The rhetorical forms of Henry Rider Haggard's Nada the Lily in Zulu

Abstract

The rhetorical forms in Umbuso KaShaka (The Realm of Shaka), the Zulu translation of Nada the Lily, are analysed within the framework of Descriptive Translation Studies. The rhetorical forms investigated are individualisation, stereotyping, validation and structuring. A range of translation strategies is employed by the translator to establish the rhetorical forms. For the rhetorical form, individualisation, the strategies re-lexification, catalysis and idiosyncracy are used. Strategies like repetition, filial address, participatory response and fixed expressions are applied to set up the rhetorical form stereotyping. Lexical and semantic transfer, functional and cultural equivalents, cultural substitution and loanshift establish validation. Structuring is dealt with on grammatical (anastrophe and anacolutha) and textual level. Structuring on textual level includes components like punctuation, paragraphing, addition and omission. It is shown that the early Zulu translations are characterised by slight shifts in rhetorical form to restore their original (authentic) form, function and significance, so that they truly reflect Zulu language and culture. On the one hand, the translator was guided by a set of translator's norms relating to this period, namely to obey certain prescribed rules in order to be regarded as a good translator, i.e. to be faithful to the source text. On the other hand, however, an attempt was made to meet the expectations of the target system.



Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2004, 22(1&2): 9–25