Retranslation as an (un)successful counter-narrative: Les frères Karamazov versus Les frères Karamazov [Повторный перевод как (не)удачный контрнарратив: Les frères Karamazov vs Les frères Karamazov]

Drawing on Narrative Theory, this article analyses the second French translation of The Brothers Karamazov as a counter-narrative for the novel’s first translation into French. In the mid-1880s, the critic Vogüé blocked the introduction of Dostoevsky’s narrative by predicting a clash with the French taste. Taking this warning into account, the first French translators Halpérine-Kaminsky and Morice in 1888 framed the source narrative by means of selective appropriation and repositioning of the characters. Being accused of mutilation, Halpérine-Kaminsky reacted with the logic of good reasons. In 1906, the reader was presented with a counter-narrative: Les frères Karamazov by Bienstock and Torquet. However, their retranslation, too, was an abbreviated version of the original narrative. Moreover, a micro-textual analysis shows that they largely neutralized the original couleur locale and use of multilingualism, which the first translators in the context of the Russian literary hype, had reproduced to a considerably larger extent. In conclusion, the extraordinary success of the first French translation of The Brothers Karamazov, is explained by referring to the normalizing function of narratives. In the long run, however, as a result of the undermining counter-narratives in combination with the so-called ‘sleeper effect’, neither the narrative invented by Halpérine-Kaminsky and Morice could withstand the test of time.

Jaar van publicatie:2022

Toegankelijkheid:Open