[attach id=206251 size="medium"][/attach]
Toni Aquilina: Sbuħija moħlija u Stejjer Oħra, 2012.152pp.
Guy de Maupassant’s reputation for story-telling has passed the test of time and his work is still being published both in French and in translation in various languages worldwide.
Aquilina relentlessly decomposes the original text- Paul Zahra
The latest translation of Maupassant into Maltese Sbuħija Moħlija u Stejjer Oħra (2012) by Toni Aquilina, is an anthology of short stories that is certainly to be appreciated by those who enjoy reading French literature translated into Maltese.
Aquilina’s Maltese translation, published by Faraxa Publishing, maintains the recipe that makes Maupassant’s stories so enjoyable. Aquilina offers a faithful translation of the original texts and mediates in Maltese not just the stories themselves but also the simple and direct style which is so characteristic of Maupassant’s writing.
Throughout these 10 stories the reader is amused and intrigued by the twisted logic of Maupassant’s characters and the influence left on them by their surroundings.
Characters are very often the victims of a cruel destiny which at times is set right by human nature: such is the case of Simon in Il-Papà ta’ Simon (Le Papa de Simon). The picturesque and exotic also find themselves in short stories such as Brigant Korsikan (Un bandit corse), while the comical, bizarre and seemingly eccentric is seen in Vjaġġ Sanitarju (Voyage de Santé) and Minwett (Menuet).
Maupassant analyses the human mind in stories like Ix-Xwejjaħ Pa Milon (Le Père Milon) on whom the Franco-Prussian war and occupation of France left such a ferocious psychological impact, and Ġifa (Un Lâche) whose fear of dying in a duel forces him to commit suicide. Il-Karezzi (Les Caresses) which is full of sensuality and sexual innuendos brings to the surface the influence that the Marquis de Sade left on Maupassant, while Il-Magħmudija (Le Baptême) and Sbuħija Moħlija (L’Inutile Beauté) immediately bring to mind the impact that Zola and Natural-ism had on his writings and philosophy.
Sbuħija Moħlija’u Stejjer Oħra is another valid contribution to mainstream Maltese literature since any text translated from a foreign language is eventually adopted by our linguistic culture.
Aquilina relentlessly decomposes the original text and recomposes it into our native tongue and culture, even if the translation inevitably remains rooted in French literature and civilisation.
It is therefore only the narrow-minded who still maintain that translated literature is second rate literature. Such literature, when presented to us by competent translators such as Aquilina, should be considered as an equivalent re-creation of the original text, albeit in different language and cultural set-ups.
The eventual aim of every Maltese translator, which I’m sure Aquilina subscribes to and amply proves in this latest anthology, is to enrich the choice of those who enjoy reading good imported literature in the vernacular.