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Susana Kampff Lages rediscovers Kafka's Amerika

ALVARO KASSAB

AKarl Rossmann's erratic misadventures are back in bookstores with new colors. The antihero who finds himself in successive troubles upon landing in North American territory now returns immersed in an atmosphere that is as faithful as possible to that demarcated by his creator, Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who elevated Rossmann to the status of protagonist of his first novel , The Disappeared or Amerika. The originality, in this case, is in the full version translated from German by Susana Kampff Lages, professor at the Language Teaching Center (CEL) at Unicamp. The first chapter of the book, The Stoker, published during his lifetime by Kafka, had already been translated directly from German by Modesto Carone. Other full versions were published as translations into other languages. The best known of these was written by Torrieri Guimarães, América (Livraria Exvisão do Livro, 1965), whose source was French.

Susana used the text from the German critical edition, edited by Jost Schillemeit (1983), enriching her translation with footnotes and an afterword (Das (im)possibilities of translating Kafka), in which she describes the size of her undertaking, in addition to providing readers with the necessary clues from the Czech author's creative laboratory. “The inclusion, in footnotes, of variants, graphic inaccuracies and crossed out sections of the manuscript... corresponds to an attempt to rescue a fundamental dimension to Kafka's understanding of literature itself, of its writing: its draft character , of risk and scribble..”, warns Susana in the introductory note that precedes the novel.

Melancholia, by Albrecht Dürer

Written between 1912 and 1914, the work translated by Susana is considered Kafka's “formative novel”, who named it The Disappeared. Unfinished like the later The Trial and The Castle and admittedly inspired by Dickensian prose (especially David Copperfield), the novel has as its central figure the young Praguan Karl Rossmann who, expelled from home by his parents for impregnating a maid, emigrates to the United States . After seeing the Statue of Liberty wielding a sword – a scene that for some experts reveals a strangeness that was previously non-existent in previous literary trends, including in the realism so dear to Kafka –, Rossmann begins to get into trouble. The first of them before the ship even docks in the port of New York, in an episode involving the character, the stoker and the vessel's chief engineer.

"Happy ending" – From then on, the characters – unscrupulous and grotesque for the most part – emerge as defeat and impotence undermine Rossmann’s destiny. This omnipresent ghost, however, disappears in the last fragment of the book, when the hero joins ranks in a theatrical troupe. There are those who see this as a “happy ending” – it is good to remember that this is an unfinished work. Regardless of the different readings made by experts, there is a consensus of opinion that Kafka already anticipated, in The Disappeared, the line and recurring themes that he would adopt in his subsequent novels, an opinion shared by Susana.

In the background marked by the absurdity of existence – and its derivatives –, the frenetic rhythm of capitalist power emerged, with its endless shifts, its injustices and negotiations. An America where Kafka never was. To compose the work, the Czech writer relied on travel reports, reports produced by Arthur Holitscher and lectures given by Frantisek Soukup, a utopian socialist. It was natural, therefore, for the writer to make some mistakes, especially of a geographical nature, in the spelling of toponyms or in prosaic things, such as the North American currency, which Kafka called the pound sterling.

German philosopher Walter Benjamin: translation must be reconfigured in its own language

Susana Lages details and locates the origin of some mistakes and deliberately keeps others in the body of the text. “Such errors will certainly no longer be able to harm the literary integrity of one of the greatest authors of the 20th century, as my friend Brod feared at the time”, explains the translator in the book's introduction. Max Brod, who Kafka asked “as his last wish” to burn all his originals, was responsible for the first publication of Amerika (1927) – the first chapter, The Stoker, had been published in 1913. The Czech writer’s best friend had corrected some of the errors, all duly credited and pointed out by Susana in footnotes marked with the initials MB. According to the translator, the aim was to “recognize the co-authorship of Brod’s work, responsible for the conservation of the manuscripts”.

