Conrad and the Formation of National Identity: The Malay Translations of Gaspar Ruiz and Almayer's Folly

ISSN： 0039-3274

Source： Studia Neophilologica, Vol.85, Iss.1, 2013-06, pp. : 69-81

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Abstract

Despite the central importance of the Malay Archipelago for Conrad's maritime career and literary oeuvre, the translation and reception of his writings in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have received no critical attention. After summarizing Conrad's recorded views on the principles of effective translation, this essay offers a detailed examination of Rustam A. Sani's translation of Gaspar Ruiz and Almayer's Folly into Malay in the mid-1960s. Situating them in relation to Lawrence Venutti's theories of translation and nationalism, it connects both texts to Sani's involvement with the Malaysian language movement. Through close comparison of translation and original, this essay shows how Sani's methodology was influenced by contemporary political efforts to construct a modern national identity.