english canadian literature in mexico

208 Pages·2014·2.44 MB·English

ENGLISH CANADIAN LITERATURE IN MEXICO:
BUILDING BRIDGES IN THE CASE OF DIONNE BRAND’S
WHAT WE ALL LONG FOR

IXCHEL ALEPH CERVANTES CRESPY

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS

GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TRANSLATION STUDIES
YORK UNIVERSITY
TORONTO, ONTARIO

March 2014

© Ixchel Aleph Cervantes Crespy 2014
ABSTRACT

The translation of English Canadian literature has been essential towards the construction of an
image of English Canadian culture for Mexican readers. This translated literature becomes part of
the general literary system in Mexico, affecting both readership and how translation and its
publication are practiced in the country. This thesis is a twofold project: In the first part I will
examine the place of the subsystem of Canadian literature in translation as part of the Mexican
literary polysystem. Second, I translate five chapters of the novel What We All Long for by
Canadian writer Dionne Brand, after an analysis of her work. Finally I present a translation
commentary of the translation process. This thesis looks to offer a new view of English Canada to
Mexican audiences through its literature and expand the image that they have and construct of
English Canadian literature.

Key words: Translation Studies, literary translation, Canadian literature, Dionne Brand,
translation in Mexico, polysystems, translation commentary.

ii
To the city of Toronto,
to its people, its streets,
its voices and neighbourhoods.
For the inspiration it gives me
and all of the artists out there.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have deep gratitude for the opportunity I have been given to learn and expand my horizons in
the Graduate program in Translation at York University. My eyes have been opened to
everything that translation can be. I have been inspired by all the people, classes, experiences and
ideas that reside in the rooms, halls, and beautiful surroundings of Glendon College which I will
always treasure.
I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. María Constanza Guzmán for her generosity with her
translation knowledge and providing me the opportunity to work with her. Her advice during my
years in the program, not only during the process of writing this thesis, but also in classes and
other academic activities have helped me realize how much translation can encompass, and to
trust in the future it has. And perhaps more significant, for her trust in my care of her house and
cats, which provided me a home.
My sincere thanks to Prof. Lyse Hébert, Prof. Ian Martin, Prof. Leslie Sanders, and Prof. María
Constanza Guzmán for generously giving their time and academic expertise on my defense
committee. It was a great honor to have my work read by them and to receive their guidance.
I attended so many great courses during my time in the Master’s program and I feel privileged to
have learned from a great variety of Professors, which opened my eyes to how much more there
is still to know. Thanks to professors Lyse Hébert, Aurelia Klimkiewicz, María Constanza
Guzmán, Julie McDonough-Dolmaya, Marco Fiola, Cynthia Zimmerman, Candace Séguinot,
and Nelida Chan. A special thanks to the people that run the program, Prof. Marie-Christine
Aubin, Program Director, for her interest; and Jacqueline Angoh, Administrative Secretary, for
her hard work and help to all students, always with a smile.
My acknowledgment to all the people from University of Ottawa who work on the Translate
Canada project, that helped me so much in writing this work. Their mission is an encompassing
tool and hopefully it will continue to develop to help many translators in the future.
I also thank Prof. Claudia Lucotti for her constant help all the way from Mexico. She has always
been an inspiration for me when traversing the waters of Canadian literature in Mexico. Seeing
iv
her passion as she keeps trying to introduce new voices to readers encourages me to keep trying
as well.
During these years I have met so many great people that I love to call friends and that have been
a great support, in both my academic and personal life. For sure I would not be here if not for
support of the amazing Lida Nosrati. The kindness of Evelin Garcia, Victoria Radvan, Ioana
Pantis, Hazar Al Kheder, Jietao Tang, and Yanru Zhu helped me through my first year and I
treasure all the laughs. A special thanks to my fellow committee members for a great experience
in organizing the Graduate conference, Janice Flavien, Sanjukta Banerjee, Bélinda Nininahazwe,
Gabriela Rodas and Adrijana Jerkić. It was a success because of all of you ladies. And my
appreciation to so many others for sharing their friendship.
Y aunque a varios kilómetros de distancia, siempre tuve el apoyo y el cariño de tantos amigos.
Chicas, gracias por las risas a larga distancia, tengo la confianza de que eso nunca cambiará. Y a
tanta gente en México que me ayuda a seguir adelante.
To my family away from home, who opened their arms and welcomed me. I struck gold by
moving into a warm, loving home where I enjoy daily life. Tanya, Olivia and Rebecca, no matter
if sisters or aunts, we are family. Frédérique, Danielle et John, merci pour être une famille pour
moi, pour m’avoir permis de partager à vos fêtes et pratiquer mon français.
A toda la familia que desde México me siguen manteniendo al corriente de cómo la familia sigue
creciendo, es emocionante verlo. Y a mi mamá, mi papá y mi hermana, chicos, creo que ya
estamos acostumbrados a la distancia, aunque eso nunca lo hace más fácil, pero que me hace
disfrutar y valorar aun más esos momentos de contacto. Gracias por todo lo que han hecho por
mí, sé que mi amor por la lectura fue gracias a su apoyo y todas las oportunidades que me han
dado. Aun no sé a dónde me lleva, pero estoy segura que ustedes siempre estarán ahí.
Thanks to everyone that walks and breathes in Mexico City and Toronto. I don’t have all of your
names but knowing that you keep surviving the day to day out there, is a big comfort.

