Do mar ao(s) livros(s)

: açorianidade e (in)traduzibilidade em mau tempo no canal, de Vitorino Nemésio

Abstract

Do Mar ao(s) Livro(s) [From Sea to Book(s)] is a reflection on açorianidade (Azoreanity/Azoreanness) – and the condition of being an islander – brought about from a new perspective: its (un)translatability. This thesis is based on the novel Mau Tempo no Canal (Bertrand [1944] 1994), by Vitorino Nemésio, and its translation into French, by Denyse Chast, Gros Temps sur L'Archipel (Éditions de La Différence, 1988, 2014) – initially published as Le Serpent Aveugle (Plon, 1953), the only translation of the novel published during the author’s lifetime and whose process he accompanied closely –, as well as its translation into English, by Francisco Cota Fagundes, Stormy Isles: an Azorean Tale (Gávea-Brown, 1998; Tagus Press, 2019). This thesis is focused on the elements of açorianidade evident in the novel and their treatment in the aforementioned translations. I view these “elements of açorianidade" as identity traits of Azorean people disseminated by Mau Tempo no Canal and manifested in Heterolingualism – both external and internal, that is, not only in the use of foreign languages, but also of Portuguese language varieties, including regionalisms, hybrid regionalisms of Anglo-American base (such as "alvarozes" [1994: 109] overalls) –, as well as in Descriptions of Landscape and Weather. These two parts include references to various aspects of Azorean life, from fauna to flora, to whaling or cultural and religious traditions, also referring to the history of the Azores. It is my conviction that the presence of these elements in the novel disseminates and subsidizes the idea of açorianidade, conceived by Nemésio about a decade before the publication of Mau Tempo no Canal. Thus, by outlining the internal history of the novel’s translation, this thesis constitutes a textual comparative study of the Portuguese, French and English language editions, seeking to identify how the translation strategies adopted impacted the understanding of the novel, in particular the perception and dissemination of the açorianidade that characterizes it. In addition, it also draws the external history of the novel’s translation, by featuring a peritextual comparative study of all its existing translations (in addition to French and English, Mau Tempo no Canal also appeared in Russian and Polish), thus promoting the understanding of its exportation process. Seeking to bring visibility to the novel’s translators and translations, with particular emphasis on the phenomena of heterolingualism and (un)translatability, it is hoped that Do Mar ao(s) Livro(s) serves as a work document for those interested in such subjects, as well as contributes to deepen the study of açorianidade, insularity, Nemésio and Mau Tempo no Canal, deeply rooted in the voice of the Azorean people.

Date of Award	28 Mar 2025
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa NOVA University Lisbon
Supervisor	Alexandra Lopes (Supervisor)