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- Title
Bridging the Gap between Cameroon Anglophone and Francophone Literature: The Recourse to Translation.
- Authors
Ubanako, Valentine N.
- Abstract
Cameroon is blessed with two literary traditions which are indisputably among the best in the world today (English and French). Emerging Cameroon literature, which relies on these two globalizing languages for a mode of expression, has remained dormant and limited to one of the official languages. It puts an end to a practice in the late fifties and early sixties in which the works of writers like Mongo Beti, Leopold Oyono and Francis Bebey were translated by foreigners, who did not most often understand the cultural realities of Cameroo. This explains why "palm wine" (from palm tree) was translated as "vintage wine" (from grapes) in Houseboy and noix de kola as "chewing gum" in Mission to Kala. Recent masterpieces by talented and prolific Anglophone and francophone writers have remained unpopular and the rich linguistic and cultural heritage unexplored due to the nontranslation of literary works. Cameroon can thus expand the scope of its literature(s) through the setting up of translation teams which will translate these masterpieces and make them available in both official languages, thereby selling an image of the country and also giving an extra dimension to national integration and social cohesion, which the country badly needs.
- Subjects
CAMEROON; TRANSLATIONS; CAMEROONIAN literature (English); CAMEROONIAN literature (French); LANGUAGE &; languages; CULTURAL property; SOCIAL cohesion; NATIONAL unification
- Publication
Translation Quarterly, 2010, Issue 58, p94
- ISSN
1027-8559
- Publication type
Article