Hence, explains Susana, the decision to merge the two titles in her translation – The Disappeared, chosen by Kafka, and Amerika, with which Brod immortalized his friend's work after freeing it from the flames. An act of preservation that Walter Benjamin classified as “fidelity against Kafka”, as Susana recalls in the afterword. The teacher considers that the desire to put an end to his originals was expressed by Kafka in two different notes, which “establishes, a priori, the great aporia on which his writing rests”. In the first text, Kafka gets straight to the point; the second, continues Susana, “is written in a more prolix and ambiguous way”.

Double bind – According to the teacher, such behavior not only calls into question the “authority” of the two texts that internally contradict each other, but also results in what she classifies as a “double bind” which, in turn, creates, according to the translator, two other developments: Kafka's close connection with Jewish tradition and his relationship with reading and literature. Susana notes in the afterword: “Jewish tradition is nourished and survives from the tension between the extreme immobility of the letter, of the written body of its tradition, and the infinity of interpretation, which allows, alongside rigid rules of physical preservation of the text, coexist with an interpretive freedom unparalleled in the Western tradition”.

According to Susana, this tension finds a parallel in the translator's job, “which is in a paradigmatic place of double bind within the tradition: reproducing the same text in another language”. The teacher uses an image of Benjamin to show how fragile the translator's identification with the object of his work can be. “Just as the pieces of a vase, in order to be put back together, must follow each other in the smallest details, but without matching each other, the translation must, instead of resembling the original meaning, reconfigure it in its own language, lovingly, down to the smallest details, the way of designating the original, thus making both [original and translation] recognized as fragments of a larger language, as shards are fragments of a vase”.

Benjamin's quotes in Susana's afterword are not random. In addition to his evident affinity with Kafka's work, the German philosopher is the object of study in the penultimate work by Unicamp professor, Walter Benjamin – Tradução e Melancolia (Edusp, 257 pages), a book that won Susana the Jabuti Prize this year and in which a detailed tracking of a series of works by writers, theorists and philosophers on translation is made. The interest in Benjamin's essay production began when the translator was developing a work on nostalgia in the work of Guimarães Rosa, João Guimarães Rosa e a Saudade, (Ateliê Editorial, 2002). “I was already interested in translation and the thematic universe that involves longing and melancholy. They are related universes – distance, absence, exile. Benjamin’s work not only addresses these themes but also discusses the limits, aporias and contradictions that arise for the translator”, she reveals.

According to the translator, there was a “coincidence of interests”, starting with the fact that Benjamin’s work provided support for his work as a whole, including the philosopher’s analysis of the melancholy present in the German Baroque – in this case, the work by the painter Albrecht Dürer is emblematic. Nothing more pertinent. Susana observes that there are, in the translation, the same elements that reinforce the unresolved polarity between depression and euphoria, components that permeate melancholy. A framework in which the element of loss needs to be reworked. “It is necessary to free yourself from this loss and accept that you are lost. And, from the loss, create something new, a less hindered translation”, she preaches.

In this context, the translation of O Desaparecido ou Amerika, says Susana, functioned as a kind of practical continuation of the previous work. The translator took into account the language games, alliteration, humor and irony intertwined in the text. A return to the afterword is enlightening. “This version of the Kafkaesque text into Portuguese attempted to convey the image of another Kafka, less metaphysical, more metalinguistic and metaliterary – an enigmatically critical, absolutely modern Kafka”. Susana Kampff Lages fully achieved this.

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Unicamp and tradition in translation

SUSANA KAMPFF LAGES
Special for Jornal da Unicamp

Professor and translator Susana Kampff Lages: diving into the worlds of Kafka and Benjamin

Translation and its study have a long and solid tradition in humanities studies in general, and at Unicamp in particular. Especially within linguistic and literary studies, the theme and activity of translation stands out as a privileged object of study, whether from a theoretical point of view or as a practical activity that supports the reflection of teachers and researchers. From theoretical research carried out with diversity and erudition, by professors from different areas, to the publication of the already traditional translation magazine for IEL undergraduate students (Model 19), through several theses and dissertations defended and in progress, translation serves as a motto for much of the reflection on language carried out at the University.