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract..................................................................................................................................ii
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………….......iii
Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………......iv
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………..vi

Introduction..........................................................................................................................1

Chapter One: Theoretical Framework...............................................................................7
Translation, Manipulation and Rewriting of Literature……………….....................7
The Level of Language...................................................................................10
The Levels of Ideology, Poetics and the Universe of Discourse...................14
Translation and Its Function beyond the Text................................................16
After the Process: Translations and Their Place in the World...................................18
Translated Literature and Polysystem Theory…………………………………….22
Translators’ Testimonies............................................................................................30

Chapter Two: English Canadian Literature in Translation in Mexico.........................36
Overview of Political and Economic Relations between Canada and Mexico........36
Literary, Cultural and Artistic Endeavours between the Two Countries: Presence of
Canadian Culture in Mexico......................................................................................41
English Canadian Literature in Translation in the Mexican Literary Polysystem..44

Chapter Three: Longing for a Language to Land on: About Dionne Brand................58
The Poetry of Dionne Brand......................................................................................58
The Fiction of Dionne Brand.....................................................................................64
The Novel What We All Long For….........................................................................68
The Non-Fiction of Dionne Brand………………………………………………...75

Chapter Four: “Lo que todos anhelamos”. A translation of What We All Long For by Dionne
Brand……………………………………………………………………….…..................79
Capítulo uno……………………………………………………………………….79
Quy………………………………………………………………………………...84
Capítulo dos………………………………………………………………………. 88
Capítulo tres………………………………………………………………...……..104
Capítulo cuatro………………………………………………………………..…...120

Chapter Five: The Translation Process: Translating Dionne Brand’s What We All Long
For.........................................................................................................................................131
Extratextual Factors...................................................................................................132
Textual Factors..........................................................................................................134
Ideology……………………………….........................................................134
Poetics............................................................................................................137
Discourse........................................................................................................141
Language........................................................................................................144
vi
Register............................................................................................144
Mexican Variety..............................................................................147
Language in Dialogues....................................................................149
Allusions..........................................................................................150
Foreign Words.................................................................................152
Slang and Idioms.............................................................................154
New Words......................................................................................155
Pronouns..........................................................................................156
Considering Publication and Reception………………………….........................156

