Talking at cross-purposes?
The missing link between feminist linguistics and translation studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/genl.v7i1.35Keywords:
feminist linguistics, feminist translation studies, non-sexist language in translation, theory and practice of translationAbstract
Following decades of feminist linguistic activism, and as a result of a greater awareness of the vital role that non-sexist language plays in achieving social equality, different campaigns were launched in many countries leading to a more frequent use of so-called inclusive language. Bringing this together with current theoretical approaches to translation studies which have been defining translation as an ideological act of intercultural mediation since the 1990’s, this article seeks to examine to what extent feminist linguistics have had any influence on translation studies. My purpose is to assess whether particular feminist linguistic interventions in vogue when writing ‘original’ texts within the realm of the source language are also adopted when (re)writing ‘translated’ texts in the target language, bearing in mind the double (con)textual responsibility that translators have towards the source and the target (con)texts. I will examine the arguments for and against the use of inclusive language in (literary) translation through an analysis of the “ideological struggle” that emerged from two ideologically disparate rewritings of gender markers into Galician of the British bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon (2003), focusing on the ideological, poetic and economic pressures that (still) define the professional practice of translation. It is my contention that the close scrutiny of these conflicting arguments will shed light not only on the existing gap between the theory and practice of translation, but may be also indicative of a possible ‘missing link’ between feminist approaches to linguistics and to translation studies.
References
Althusser, L. (1975) Ideología y aparatos Ideológicos de Estado. [Translated by albert Roises Qui]. Escritos 107–72. Barcelona: Laia.
Bassnett, S. (1991) Translation Studies. London and New york: Routledge.
Bengoechea, m. (2011) Non-sexist Spanish policies: an attempt bound to fail? Current Issues in Language Planning 12(1): 25–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2010.541389
Braun, f. (1997) making men out of people: The maN principle in translating genderless forms. In H. kotthoff and R. wodak (eds) Communicating Gender in Context 3–30. amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Cameron, D. (1990) Demythologizing sociolinguistics: why language does not reflect society. In J. Joseph and T. Taylor (eds) Ideologies of Language 79–93. London and New york: Routledge.
Castro, O. (2008a) Rebatindo o que outrOs din da linguaxe non sexista. In Festa da palabra silenciada 25 (Monográfico O verbo patriarcal, 25). Self-translation into Spanish available online at Mujeres in Red. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.mujeresenred.net/spip.php?article1734
Castro, O. (2008b) Galego non sexista: de necesidade utópica a posibilidade real Longalingua 18 – Revista da Mesa pola Normalización Lingüística: 20-31.
Castro, O. (2009a) El género (para)traducido: pugna ideológica en la traducción y paratraducción de O curioso incidente do can á media noite. Quaderns, revista de traducció 16: 251–264.
Castro, O. (2009b) (Re)examining horizons in feminist Translation Studies: Towards a Third wave? Translated by m. andrews. Monografías de Traducción e Interpretación 1: 59–86.
Castro, O. (2010a) 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 106–20. Granada: Ecos.
Castro, O. (2010b) Galego + non sexista: como e por que avanzarmos cara a unha outra representación de xénero na lingua. In X. mosquera Carregal (ed.) Lingua e Xénero 31–61. a Coruña: Universidade da Coruña.
Castro, O. (2010c) Tradución, xénero, nación. Cara a unha teoría e práctica da tradución feminista. Unpublished PhD dissertation. Biblioteca da facultade de filoloxía e Tradución. Universidade de Vigo, Spain.
Chesterman, a. and wagner, E. (2002) Can Theory Help Translators? A Dialogue between the Ivory Tower and the Wordface. manchester: St Jerome.
Cronin, m. (2000) Ideology and Translation. In O. Classe (ed.) Encyclopedia of Literary Translation into English, Vol I: 694–96. London: fitzroy Dearborn.
De marco, m. (2006) multiple portrayals of gender in cinematographic and audiovisual translation discourse. In m. Carroll, H. Gerzymisch-arbogast and S. Nauert (eds) MuTra: Audiovisual Translation Scenarios: Conference Proceedings (Copenhagen, 1–5 may 2006). http://www.euroconferences.info/ proceedings/2006_Proceedings/2006_Demarco_marcella.pdf
Dillman, L. (2003) Teaching gender in translation. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Género, lenguaje y traducción 528–36. Valencia: Universitat de València.
