Análise da tradução francesa de Anne-Marie Quint da obra Dom Casmurro, de Machado de Assis

Abstract

This dissertation examines Anne-Marie Quint's French translation of the work “Dom Casmurro,” a novel considered a masterpiece by critics and written by Machado de Assis. The objective of this analysis is to investigate the translation strategies employed by Quint and their impact on the representation and interpretation of the original work. Through a study of the linguistic, cultural, and literary aspects involved in the translation process, this research seeks to shed light on the challenges faced by the translator and the choices made to convey the complexities of Machado de Assis's narrative into French. In the first stage of the research, a historical overview of the arrival of Brazilian literature in France, the reception of its writers, their translations, and the initial translations of Machado's works into the French language were conducted. Subsequently, the research was developed through the examination of theoretical notions of translation and retranslation by Antoine Berman in his work “The Translation and the Letter, or the Hospice of the Distance” and his article “Retranslation as the Space of Translation”; Yves Gambier in his article “Retranslation, Return, and Detour”; Marie Helène Torres in her articles “Translation as (im)migration: Adrien Delpech, one of the first translators of Machado de Assis” and “Machado de Assis for the French: Memories”; Émilie Audigier in her doctoral thesis “The French Translations of Machado de Assis and Guimarães Rosa: variation of eight short stories from 1910 to 2004” and her article “The French Translations of Machado de Assis’ short story ‘O Enfermeiro’”; Álvaro Faleiros in his article “The Critique of Poetic Retranslation,” among others, which served as critical references and guiding principles for the work. Subsequently, a meticulous comparative analysis of the works in their source language as well as their target language will be conducted, juxtaposing excerpts from the original work and the translation to identify convergent points, demonstrating the translator's adherence to the original text, and, above all, divergent points where translation and equivalence obstacles will be noted. For example, the choice of the term “familier” to designate an “agregado” (a family friend or dependant) will be explored to identify points that shed light on the path towards answering the issues presented in this project, such as the irony of the omniscient narrator, the unreliable narrator, and Capitu as the object of love and jealousy. By comparing specific passages and examining language and style nuances, this study delves into the comparative analysis of the translation, the preservation of cultural references, and the possible adjustments made to cater to the target audience. Moreover, it explores Quint’s translation specifics and the reception of her translation within the French-speaking literary community. Through this analysis, a deeper understanding of the art of literary translation and the complexities of conveying the essence of Machado de Assis's masterpiece, including its writing peculiarities, is achieved.