In linguistic studies, the work that has been carried out by teachers of classical studies stands out, an area that has historically had translation as one of its driving forces. I would like to mention, among the group's vast production, the preparation of an annotated edition of the translation of Virgil's Aeneid made by Odorico Mendes, the focus of a working group coordinated by Paulo Vasconcellos, in addition to the translations from Greek carried out by Trajano Vieira (by interlocutor of the poet and translator Haroldo de Campos, recently deceased, for many years in his translation of the Iliad), who translated, among others, Euripides' Bacchae, work for which he was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim scholarship. In ancient poetry, we also have the excellent commentary and translation of Sappho by Joaquim Brasil Fontes.

Over the centuries, translation has always been an activity that has aroused the interest of intellectuals from the most diverse backgrounds. It is not surprising, therefore, that it also finds resonance in the academic works of researchers from different areas, from philosophy to linguistics, including applied linguistics and literature studies. In philosophy, mention should be made of the translation work of Descartes and Kant by Fausto Castilho and the work in progress by Marcos Müller: the translation of Hegel's Philosophy of Law, and the translations of Gilles Deleuze, by Luiz Orlandi, Peter Sloterdjk, by José O. de Almeida Marques and Nietzsche, by Osvaldo Giacoia, among others.

In the scope of applied linguistics, thanks to the engagement of Rosemary Arrojo, among others, translation studies gained strength as an academically recognized area at a national level, receiving the updating impulse of the internationally held debate, especially in the Anglo-Saxon scope, bringing to reflections about translation the heat of discussions around (post-)modernity, feminism (gender studies), “deconstruction” and so-called post-colonial studies.

As a fundamental reference for the debate, there is, on the one hand, the work of the French-Algerian philosopher Jacques Derrida and, on the other, the contributions of Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, in addition to questions from the French philosopher Michel Foucault and other reflections on power and their injunctions, naturally, with their consequences on the translator's activity. Dedicated to Derrida's work, the project coordinated by Paulo Ottoni, called “Translating Derrida”, held a colloquium in August that brought together a select group of Brazilian specialists at IEL, including Kanavillil Rajagopalan, a scholar of pragmatics and semantics, permanently interested in the aporias that translation introduces between thought and language, and Márcio Seligmann-Silva, whose interest focuses on theoretical issues of translation and their relevance in history and literary theory, in addition to their connection with the broader aesthetic universe of the arts .

On the other hand, psychoanalysis is an intriguing filter through which some research on translation has been carried out, as attested by works by Nina Leite, focused on the importance of translation in the analytical process, and Maria Rita Figueiredo, who, among others, participates in the team that is carrying out a new translation of Freud's work directly from German. In the German context, the production is in fact varied: there is, for example, research on Wittgenstein, interpretation of conferences and language teaching, carried out by Paulo Oliveira, through works on the historical/ideological constitution of the translator, by Carmen Bolognini, even writer-translators, such as Modesto Carone, who in addition to being a translator also works as a writer and has been translating texts by Franz Kafka for years. Erich Auerbach's classic of literary studies, Mímesis, was translated by Suzy Sperber and, like her, other teachers act or occasionally acted as translators, among them, Maria Betânia Amoroso, Maria Augusta Mattos, who translated from Italian, Luiz Dantas, from the French and the memorable Alexandre Eulálio.

Also noteworthy are the reflections on the relationship between translation, language and language teaching, carried out, from different but complementary points of view, by John Schmitz – who participated in the debate on the “purification of the Portuguese language”, proposed by the deputy Aldo Rebelo - and by Maria José Coracini, who studies the problem of subjectivity and power relations in language teaching and translation. Jeanne Marie Gagnebin's reflection also finds an important focus in Walter Benjamin's translation theory. Another type of activity, developed in closer contact with students, are literary translation workshops, such as those taught, among others, by Eric Sabison.

From the certainly incomplete panorama outlined above, it can be seen that translation and its study constitute a fulcrum towards which the interest of researchers from the most varied lines and origins converges – an extremely productive field for research and teaching at universities.

