking of their means of expression for that purpose (Jahn, 1960). Given that one of the major reasons that motivated African writers before the independence of most African countries was to assert the identity of Africans in the face of European colonisation and assimilation, the need to maintain this identity and enable the literature to survive in its own right has been of abiding preoccupation. This is the more so especially as concerns the literature in European languages since these languages seem to be considered by some critics as grounds for disqualifying certain literary works as African. This paper seeks to present a perspective of the role that has been and could be, played by translation in preserving and perpetuating the identity of African literature in European languages, especially English and French. Analysis and conclusions will relate primarily to the translation of Francophone African literature south of the Sahara into English. Emphasis will also be laid on certain features that could be considered as distinctive of the literature. 1. Translated African Literature and Efforts at Identity and Survival Broadly speaking, a translation usually represents the translator’s interpretation of a text. Such translation is the result of a selection process since a translation will convey only some of the multiple levels of the source text (often at the expense of others). The translator develops an overall strategy for rendering what he or she considers significant in a text and needs to be conveyed, and then makes subsequent specific decisions in the course of translation. As concerns the translation of African literary works from French into English, translators have often given priority to certain aspects of the texts, adopting strategies which help to convey what they deem to be invariant or significant. From among such significant aspects of these texts translators have sometimes tried to incorporate what might be 525 considered as contributing to the identity or cultural and stylistic distinctive features of the literature. Given the wide scope and diversity of African literature (2), an attempt to survey some of the cultural and stylistic features typical of the literature in English and French will focus on a body of writing that could be considered as forming a unified corpus. Various similarities in viewpoints, content, language, and style of certain works will serve as basis for grouping them together for my analysis. Broadly speaking, African literature in French is produced in the former French colonies. However, the literature is not usually deemed to be homogenous throughout the continent. In fact, some researchers would divide African literature in French into two categories: Maghrebien (North Africa) and sub-Saharan (West and Central Africa) (3). Although such division seems merely to split Africa into regions, it is primarily based on certain cultural...