Essay on the Principles of Translation (Tytler)/Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX.
It remains now that we consider the third general law of translation.
In order that the merit of the original work may be so completely transfused as to produce its full effect, it is necessary, not only that the translation should contain a perfect transcript of the sentiments of the original, and present likewise a resemblance of its style and manner; but, That the translation should have all the ease of original composition.
When we consider those restraints within which a translator finds himself necessarily confined, with regard to the sentiments and manner of his original, it will soon appear that this last requisite includes the most difficult part of his task[1]. To one who walks in trammels, it is not easy to exhibit an air of grace freedom. It is difficult, even for a capital painter, to preserve in a copy of a picture all the ease and spirit of the original; yet the painter employs precisely the same colours, and has no other care than faithfully to imitate the touch and manner of the picture that is before him: if the original is easy and graceful, the copy will have the same qualities, in proportion as the imitation is just and perfect. The translator's task is very different: He uses not the same colours with the original, but is required to give his picture the same force and effect. He is not allowed to copy the touches of the original, yet is required, by touches of his own, to produce a perfect resemblance. The more he studies a scrupulous imitation, the less his copy will reflect the ease and spirit of the original. How then shall a translator accomplish this difficult union of ease with fidelity? To use a bold expression, he must adopt the very soul of his author, which must speak through his own organs.
Let us proceed to exemplify this third rule of translation, which regards the attainment of ease of style, by instances both of success and failure.
The familiar style of epistolary correspondence is rarely attainable even in original composition. It consists in a delicate medium between the perfect freedom of ordinary conversation and the regularity of written dissertation or narrative. It is extremely difficult to attain this delicate medium in a translation; because the writer has neither a freedom of choice in the sentiments, nor in the mode of expressing them. Mr Melmoth appears to me to be a great model in this respect. His Translations of the Epistles of Cicero and of Pliny have all the ease of the originals, while they present in general a very faithful transcript of his author's sense.
"Surely, my friend, your couriers are a set of the most unconscionable fellows. Not that they have given me any particular offence; but as they never bring me a letter when they arrive here, is it fair, they should always press me for one when they return?" Melmoth, Cic. Ep. 10. 20.
Præposteros habes tabellarios; etsi me quidem non offendunt. Sed tamen cum a me discedunt, flagitant litteras, cum ad me veniunt, nullas afferunt. Cic. Ep. 1. l. 15. ep. 17.
"Is it not more worthy of your mighty ambition, to be blended with your learned brethren at Rome, than to stand the sole great wonder of wisdom amidst a parcel of paltry provincials?" Melmoth, Cic. Ep. 2. 23.
Velim—ibi malis esse ubi aliquo numero sis, quam isthic ubi solus sapere videare, Cic. Epist. l. i. ep. 10.
"In short, I plainly perceive your finances are in no flourishing situation, and I expect to hear the same account of all your neighbours; so that famine, my friend, most formidable famine, must be your fate, if you do not provide against it in due time. And since you have been reduced to sell your horse, e'en mount your mule, (the only animal, it seems, belonging to you, which you have not yet sacrificed to your table), and convey yourself immediately to Rome. To encourage you to do so, you shall be honoured with a chair and cushion next to mine, and sit the second great pedagogue in my celebrated school." Melmoth, Cic. Ep. 8. 22.
Video te bona perdidisse: spero idem isthuc familiares tuos. Actum igitur de te est, nisi provides. Potes mulo isto quem tibi reliquum dicis esse (quando cantherium comedisti) Romam pervehi. Sella tibi erit in ludo, tanquam hypodidascalo; proxima eam pulvinus sequetur. Cic. Ep. l. 9. Ep. 18.
"Are you not a pleasant mortal, to question me concerning the fate of those estates you mention, when Balbus had just before been paying you a visit?" Melmoth, Cic. Ep. 8. 24.
Non tu homo ridiculus es, qui cum Balbus noster apud to fuerit, ex me quæras quid de istis municipiis et agris futurum putem? Cic. Ep. 9. 17.
"And now I have raised your expectations of this piece, I doubt you will be disappointed when it comes to your hands. In the meanwhile, however, you may expect it, as something that will please you: And who knows but it may?" Plin. Ep. 8. 3.
Erexi expectationem tuam; quam vereor ne destituat oratio in manus sumpta. Interim tamen, tanquam placituram, et fortasse placebit, expecta. Plin. Ep. 8. 3.
"I consent to undertake the cause which you so earnestly recommend to me; but as glorious and honourable as it may be, I will not be your counsel without a fee. Is it possible, you will say, that my friend Pliny should be so mercenary? In truth it is; and I insist upon a reward, which will do me more honour than the most disinterested patronage." Plin. Ep. 6. 23.
Impense petis ut agam causam pertinentem ad curam tuam, pulchram alioquin et famo sam. Faciam, sed non gratis. Qui fieri potest (inquis) ut non gratis tu? Potest: exigam enim mercedem honestiorem gratuito patrocinio. Plin. Ep. 8. 3.
To these examples of the ease of epistolary correspondence, I add a passage from one of the orations of Cicero, which is yet in a strain of greater familiarity:
"A certain mechanic—What's his name?—Oh, I'm obliged to you for helping me to it: Yes, I mean Polycletus." Melmoth.