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An expert on America A rare photo: Kafka, smiling (right), on a Danish beach in 1914 Retired from Unicamp, Rosemary Arrojo is a full professor in Comparative Literature at Binghamton University (New York State), where she directs the Translation Research Center, the only space “officially” dedicated to translation studies on North American soil. In the following interview, given via the Internet to professor Susana Kampff Lages, Rosemary Arrojo talks about her time at IEL, says that translation studies have struggled to open up their own spaces and reveals which are the paradigmatic theorists in her area of ​​activity. Susana Kampff Lages - His interest in translation arose after carrying out his doctoral research in the areas of literary theory and comparative literature at Johns Hopkins University. What made you shift your focus from literary theory to translation theory? Rosemary – Before my doctorate, I did a master's degree in literature in England (University of Essex), and the focus of this master's degree was precisely the theory and practice of literary translation. In fact, I went to the USA for my doctorate with the support of PUC-SP, where, after my master's degree, I was already working in the area of ​​translation. But my first interest has always been literature. Susana – To what extent translation theory constitutes a field of its own today; To what extent does it dialogue with other disciplines? Rosemary – Translation studies have struggled, especially in the last ten years, to open up their own spaces. I believe that many spaces have been opened (creation of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the area in different countries, series dedicated to translation in major publishers such as Routledge and John Benjamins, specialized journals, conferences, creation of researchers associations, etc.) Being a kind of interdisciplinary, translation inevitably has dialogued with other areas, despite efforts to create its own spaces. Susana – Which disciplines participate most actively in the theoretical dialogue on translation today? Rosemary – Linguistics still dominates translation studies, but there have been productive interfaces with other areas associated with cultural studies, post-colonialism studies, psychoanalysis, etc. Susana – And within them, which authors configure the main paradigms for reflection for you? Rosemary – My “favorite” authors are not exactly researchers in the field of translation. I think the work of Jacques Derrida, for example, is fundamental. Another important author is Vicente Rafael, author of a book about the Spanish colonization of the Philippines called Contracting colonialism - translation and Christian conversion in Tagalog society under early Spanish rule. Among “official” translation theorists, I like the work of Lawrence Venuti and Michael Cronin. Susana – Since the beginning of your activities at Unicamp, how have studies on translation at Brazilian universities in general evolved? Rosemary – I don’t know if they “evolved”, but they became more “visible”. My admission to Unicamp in the mid-1980s coincided with the beginning of the so-called boom in translation studies around the world and I made an effort to include our university in this context. One of my goals was precisely to open spaces for these studies not only at Unicamp and other universities, but also with research funding bodies, through, for example, Anpoll. Susana – How important is the research you carried out throughout your career at Unicamp in the new American context? Rosemary – Unicamp provided me with an “alibi” to study translation and gave me opportunities for research and dissemination of this research that made me known outside the Brazilian context as well. I believe that the fact that I helped to implement a postgraduate program related to translation at IEL contributed to Binghamton University hiring me to implement the first PhD in translation studies in the USA. In North America, there is only one postgraduate program exclusively focused on translation studies in Ottawa, Canada. Susana – How is the reception and translation of works by Brazilian authors in the USA in general today? Rosemary – Practically everything published in Brazil as “literature” is translated here. The problem is that these works rarely leave the Brazilianist ghetto. Susana – Does research in the area of ​​“Brazilianism”, studies on Brazil, in your opinion, adequately include a reflection on translation? Rosemary – No. In fact, literary and cultural studies in general still ignore translation as a matter of reflection. Susana – To what extent does your condition as a Brazilian researcher, that is, coming from a country where the majority of published works are translations, allow for a unique vision of the translator’s activity? Rosemary – I'm Brazilian, but I've always been closely linked to North American universities and most of my interlocutors are not in Brazil. I have published and participated in events in several European countries, in addition to the USA, and, perhaps, what can allow a “singular” vision is exactly this exposure to various traditions and various research trends in Brazil and abroad. Susana – And to what extent does this influence your current research interests? Could you talk about the research you are currently carrying out? Rosemary – For some time now, my main research interest has been the representation of translation and translators in fiction texts. I have written about Kafka, Poe, Borges, Calvino, as well as Saramago, Marías and Scliar, among others. ---------------------------------------------

