Seminar : Theory and Practice of Literary Translation (applied to Ancient Languages) [ LGLOR2204 ]

The iCampus server allows one to obtain the theoretical imposed texts, as well as the corrections of some exercises.

Knowledge of ancient languages, particularly Latin.
A basic knowledge of the scanning of the hexameter and the pentameter.

A training in literary translation.

The seminar sketches a panorama of the principal theories in the domain of literary translation. It offers a series of concrete tools for undertaking a translation.

At the end of this seminar, the student will be capable of a critical reflection on the undertaking of, and the stakes involved in the translation of literary texts, in particular those in Greek and Latin. He will be able to carry out, on his own, translations that go further than the stage of a literal transfer, working within a theoretical framework and giving reasons for his choice.

The final marks will be based on three elements:
- the work presented in the group, illustrating competence to confront literary translations and to translate oneself;
- a written dissertation, showing the ability to reflect on the theoretical questions dealt with in the seminar;
- a translation into French, under surveillance, showing a capacity to understand and rephrase, within a reasonable delay, Latin literary texts.

The seminar offers a series of lectures, but the active participation of the students will be encouraged throughout the session (debate on theoretical questions, practical exercises, the presentation of personal work).

The seminar proposes, alternately, theoretical and practical modules.

The theoretical modules propose a historical overview of the main tendencies in the translation of literary texts ("elegant but not faithful" to "literary literal"), and a reflection on the stakes attached to them. It presents a series of texts by theorists of translation (Antoine Berman, Umberco Eco, François Ost, Georges Mounin, Danica Seleskovitch, Efim Etkind, Paul Ricoeur...) or by literary translators (Marguerite Yourcenar, Philippe Brunet, Marcel Pagnol...) whose proposals are pertinent for the translation of classical texts. The modules are followed by comparisons of a range of literary translations of the same passage of an ancient author, representing different translation options.

The practical modules allow students to practise the translation of Latin texts, by means of exercises based on the formulation in French but also on a correct perception of the source of the text (identifying the common places, taking the metrics into account...).

Part of the seminar will be given up to the presentation of a personal work by the students, who will be asked to compare existing literary translations of an extract from a Latin author, and to propose their own literary translation of it.

The theoretical texts dealt with in the seminar are available on the iCampus server.

The seminar is accessible to LAFR students.