Ergün, E. (2010) Bridging across feminist translation and sociolinguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass 4/5: 307–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00208.x
Fairclough, N. and wodak, R. (1997) Critical Discourse analysis. In T. a. Van Dijk (ed.) Discourse as Social Interaction. Discourse Studies: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, vol. 2: 258–284. London: Sage.
Freire, C. (2010) Traducir a Paul auster. Sobre o traslado invisible de palabras. Faro da Cultura (suplemento cultural de faro de Vigo), 28/01/2010: i.
Govan, f. (2008) Curious case of the sex changes. Daily Telegraph, 07/04/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ worldnews/1584020/Curiouscase-of-the-sex-changes.html
GzNación/Redacción (2008) Enfrontamento entre a editorial Rinoceronte e unha tradutora. Gznación.com, 29/03/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.gznacion.com/web/notic.php?ide=7594
Haddon, m. (2003) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. London: Jonathan Cape.
Haddon, m. (2008) O curioso incidente do can á media noite. [Translated by moisés Barcia]. Cangas: Rinoceronte Editora.
Hellinger, m. and Bussmann, H. (eds.) (2001, 2002, 2003) Gender across Languages: The Linguistic Representation of Women and Men, vol. 1, 2, 3. amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Hellinger, m. and Pauwels, a. (2007) Language and sexism. In m. Hellinger and a. Pauwels (eds.) Handbook of Language and Communication: Diversity and Change 651–681. Berlin and New york: mouton de Gruyter.
Hermans, T. (1985) The Manipulation of Literature. Essays in Translation Studies. London: Croom Helm.
Hermans, T. (1993) On modelling translation: models, norms and the field of translation. Livius 4: 69–88.
Koskinen, k. (1994) (mis)Translating the untranslatable. The impact of deconstruction and post-structuralism on translation theory. Meta 39:3: 446–452. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/003344ar
Lefevere, a. (1992) Translation, Rewriting and the Manipulation of the Literary Frame. London: Routledge.
Miguélez-Carballeira, H. (2006) Perpetuating asymmetries: The interdisciplinary encounter between Translation Studies and Hispanic Studies. Hispanic Research Journal 8(4): 359–374.
Mills, S. (2003) Third wave linguistic feminism and the analysis of sexism. Discourse Analysis Online 2(1). Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://extra.shu.ac.uk/daol/articles/open/2003/001/mills2003001-paper.html
Mills, S. (2008) Language and Sexism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mills, S. and mullany, L. (2011) Language, Gender and Feminism. London: Routledge.
Munday J. (2007) Translation and ideology. a textual approach. The Translator 13(2): 195–217.
Pauwels, a. (2003) Linguistic sexism and feminist linguistic activism. In J. Holmes and m. meyerhoff (eds) The Handbook of Language and Gender 550–70. Oxford: Blackwell. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470756942.ch24
Pérez, m. (2008) Que pasou con esta tradución? Polémica entre maría Reimóndez e Rinoceronte. Vieiros, 03/04/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 http://www.vieiros.com/nova/65607/que-pasou-con-esta-traducion
Reimóndez, m. (2009) The Curious Incident of feminist Translation in Galicia: Courtcases, Lies and Gender-n@tions. Galicia 21, Issue a: 68–89.
Rubel, P. and Rosman, a. (2003) Introduction. Translation and anthropology. In P. Rubel and a. Rosman (eds) Translating Cultures: Perspectives on Translation and Anthropology 1–22. New york: Berg.
Salgado, D. (2008) maría Reimóndez acusa a una editorial de traducción sexista. El País, 02/04/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.elpais. com/articulo/Galicia/maria/Reimondez/acusa/editorial/traduccion/sexista/ elpepuespgal/20080402elpgal_18/Tes
Simon, S. (1996) Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission. London: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203202890
St Pierre, P. (2005) Translation in an era of globalization. In P. St Pierre and P. C. kar (eds.) In Translation – Reflections, Refractions, Transformations 162–172. Delhi: Pencraft.
Susam-Sarajeva, S. (2005) a course on ‘Gender and Translation’ as an indicator of certain gaps in the research of the topic. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Gender, Sex and Translation. The Manipulation of Identities 161–176. manchester: St Jerome.