Artificem—quemnam? Recte admones. Polycletum esse ducebant. Cicero, Orat. 2. in Verrem.
In the preceding instances from Mr Melmoth, the words of the English translation which are marked in Italics, are those which, in my opinion, give it the ease of original composition.
But while a translator thus endeavours to transfuse into his work all the ease of the original, the most correct taste is requisite to prevent that ease from degenerating into licentiousness. I have given some examples of the want of this taste in treating of the imitation of style and manner. The most licentious of all translators was Mr Thomas Brown, of facetious memory, in whose translations from Lucian we have the most perfect ease; but it is the ease of Billingsgate and of Wapping. I shall contrast a few passages of his translation of this author, with those of another translator, who has given a faithful transcript of the sense of his author, but from an over-scrupulous fidelity has failed a little in point of ease.
Gnathon. "What now! Timon, do you strike me? Bear witness, Hercules! O me, O me! But I will call you into the Areopagus for this. Timon, Stay a little only, and you may bring me in guilty of murder[2]." Franklin's Lucian.
Gnathon: "Confound him! what a blow he has given me! What's this for, old Touchwood? Bear witness, Hercules, that he has struck me. I warrant you, I shall make you repent of this blow. I'll indite you upon an action of the case, and bring you coram nobis for an assault and battery." Timon. "Do, thou confounded law-pimp, do; but if thou stay'st one minute longer, I'll beat thee to pap. I'll make thy bones rattle in thee, like three blue beans in a blue bladder. Go, stinkard, or else I shall make you alter your action, and get me indicted for manslaughter." Timon Trans. by Brown, in Dryden's Lucian.
"On the whole, a most perfect character; we shall see presently, with all his modesty, what a bawling he will make." Franklin's Lucian, Timon[3].
"In fine, he's a person that knows the world better than any one, and is extremely well acquainted with the whole Encyclopædia of villany; a true elaborate finished rascal, and for all, he appears so demure now, that you'd think butter would not melt in his mouth; yet I shall soon make him open his pipes, and roar like a persecuted bear." Dryden's Lucian, Timon.
"He changes his name, and instead of Byrria, Dromo, or Tibius, now takes the name of Megacles, or Megabyzus, or Protarchus, leaving the rest of the expectants gaping and looking at one another in silent sorrow." Franklin's Lucian, Timon[4].
"Straight he changes his name, so that the rascal, who the moment before had no other title about the house, but, you son of a whore, you bulk-begotten cur, you scoundrel, must now be called his worship, his excellency, and the Lord knows what. The best on't is, that this mushroom puts all these fellows noses out of joint," &c. Dryden's Lucian, Timon.
From these contrasted specimens we may decide, that the one translation of Lucian fails perhaps as much on the score of restraint, as the other on that of licentiousness. The preceding examples from Melmoth point out, in my opinion, the just medium of free and spirited translation, for the attainment of which the most correct taste is requisite.
- ↑ "Quand il s'agit de représenter dans une autre langue les choses, les pensées, les expressions, les tours, les tons d'un ouvrage; les choses telles qu'elles sont, sans rien ajouter, ni retrancher, ni déplacer; les pensées dans leurs couleurs, leurs degrés, leurs nuances; les tours, qui donnent le feu, l'esprit, et la vie au discours; les expressions naturelles, figurées, fortes, riches, gracieuses, délicates, &c. le tout d'après un modele qui commande durement, et qui veut qu'on lui obéisse d'un air aisé; il faut, sinon autant de génie, du moins autant de gout pour bien traduire, quo pour composer. Peutêtre même en faut il davantage. L'auteur qui compose, conduit seulement par une sorte d'instinct toujours libre, et par sa matiere qui lui présente des idées, qu'il peut accepter ou rejetter à son gré, est maitre absolu de ses pensées et de ses expressions: si la pensée ne lui convient pas, ou si l'expression ne convient pas à la pensée, il peut rejetter l'une et l'autre; quæ desperat tractata nitescere posse, relinquit. Le traducteur n'est maitre de rien; il est obligé de suivre partout son auteur, et de se plier à toutes ses variations avec une souplesse infinie. Qu'on en juge par la variété des tons qui se trouvent nécessairement dans un même sujet, et à plus forte raison dans un même genre.—Quelle idée donc ne doit-on pas avoir d'une traduction faite avec succès?
Batteux de la construction Oratoire, Par. 2.
- ↑ ΓΝ· Τι τοὓτο; παιεις ω Τιμων; μαρτυρομαι· ω Ηρακλεις· ιου, ιου. Προκαλοὔμαι σε τραυματος εις Αρειον παγον· Τιμ. Και μεν αν γε μακρον επιβραδυνης, φονον ταχα προκεκληση με. Lucian, Timon.
- ↑ Και ὄλως πανσοφον τι χρημα, και πανταχοθεν ακριβες, και ποικιλως εντελες· οιμωξεται τοιγαροῦαν ουκ εις μακραν χρηστος ων. Lucian, Timon.
- ↑ Αντι του τεως Πυρριου, η Δρομωνος, η Τιβιου, Μεγακλης, Μεγαβυζος, η Πρωταρχος μετονομασθεις, τους ματην κεχηνοτας εκεινους εις αλληλους αποβλεποντας καταλιπων, &c. Lucian, Timon.