Gender in Translation

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Gender in Translation

• Fotini Apostolou

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Research areas

• - Historical studies (who translated what when
  and how, and how did gender play into this?)
• - Theoretical considerations (how do different
  gender affiliations, definitions, constructions
  play themselves out in translation and
  translation research?)
• - Issues of identity (how does gendered identity
  or a lack of it affect translation, translation
  research?)
• - Post-colonial questions (does our largely
  Anglo-American "gender" apply in other cultures
  and their texts? Does it translate into other
  languages? And what does it mean if it doesnt?)
• - More general questions of cultural transfer

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Translation and femininity

• Whether affirmed or denounced, the femininity of
  translation is a persistent historical trope.
  Woman and translator have been relegated to
  the same position of discursive inferiority. The
  hierarchical authority of the original over the
  reproduction is linked with imagery of masculine
  and feminine the original is considered the
  strong generative male, the translation the
  weaker and derivative female (Sherry Simon,
  Gender in Translation)

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Bible translations

• Various new gender-sensitive translations into a
  number of languages and reactions (Liturgiam
  Authenticam, 2001)
• Virginity of Mother of God in Old Testament

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Liturgiam Authenticam

• it is the task of catechists or of the
  homilist to transmit that right interpretation of
  the texts that excludes any prejudice or unjust
  discrimination on the basis of persons, gender,
  social condition, race or other criteria, which
  has no foundation at all in the texts of the
  Sacred Liturgy. Although considerations such as
  these may sometimes help one in choosing among
  various translations of a certain expression,
  they are not to be considered reasons for
  altering either a biblical text or a liturgical
  text that has been duly promulgated.
• the greatest prudence and attention is required
  in the preparation of liturgical books marked by
  sound doctrine, which are exact in wording, free
  from all ideological influence

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Genesis

• And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall
  upon Adam and he slept
• and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the
  flesh instead thereofAnd the rib, which the
  LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and
  brought her unto the man.And Adam said, This is
  now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh she
  shall be called Woman, because she was taken out
  of Man.(King James Translation)
• YHWH Elohim made a swoon fall upon the
  groundling It sleptHe took one of its sides and
  closed up the flesh in its placeYHWH built the
  sideHe had taken from the groundling into
  womanHe brought her to the groundling
• The groundling saidThis one this timeIs bone
  from my bones
• Flesh from my fleshThis one shall be called
  wo-manFor from manShe has been taken this one.
  (Mary Phil Korsak 1992)

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Virginity of Mary

• Isaiah 714 Therefore the Lord himself shall
  give you a sign Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
  and bear a son, and shall call his name
  Immanuel.
• d?? t??t? d?se? ?????? a?t?? ?µ?? s?µe???? ?d??
  ? pa?????? ?? ?ast?? ??e?, ?a? t??eta? ????, ?a?
  ?a??se?? t? ???µa a?t?? ??µµa?????
• Mis-translation the original Hebrew word
  almah (maiden, young girl or young woman) had
  been mistakenly translated into the Greek
  parthenos (virgin), so that the original prophesy
  did not, in fact, call for a virgin to conceive,
  but simply for a young woman, a maiden, to
  conceive.

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Sappho 31

• fa??eta? µ?? ????? ?s?? ????s???µµe?' ????,
  ?tt?? ????t??? t???sd??e? ?a? p??s??? ?d? f??e?
• sa? ?pa???e??a? ?e?a?sa? ?µ???e?, t? µ' ?
  µ???a?d?a? ?? st??es?? ?pt?a?se??? ??? ?? s'
  ?d? ß???e', ?? µe f??a?
• s' ??d' ?? ?t' e??e?,???? ??µ µ?? ???ssa ?a?e,
  ??pt??d' a?t??a ??? p?? ?paded??µ??e?,?pp?tess?
  d' ??d' ?? ???µµ', ?p????µ-
• ße?s? d' ????a?,??d' d? ?d??? ?a???eta?, t??µ??
  d?pa?sa? ???e?, ?????t??a d? p??a??µµ?,
  te?????? d' ????? 'p?de???fa???µ' ?µ' a?t?.

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• Te?? µ?? fa??eta? st? a???e?a eµ??a ?e???? ?
  ??t?a? p?? ???eta? a?t???? s?? ?? ap? ???t? t?
  ????a t?? f???? s?? ap??aµß??e? ?a? t? ????? s??
  a? p?? ?e??????e? ?a? p?? ????e? st? st???? t??
  ?a?d?? µ?? s?? t? ??????µa? ??at? µ???? p?? p??
  ?a se ???t??? ????? ??f??? µ?? ??ßeta? ? µ????
  µ?? µe? st? st?µa ? ???ssa µ?? ste????e?
  p??et?? ???f?? µe s????a?e? ?? ??te ß??p? t?p?ta
  ??te a???? µa ß??????? t? a?t?? µ?? ?? ??a?
  ????? ?d??ta? t? ???µ? µ?? pe????e? t??µ?
  s?????µ? a? ?a? p?as????? s?? t? ???t? ?a? ???
  p?? ???? a??µ? ???? a??µ? ?a? p?e? ?a ?e????s?.
• ?d?ss?a? ???t??

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Richmond Lattimore

• Like the very gods in my sight is he whosits
  where he can look in your eyes, who listensclose
  to you, to hear the soft voice, its sweetness   
  murmur in love andlaughter, all for him. But it
  breaks my spirit underneath my breast all the
  heart is shaken.let me only glance where you
  are, the voice dies,     I can say nothing,but
  my lips are stricken to silence, under-neath my
  skin the tenuous flame suffusesnothing shows in
  front of my eyes, my ears are     muted in
  thunder.And the sweat breaks running upon me,
  fevershakes my body, paler I turn than grass
  isI can feel that I have been changed, I feel
  that    death has come near me.

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Anne Carson

• He seems to me equal to the gods that man
• whoever he is opposite you
• sits and listens close
• to your sweet speaking
• and lovely laughing oh it
• puts the heart in my chest on wings
• for when I look at you, a moment, then no
  speaking
• is left in me
• no tongue breaks, and thin
• fire is racing under skin
• and in eyes no sight and drumming
• fills ears
• and cold sweat holds me and shaking
• grips me all, greener than grass
• I am and dead or almost
• I seem to me.