Toury, G. (1980) Translated literature. System, norm, performance. Toward a target-oriented approach to literary translation. In search of a theory of translation. Poetics Today 2(4): 9–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1772482
Wing-kwong, L. (2006) The ideological turn in Translation Studies. In J. ferreira Duarte, a. assis Rosa and T. Seruya (eds) Translation Studies at the Interface of Disciplines 129–145. amsterdam: Benjamins.
Wolf, m. (2005) The creation of a room of one’s own. feminist translators as mediators between cultures and genders. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Gender, Sex and Translation. The Manipulation of Identities 15–25, manchester: St Jerome.
Zhong, y. (1998) Death of the translator and birth of the interpreter. Babel 44(4): 336–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/babel.44.4.05zho
Bassnett, S. (1991) Translation Studies. London and New york: Routledge.
Bengoechea, m. (2011) Non-sexist Spanish policies: an attempt bound to fail? Current Issues in Language Planning 12(1): 25–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2010.541389
Braun, f. (1997) making men out of people: The maN principle in translating genderless forms. In H. kotthoff and R. wodak (eds) Communicating Gender in Context 3–30. amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Cameron, D. (1990) Demythologizing sociolinguistics: why language does not reflect society. In J. Joseph and T. Taylor (eds) Ideologies of Language 79–93. London and New york: Routledge.
Castro, O. (2008a) Rebatindo o que outrOs din da linguaxe non sexista. In Festa da palabra silenciada 25 (Monográfico O verbo patriarcal, 25). Self-translation into Spanish available online at Mujeres in Red. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.mujeresenred.net/spip.php?article1734
Castro, O. (2008b) Galego non sexista: de necesidade utópica a posibilidade real Longalingua 18 – Revista da Mesa pola Normalización Lingüística: 20-31.
Castro, O. (2009a) El género (para)traducido: pugna ideológica en la traducción y paratraducción de O curioso incidente do can á media noite. Quaderns, revista de traducció 16: 251–264.
Castro, O. (2009b) (Re)examining horizons in feminist Translation Studies: Towards a Third wave? Translated by m. andrews. Monografías de Traducción e Interpretación 1: 59–86.
Castro, O. (2010a) 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 106–20. Granada: Ecos.
Castro, O. (2010b) Galego + non sexista: como e por que avanzarmos cara a unha outra representación de xénero na lingua. In X. mosquera Carregal (ed.) Lingua e Xénero 31–61. a Coruña: Universidade da Coruña.
Castro, O. (2010c) Tradución, xénero, nación. Cara a unha teoría e práctica da tradución feminista. Unpublished PhD dissertation. Biblioteca da facultade de filoloxía e Tradución. Universidade de Vigo, Spain.
Chesterman, a. and wagner, E. (2002) Can Theory Help Translators? A Dialogue between the Ivory Tower and the Wordface. manchester: St Jerome.
Cronin, m. (2000) Ideology and Translation. In O. Classe (ed.) Encyclopedia of Literary Translation into English, Vol I: 694–96. London: fitzroy Dearborn.
De marco, m. (2006) multiple portrayals of gender in cinematographic and audiovisual translation discourse. In m. Carroll, H. Gerzymisch-arbogast and S. Nauert (eds) MuTra: Audiovisual Translation Scenarios: Conference Proceedings (Copenhagen, 1–5 may 2006). http://www.euroconferences.info/ proceedings/2006_Proceedings/2006_Demarco_marcella.pdf
Dillman, L. (2003) Teaching gender in translation. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Género, lenguaje y traducción 528–36. Valencia: Universitat de València.
Ergün, E. (2010) Bridging across feminist translation and sociolinguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass 4/5: 307–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00208.x
Fairclough, N. and wodak, R. (1997) Critical Discourse analysis. In T. a. Van Dijk (ed.) Discourse as Social Interaction. Discourse Studies: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, vol. 2: 258–284. London: Sage.
Freire, C. (2010) Traducir a Paul auster. Sobre o traslado invisible de palabras. Faro da Cultura (suplemento cultural de faro de Vigo), 28/01/2010: i.
Govan, f. (2008) Curious case of the sex changes. Daily Telegraph, 07/04/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ worldnews/1584020/Curiouscase-of-the-sex-changes.html
GzNación/Redacción (2008) Enfrontamento entre a editorial Rinoceronte e unha tradutora. Gznación.com, 29/03/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.gznacion.com/web/notic.php?ide=7594
Haddon, m. (2003) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. London: Jonathan Cape.