 

REFERENCES BOOKS: ARROJO, Rosemary. Translation, deconstruction and psychoanalysis. Rio de Janeiro: Imago, 1993. CORACINI, Maria José Faria & PEREIRA, A E. (eds) Discourse and Society: Practices in Discourse Analysis. Pelotas: UCPel and ALAB, 2001. BOLOGNINI, Carmen Zink. (org.) History of Literature: the founding discourse. São Paulo: Mercado de Letras, 2003.136 pp OTTONI, Paulo. (org) et allii. Translation. The practice of difference. Campinas: Editora da UNICAMP, 1998. WOLF, Michaela. (ed.) et allii. Übersetzungswissenschaft in Brasilien. [Translation Theory in Brazil]Heidelberg, Stauffenburg Verlag, 1997. [anthology containing articles by professors and postgraduate students] ARTICLES OR BOOK CHAPTERS GAGNEBIN, Jeanne Marie. “Origin, original, translation” History and narration in Walter Benjamin. São Paulo: Perspectiva/Fapesp/Ed. from Unicamp, 1994. p. 9-35. LEITE, Nina Virgínia Araújo. “Censorship and translation in the transmission of psychoanalysis in Brazil”. Revista Literal/Cps/SP, 4, 2001. MORAES, Maria Rita Salzano. “What (happens) in the translation? What (ultra) does the translation convey?” Literal Magazine, 5, School of Psychoanalysis of Campinas, jun. 2002, pp. 169-78. OLIVEIRA, Paulo Sampaio Xavier de. “Hermeneutics and Deconstruction: an (im-)possible dialogue? Manfred Frank's response.” Translation and Communication, 10, São Paulo, UNIBERO, 2001, p.89-109. RAJAGOPALAN, Kanavillil. “The meaning of translation and the translation of meaning” Revista Letras, 56, Curitiba: Editora da UFPR, Jul.-Dec. 2001, pp. 67-76. SCHMITZ, John. “On translation and teaching: humor taken seriously”, Revista TradTerm, 5 (2): 5-6, July/December (Centro Interdepartamental de Tradução e Terminologia-FFLCH-USP), 1998 SIMON, Iumna Maria (org.) Remate de Males, 4, Campinas, 1984. (Translation Territory) VASCONCELLOS, Paulo Sergio. “Contribution to the critical re-appreciation of Odorico Mendes’ Aeneid” Phaos, 1, Campinas, IEL, 2001. TRANSLATIONS: FONTES, Joaquim Brasil. Eros, weaver of myths: the poetry of Sappho of Lesbos. São Paulo: Iluminuras, 2002. HEGEL, August Wilhelm. Translation and Presentation of The State (IIIth Part, 3rd Section, §§ 257-360) of the Fundamental Lines of the Philosophy of Law or Natural Law and Science of the State in Compendium. In: TEXTOS DIDÁTICOS, IFCH/Unicamp, nº 32 – May 1998. [Translation and Presentation Marcos MÜLLER]. KANT, Immanuel. Manual for general logic courses. Campinas: Ed. da Unicamp/Edufu, 2003. (Translation and reading guide by Fausto Castilho) nLessing, GE Laocoon. Or about the Borders of Poetry and Painting. São Paulo: Iluminuras/Secretaria de Estado da Cultura, 1998, pp. 7-72. (introduction, translation and notes by Márcio SELIGMANN-SILVA) OLIVEIRA, Flavio Ribeiro de. “Une Affaire de Femmes” Phaos, 2; Campinas, IEL/Unicamp, 2002 p. 113 - 120. [translation of the Prologue to Medea] PEREIRA, Marcos. Grammar Quintilian: the role of the Grammar master in the 'Institutio oratoria' São Paulo: Humanitas, 2000. SOPHOCLES. Oedipus king. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2001. (Translated and presented by Trajano VIEIRA) ---------------------------------------------

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