Argumentative discourse in the Isixhosa novel Ingqumbo yeminyanya and its english translation wrath of the ancestors: an appaisal-theoretical perspective

[摘要] English: This study examines the evaluation in translation of argumentative discourse in the isiXhosa novel Ingqumbo yeminyanya and its English translation The wrath of the ancestor. The novel, Ingqumbo yeminyanya is a classical novel in isiXhosa, which is rich in African cultural tradition of Mpondomise Kingdom. The isiXhosa novel was published in 1940 in South Africa and later translated into English by the author with the help of his wife, Priscilla Phyliss Jordan. It was later published as The wrath of the ancestors in 1980. The main theme of the novel revolve around socio-cultural issues as manifested in issues of traditional government in rural context at the time in South Africa.The study applies a multi-perspective framework in investigating the extent to which argumentative equivalence are realised in argumentative segments in the Xhosa source text compared to the English target text. Firstly, the study applies the Pragma-dialectical theory as postulated by Van Eemeren and colleagues (1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2003, 2010, 2014, 2015) to analyse argumentative segments from the three broad stages of narrative in the novel, namely, sunrise, noon, and sunset. The properties of argumentative discourse as postulated in the ideal model of pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation are investigated on the selected argumentative segments. The investigation invokes notions of the contextualization of argumentative discourse that contribute to the evaluation and analysis of argumentative discourse. It is argued that the traditional cultural belief system of the characters in the novel influence the manner in which argumentative exchanges are conducted. It is to demonstrate how the context-dependency of these argumentative moves employed by the protagonist and antagonist during the discussion constrain the resolution process of the critical discussion.Secondly, the study examines the presentational devices of argumentative segments with regard to the properties of appraisal in translation as postulated by Munday (2012). The study examines how presentational devices are manifested as tools in argumentation theory, for presenting arguments in the most effective manner. The study invokes the appraisal framework introduced by Munday which stipulates guidelines to explore socio-linguistic properties in the translation of the presentational devices, specifically in identifying critical points that determine argumentative equivalence. Argumentative equivalence in the translated text vary in each argumentative exchange. Instances occur where shifts are not of a major concern because they help the target reader to comprehend the story. However, in some cases where significant shifts are observed, namely, where a significant portion of the narrative content is omitted in the target text. The study invokes the notion of self-translation for investigating such cases.The study demonstrates that argumentative discourse in the context of Mpondomise culture provides new understanding concerning the nature of argumentative patterns and the manifestation of the principles and properties of argumentative theory.

[发布机构] University of the Free State