Haddon, m. (2008) O curioso incidente do can á media noite. [Translated by moisés Barcia]. Cangas: Rinoceronte Editora.
Hellinger, m. and Bussmann, H. (eds.) (2001, 2002, 2003) Gender across Languages: The Linguistic Representation of Women and Men, vol. 1, 2, 3. amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Hellinger, m. and Pauwels, a. (2007) Language and sexism. In m. Hellinger and a. Pauwels (eds.) Handbook of Language and Communication: Diversity and Change 651–681. Berlin and New york: mouton de Gruyter.
Hermans, T. (1985) The Manipulation of Literature. Essays in Translation Studies. London: Croom Helm.
Hermans, T. (1993) On modelling translation: models, norms and the field of translation. Livius 4: 69–88.
Koskinen, k. (1994) (mis)Translating the untranslatable. The impact of deconstruction and post-structuralism on translation theory. Meta 39:3: 446–452. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/003344ar
Lefevere, a. (1992) Translation, Rewriting and the Manipulation of the Literary Frame. London: Routledge.
Miguélez-Carballeira, H. (2006) Perpetuating asymmetries: The interdisciplinary encounter between Translation Studies and Hispanic Studies. Hispanic Research Journal 8(4): 359–374.
Mills, S. (2003) Third wave linguistic feminism and the analysis of sexism. Discourse Analysis Online 2(1). Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://extra.shu.ac.uk/daol/articles/open/2003/001/mills2003001-paper.html
Mills, S. (2008) Language and Sexism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mills, S. and mullany, L. (2011) Language, Gender and Feminism. London: Routledge.
Munday J. (2007) Translation and ideology. a textual approach. The Translator 13(2): 195–217.
Pauwels, a. (2003) Linguistic sexism and feminist linguistic activism. In J. Holmes and m. meyerhoff (eds) The Handbook of Language and Gender 550–70. Oxford: Blackwell. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470756942.ch24
Pérez, m. (2008) Que pasou con esta tradución? Polémica entre maría Reimóndez e Rinoceronte. Vieiros, 03/04/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 http://www.vieiros.com/nova/65607/que-pasou-con-esta-traducion
Reimóndez, m. (2009) The Curious Incident of feminist Translation in Galicia: Courtcases, Lies and Gender-n@tions. Galicia 21, Issue a: 68–89.
Rubel, P. and Rosman, a. (2003) Introduction. Translation and anthropology. In P. Rubel and a. Rosman (eds) Translating Cultures: Perspectives on Translation and Anthropology 1–22. New york: Berg.
Salgado, D. (2008) maría Reimóndez acusa a una editorial de traducción sexista. El País, 02/04/2008. Retrieved on 06 October 2011 from http://www.elpais. com/articulo/Galicia/maria/Reimondez/acusa/editorial/traduccion/sexista/ elpepuespgal/20080402elpgal_18/Tes
Simon, S. (1996) Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission. London: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203202890
St Pierre, P. (2005) Translation in an era of globalization. In P. St Pierre and P. C. kar (eds.) In Translation – Reflections, Refractions, Transformations 162–172. Delhi: Pencraft.
Susam-Sarajeva, S. (2005) a course on ‘Gender and Translation’ as an indicator of certain gaps in the research of the topic. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Gender, Sex and Translation. The Manipulation of Identities 161–176. manchester: St Jerome.
Toury, G. (1980) Translated literature. System, norm, performance. Toward a target-oriented approach to literary translation. In search of a theory of translation. Poetics Today 2(4): 9–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1772482
Wing-kwong, L. (2006) The ideological turn in Translation Studies. In J. ferreira Duarte, a. assis Rosa and T. Seruya (eds) Translation Studies at the Interface of Disciplines 129–145. amsterdam: Benjamins.
Wolf, m. (2005) The creation of a room of one’s own. feminist translators as mediators between cultures and genders. In J. Santaemilia (ed.) Gender, Sex and Translation. The Manipulation of Identities 15–25, manchester: St Jerome.
Zhong, y. (1998) Death of the translator and birth of the interpreter. Babel 44(4): 336–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/babel.44.4.05zho
Published
2013-02-15
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Castro, O. (2013). Talking at cross-purposes? The missing link between feminist linguistics and translation studies. Gender and Language, 7(1), 35-58. https://doi.org/10.1558/genl.v7i1.35
