Feminist translation and feminist sociolinguistics in dialogue
A multi-layered analysis of linguistic gender constructions in and across English and Turkish
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/genl.v7i1.13Keywords:
feminist translation, feminist sociolinguistics, Turkish, EnglishAbstract
This article, focusing on Turkish and English, explores various intersections between feminist translation and feminist sociolinguistics to bring the fields into conversation and expand their intellectual and geopolitical scopes. The first section discusses the broad historical points of connection by concentrating on the critiques of sexist language. Thus, it demonstrates how the fields share a common feminist politics of language. This intersection is illustrated by an example from my Turkish translation of Hanne Blank’s Virgin. The second section explores a more specific alliance by examining feminist critiques and manipulations of pro/nominal gender systems. This discussion is supported by more examples from my translation, as well as examples from Cemile Çak?r’s Turkish translation of Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues. The last section provides feminist sociolinguistics and translation teachers with ideas on how interdisciplinary cooperations can expand students’ political awareness of gender/sexuality dynamics with regard to language and translation. The significance of this intersection is demonstrated by a translation experiment.
References
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Blank, H. (2007) Virgin: The Untouched History. New york: Bloomsbury.
Blank, H. (2008) Bekâretin “El De?memi?” Tarihi. Translated by E. Ergün. Istanbul: ?leti?im.
Braun, f. (2001) The communication of gender in Turkish. In m. Hellinger and H. Bußmann (eds) Gender Across Languages, Volume 1, 283–310. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Butler, J. (2006) Gender Trouble. 2nd ed. New york: Routledge.
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Castro, O. (2009) (Re)-examining horizons in feminist translation studies: Towards a third wave? Translated by m. andrews (1trans-17trans). first published in MonTI, Monographs in Translation and Interpreting 1 (2009): 59–86. Retrieved from http://repositori.uji.es/xmlui/bitstream/ handle/10234/11953/castroReexamining.pdf
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Curzan, a. (2003) Gender Shifts in the History of English. cambridge: cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cBO9780511486913
Daly, m. (1978) Gyn/ecology. Boston: Beacon Press. de Beauvoir, S. (1949) The Second Sex. Translated by H. m. Parshley. New york: Vintage Books, 1989.
de Lotbinière-Harwood, S. (trans.) (1984/1989) Preface. In L. Gauvin, Letters from an Other [Lettres d’une autre]. Toronto: women’s Press.
Ergün, E. (2008) Önsöz: Türkiye’de Bekâretin ‘El de?memi?’ Tarihi [Preface: The ‘Untouched’ History of Virginity in Turkey]. In H. Blank, Bekâretin ‘El De?memi?’ Tarihi [Virgin: The Untouched History] 11–34. Istanbul: ?leti?im.
Ergün, E. (2010a) Bridging across feminist translation and sociolinguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass 4/5: 307–318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00208.x
Ergün, E. (2010b) Teaching and learning guide for: Bridging across feminist translation and linguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass 4/5: 337–347. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00219.x
Feinberg, L. (1993) Stone Butch Blues. Los angeles: alyson Books.
Feinberg, L. (2007) Sevici Türküsü. Translated by c. Çak?r. Istanbul: artshop.
Gülen, H. and Eren, d. (2009) Bekâret kavram? yeniden sorgulan?yor: ‘Toplumsal bekâretin izleri…’ [The virginity concept is being requestioned: ‘Traces of social virginity…’]. Birgün, July 29.
Iser, w. (1980) The Implied Reader. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
K?z?larslan, y. (2009) Utanç, safl?k, erdem simgesi bekaret zaten hiç yok muydu? [So virginity – the symbol of shame, purity, virtue – never existed anyway?]. Bianet, february 7.
Lakoff, R. (1975) Language and Woman’s Place. New york: Harper and Row.
Livia, a. (2001) Pronoun Envy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lorde, a. (1984) Sister Outsider. freedom, ca: crossing Press.
Ö?üt, H. (2008) Bekârete yamuk bak?? [a skewed look at virginity]. Radikal Kitap, October 31.
Simon, S. (1996) Gender in Translation. New york: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203202890
Spender, d. (1980) Man Made Language. London: Routledge.
Susam-Sarajeva, ?. (2005) a course on ‘gender and translation’. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Gender, Sex and Translation 161–76. manchester: St. Jerome.
Tekeli, ?. (1998) Birinci ve ikinci dalga feminist hareketlerin kar??la?t?rmal? incelemesi üzerine bir deneme (an essay on the comparative analysis of the first and second wave feminist movements). In ay?e Berktay Hac?mirzao?lu (ed.) 75 Y?lda Kad?nlar ve Erkekler (women and men in 75 years) 337–46. ?stanbul: ?? Bankas? ve Tarih Vakf? yay?nlar?.
