SAS 170: Translating India: History, Theory, Craft
In the area below, provide basic, standard course information ahead of registration period to help students make informed course choices. Click the EDIT button and input your responses by over-writing the field description below each bolded heading. Consult the IT Help knowledge base or reach out to FAS Academic Technology at atg@fas.harvard.edu for assistance.
Course goals:
This seminar will introduce students to the craft of literary translation through a wide variety of approaches. Over the course of the semester, we will read various tracts, articles, and books on the theory and craft of translation from a wide range of Euro-American and South Asian stances and viewpoints. We will analyze editions of various classics from India that have been translated into English repeatedly, paying particular attention to the political nature of the act and art of translation in its colonial and post-colonial contexts. This seminar will also have a practical component, and one hour of our meeting period each week will allow students to present translations-in-progress to their peers for comment and critique.
PREREQUISITES
Students should have a good working knowledge of at least one South Asian language, classical or modern (or both!). By working knowledge, I mean an intermediate to advanced facility in reading and writing. In terms of classroom training, two years of formal study is more than adequate.
RESEARCH PAPER
There will be one research paper (10-15 pages) on the translation history of the South Asian text of your choice. This will be due mid-semester on Monday, October 21st by 5 P.M.
FINAL TRANSLATION PROJECT
Your final translation project (the length of this may vary, and will obviously depend on your chosen text and your relative comfort and experience with the language of the original) will consist of a translation of a section of text, a work of short fiction, or a group of poems, including a practical introductory essay on translation theory and technique. This will be due at the end of the term on Friday, December 13th by 5 P.M.
COURSE FORMAT
This course is taught in seminar format, and includes a workshop component. Unless noted otherwise, one student will serve as discussion leader and provide the other seminar participants with a 6 to 8-page “topics paper” in advance. Copies of the topics paper must be disseminated by e-mail to the entire class by the Sunday prior to the scheduled Tuesday presentation (by 5 P.M.). Other class participants are expected to have read the paper before the seminar meets, and must come to class with at least three formally prepared questions and any other items for discussion. The topics paper should summarize and synthesize the main points of the readings assigned for the week. For the practical component of the seminar, another student will prepare a translation of a poem or textual fragment from a prose or narrative text, which will then be “workshopped” during the final hour of each seminar session. (These exercises are not graded, but count toward the percentage of your class participation grade.) Here are the rules for preparation:
- You must provide a copy of the textual passage in the original language, plus transliteration.
- You must provide a morpheme-by-morpheme grammatical analysis of the textual fragment in question with English equivalents.
- You must provide a morpheme-by-morpheme grammatical analysis of the textual fragment in question with English equivalents.
- You must provide a word-order or phrase-order English version of the fragment.
- Finally, you must provide a somewhat polished English version of the fragment.
The translation to be workshopped should also be disseminated to the class in the same manner as the topics paper (and by the same deadline). All participants are expected to offer critiques and suggestions about strategy, “economizing,” word-choice, voice, register, and other issues that arise during the process of translation during the course of the workshop component.
Typical enrollees:
Undergraduate and graduate students in South Asian Studies, Comparative Literature, and English who are interested in translation studies and the work of translation itself.
When is course typically offered?
Every other fall semester.
What can students expect from you as an instructor?
In a seminar setting, I am mostly present in the room as a guide and facilitator for discussion. I very much enjoy working with students on their writing. Students can expect extensive comments and suggestions on any written work.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
Class participation: 25%
Midterm research paper: 25%
Final translation project: 50%
Sample reading list:
The readings will be assigned from the following texts. I would highly recommend that you purchase your books on line – you will find good prices. The books will also be available at the Harvard Coop. These readings will be supplemented by photocopied materials, which will be e-mailed to you well in advance of each class meeting.
Bassnett, Susan and Harish Trivedi, eds. Post-colonial Translation: Theory and Practice
Eco, Umberto. Experiences in Translation
Grossman, Edith. Why Translation Matters
Niranjana, Tejaswini. Siting Translation: History, Post-Structuralism, and the Colonial Context
Ramanujan, A. K. Speaking of Śiva
Steiner, George. After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation (3rd edition)
Enrollment cap, selection process, notification:
The seminar will be capped at 12, and registration for this course is by petition only. I will notify petitioners within 24 hours.
Past syllabus:
If the course will be taught in the same manner it has been, please post an example syllabus; if not, explain how it will be different. To post a syllabus document, upload the file to your course files and link to the file in this space.
Absence and late work policies:
Because this is a seminar and highly dependent on student participation, attendance is an absolute requirement. Any absences must be documented with a written excuse from a physician. I am happy to accept late work under legitimate circumstances, but I generally will not grant an extension exceeding 24 hours.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|