Conclusions........................................................................................................................160
Bibliography......................................................................................................................165
Appendix A: List of Works by Dionne Brand................................................................171
Appendix B: What We All Long For (excerpt) by Dionne Brand.................................173

vii
INTRODUCTION

The relations between Mexico and Canada are commonly overshadowed by the physical
presence of the United States between both countries. Although the situation has changed in
recent times, Mexicans used to consider everything north of their border as part of United States’
culture, burying the existence of a unique Canadian culture behind it. The separation between
these two North American countries, Canada and the US, proves to be even more challenging
considering the economic significance they represent in the minds of many Mexicans.
Immigration policies and politics are a main concern when talking about Mexico-Canada
relations. But beyond these political topics, cultural efforts are also carried out in order to breach
gaps between both countries; efforts of this kind include literary fairs, academic events, and
cultural exchanges.
Inspired by these attempts to connect Mexican and Canadian audiences, the objective of
this research project comprises an analysis and discussion of an image that Mexican audiences
have of English Canada, its cultures and communities, through the English Canadian literature in
translation published in Mexico. Along with the research project around the translation of
English Canada for Mexican audiences, this thesis project also includes a translation of a
fragment of the novel What We All Long For, by Canadian author Dionne Brand. In order to help
me with the translation, I present an overview of her work; by working with a Caribbean-
Canadian author, I wish to present a new perspective of English Canadian literature in Mexico in
relation to the prevailing one. Dionne Brand’s voice is one of many that, although featured in
anthologies, are not frequently heard by Mexican audiences but which might be of interest in
their construction of an English Canadian image from a contemporary perspective. After doing
1
the translation, I will also reflect about how this novel, representative of specific experiences of
life and culture in English Canada, might present challenges when it comes to conveying
cultural, social, poetic, and ideological issues in the target text. This meditation will also touch
on the significance of the translator’s agency as I discuss, among other points, the decision-
making process and the importance of active participation in choosing translation projects. An
important goal of this project, and something to keep in mind when reading it, is the focus given
to the intertwining of theory and practice, crucial for a self-reflective awareness of the exercise
of translation.
The introduction of new Canadian literary referents is necessary in order for Mexican
audiences to continue building a link between their lives and how life can be experienced in
Canada. I believe that a constant reflection on identity is what constantly characterizes Canadian
literature, whether stories are set in or outside of the country. The experience of life in English
Canada as narrated through authors such as Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje can be
considered an already established referent in reader’s minds. But there are many aspects that they
do not deal with, and so the translation of a novel like Brand’s What We All Long For could
prove to be an interesting point of contact for readers to expand the image that they have and
construct of English Canada. Although It is important to stress that this project focuses on the
literature of English Canada as the literature produced in French Canada is the product of a
different political and social context, although the question and search of identity is shared by
both. The case of Brand is an interesting one as she belongs to a multitude of communities that
are often not heard: immigrants, women, black and homosexuals. The novel introduces engaging
characters in constant change to which audiences can relate both intellectually and emotionally,
while at the same time learn about a new culture and ways of life. Brand’s perspective on
2
migration and city life as seen through her young characters, the ones that are not from here or
there, is uplifting and yet in touch with the dreariness of life. Brand’s and her characters’ is a
second generation perspective that offers a new glimpse of what migration can represent. Adding
new perspectives to how Mexico-Canada relations are built through literature will help, not only
to present different images of Canada to Mexican readers, but also hopefully to encourage
Mexican audiences and writers to explore how Canadians see Mexico, adding more points of
contact between these two countries.
Chapter one of this thesis will introduce the theoretical framework that will inform the
research regarding the literary relations between Mexico and Canada. The notion of literary
translation will be discussed, not only as a linguistic activity but also as a cultural one that takes
place “not in a vacuum in which two languages meet, but rather in the context of all the
traditions of the two literatures” (Lefevere, Translating Literature 6). Given that this project is
focused on the Mexican audience of English Canadian literature, as part of the analysis I will
include an investigation of the literary polysystem in the country based on Even-Zohar’s theory,
specifically of English Canadian translated literature as a sub-system, which will give a
background to the reception of Canadian literature in Mexico. Scholars like Andre Lefevere and
Carol Maier are concerned with readership reception, exploring through the study of book
reviews, publishing activities, and academic responses the reaction of readers towards a foreign
literature. Finally, meditations of individuals on their literary translation process have become an
important resource to understand how the translator approaches the different cultures represented
in the text. An example of this is the work of Suzanne Jill Levine, an essential study of the
process through which she became aware of the challenges she had to confront, and it opened the
possibility to think about translation as a subversive work and not a passive, invisible activity.
3