Fugard and the recent Afrikaans translations of his plays: a subversive exercise?

Abstract

This article focuses on the Afrikaans translations of Fugard’s plays – particularly the five plays translated by Idil Sheard and published by Maskew Miller Longman from 2005 to 2009. The discussion is placed within the framework of concepts and insights in current work in the field of translation studies (e.g. Venuti’s notion of “homogenizing” and Leung’s reference to “an ideological turn in Translation Studies”). The article addresses various questions: What are the implications of Fugard’s use of Afrikaans words/phrases/songs in his English plays for the Afrikaans translations of these plays; are Afrikaans translations of these plays necessary and can one assess these translations (and their impact within the Afrikaans-language community) from a broader ideological viewpoint? Opsomming Die fokus in hierdie artikel is op die Afrikaanse vertalings van Fugard se dramas – veral die vyf dramas wat deur Idil Sheard vertaal en deur Maskew Miller Longman gepubliseer is gedurende 2005 tot 2009. Die bespreking is geplaas binne die raamwerk van resente konsepte en insigte binne die dissipline vertaalstudies (bv. Venuti se idee van “homogenisering” en Leung se verwysing na die “ideologiese keerpunt in vertaalstudies”). Die artikel spreek verskeie vrae aan: Wat is die implikasies van Fugard se gebruik van Afrikaanse woorde/frases/liedjies in sy Engelse dramas vir die Afrikaanse vertalings van hierdie dramas; is dit nodig om hierdie dramas in Afrikaans te vertaal en kan mens hierdie vertalings (asook die impak daarvan binne die Afrikaanse taalgemeenskap) beoordeel vanuit ’n breër ideologiese beskouing?