Venuti, L. (2008) The Translator’s Invisibility. 2nd ed. New york: Routledge.
von flotow, L. (1997) Translation and Gender. manchester: St Jerome.
Bayraktar, I. (2008) Bekaretin el de?memi? tarihine yolculuk [Journey to the untouched history of virginity]. Taraf Kitap, November 4: 2.
Blank, H. (2007) Virgin: The Untouched History. New york: Bloomsbury.
Blank, H. (2008) Bekâretin “El De?memi?” Tarihi. Translated by E. Ergün. Istanbul: ?leti?im.
Braun, f. (2001) The communication of gender in Turkish. In m. Hellinger and H. Bußmann (eds) Gender Across Languages, Volume 1, 283–310. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Butler, J. (2006) Gender Trouble. 2nd ed. New york: Routledge.
Cameron, d. (1992) Feminism and Linguistic Theory. 2nd ed. New york: St. martin’s Press.
Castro, O. (2009) (Re)-examining horizons in feminist translation studies: Towards a third wave? Translated by m. andrews (1trans-17trans). first published in MonTI, Monographs in Translation and Interpreting 1 (2009): 59–86. Retrieved from http://repositori.uji.es/xmlui/bitstream/ handle/10234/11953/castroReexamining.pdf
Castro, O. (2010) Non-sexist translation and/in social change: Gender issues in translation. Translated by c. melly with an ‘author’s afterword’. In c. maier and J. Bóerie (eds) Translation/Interpreting and Social Activism – Traducción/ Interpretación y Compromiso Social 106–120. Granada: Ecos.
Curzan, a. (2003) Gender Shifts in the History of English. cambridge: cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cBO9780511486913
Daly, m. (1978) Gyn/ecology. Boston: Beacon Press. de Beauvoir, S. (1949) The Second Sex. Translated by H. m. Parshley. New york: Vintage Books, 1989.
de Lotbinière-Harwood, S. (trans.) (1984/1989) Preface. In L. Gauvin, Letters from an Other [Lettres d’une autre]. Toronto: women’s Press.
Ergün, E. (2008) Önsöz: Türkiye’de Bekâretin ‘El de?memi?’ Tarihi [Preface: The ‘Untouched’ History of Virginity in Turkey]. In H. Blank, Bekâretin ‘El De?memi?’ Tarihi [Virgin: The Untouched History] 11–34. Istanbul: ?leti?im.
Ergün, E. (2010a) Bridging across feminist translation and sociolinguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass 4/5: 307–318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00208.x
Ergün, E. (2010b) Teaching and learning guide for: Bridging across feminist translation and linguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass 4/5: 337–347. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00219.x
Feinberg, L. (1993) Stone Butch Blues. Los angeles: alyson Books.
Feinberg, L. (2007) Sevici Türküsü. Translated by c. Çak?r. Istanbul: artshop.
Gülen, H. and Eren, d. (2009) Bekâret kavram? yeniden sorgulan?yor: ‘Toplumsal bekâretin izleri…’ [The virginity concept is being requestioned: ‘Traces of social virginity…’]. Birgün, July 29.
Iser, w. (1980) The Implied Reader. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
K?z?larslan, y. (2009) Utanç, safl?k, erdem simgesi bekaret zaten hiç yok muydu? [So virginity – the symbol of shame, purity, virtue – never existed anyway?]. Bianet, february 7.
Lakoff, R. (1975) Language and Woman’s Place. New york: Harper and Row.
Livia, a. (2001) Pronoun Envy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lorde, a. (1984) Sister Outsider. freedom, ca: crossing Press.
Ö?üt, H. (2008) Bekârete yamuk bak?? [a skewed look at virginity]. Radikal Kitap, October 31.
Simon, S. (1996) Gender in Translation. New york: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203202890
Spender, d. (1980) Man Made Language. London: Routledge.
Susam-Sarajeva, ?. (2005) a course on ‘gender and translation’. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Gender, Sex and Translation 161–76. manchester: St. Jerome.
Tekeli, ?. (1998) Birinci ve ikinci dalga feminist hareketlerin kar??la?t?rmal? incelemesi üzerine bir deneme (an essay on the comparative analysis of the first and second wave feminist movements). In ay?e Berktay Hac?mirzao?lu (ed.) 75 Y?lda Kad?nlar ve Erkekler (women and men in 75 years) 337–46. ?stanbul: ?? Bankas? ve Tarih Vakf? yay?nlar?.
Venuti, L. (2008) The Translator’s Invisibility. 2nd ed. New york: Routledge.
von flotow, L. (1997) Translation and Gender. manchester: St Jerome.
Published
2013-02-15
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Ergün, E. (2013). Feminist translation and feminist sociolinguistics in dialogue: A multi-layered analysis of linguistic gender constructions in and across English and Turkish. Gender and Language, 7(1), 13-33. https://doi.org/10.1558/genl.v7i1.13
