Translate and adapt Moliere’s comedies into English from the 17th century to the 21st century. (Lyons)

Research days organized by Baudouin Millet (Université Lumière – Lyon 2, LCE Research Unit) and Carine Barbafieri (Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, LARSH Research Unit)

As the first translation-adaptations of Moliere’s comedies by Richard Fleckno(1), Thomas Shadwell(2), John Dryden(3), during these study days, we propose to study the translations of Moliere’s comedies from French into English. , Edward Ravenscroft(4) and Abra Behn(5), soon followed by Henry Fielding(6). The corpus of selected pieces also includes literal translations of Moliere’s theatre, complete or selected, carried out from the 18th century, led by John Osell (1714) and Henry Baker and James Miller (1739). Finally, it includes translations from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries of American poet Richard Wilbur (1921-2017). We may be interested in the comedies of the Restoration (especially William Wycherley(7) and John Vanbrugh(8)), some Moliresque comedies that have been adapted more freely.

A joke is a speech act intended to make an impact on the recipient(s), readers, or audience, as a statement that amuses or makes people laugh. Related to “ranch” in Richelet’s dictionary (1680) and “entertainment” in Furedière (1690), it evokes “laughter” for Moliere, a smile that is open and bright or more sensible. So reading Moliere’s plays as a collection of comedies and comedies, and in terms of translation and adaptation, the echoes they found among English translators either by Moliere or later.

So the type of jokes we are interested in will center on verbal humor, and the preferred themes we can approach from the point of view of their comedic effects, for example:

– Comedies and female characters, comedies and male characters.
– Parody of some popular languages.
– Translation of “dirty equivocations” (sexual equivocations).
– Treatment of onomastics, place names, titles.
– Words of truth and their adaptations.
– “Additions” and “Improvements” to the humor of the original pieces.

– Through the assertion of models (Ben Jonson, Shakespeare or Moliere), humor, repetition, mockery, etc.
– Paratextual discourse, epitextual discussions of the humorous potential of translations.
– “untranslatable” jokes and strategies of deception, interpretation and concealment carried out in translation.

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(1) Translated by Richard Flecknow Ridiculously precious (1659) under the heading Fashionable women In 1667.
(2) Translated by Thomas Shotwell Annoying (1661) under the title Sullen Lovers: Or, The Impertinents In 1668.
(3) John Dryden publishes a translation Dizziness (1655) under the title Sir Martin Mar-All, or, The Found Innocence, In 1668.
(4) He is a teacher-translator A citizen becomes a gentleman (1672), which reproduces two distinct plays by Moliere, The Bourgeois Gentleman (1670) and Mr. D Borsougnac (1669)
(5) Adapted by Aphra Behn imaginary body (1673) under the heading Sir patient fancy In 1678.
(6) Henry Fielding gives Mack Dr (Although Dr1666) in 1732, and miserly (miserly1668) in 1733.
(7) country wife (1675) was particularly inspired by Wycherley Girls School (1662)
(8) Sir John Vanbrugh, editor rebirth (1696), takes the elements Bourgeois-gentlehouse (1670)

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Reference bibliography:

– Bertrand Dominique, “Translation and Comic Effects”, Classic literature 13 (1990), p. 239-249.
– Perriot-Salvador Evelyn, Louvad Benedict, March Florence and Val-Russell Janis (Directors.), Scenes of Medicine in Moliere: Fortune and European Models, Arrêt sur Scène Focus 12 (2023) https://journals.openedition.org/asf/4021
– Canova-Green Marie-Claude, “Moliere or How Not to Recognize One’s Debt: Restoration Theater in England”, in 17th century France and Northern Europe, from Ireland to Russiadirector Richard Maber, Tübingen, Narr, 2017 (Library 17 214)
– Barbara Cassin (Director), European Dictionary of Philosophies. Dictionary of the Untranslatable Paris, Le Seille/Le Robert, 2004.
– Jones Suzanne, “First “Impressions”: Publishing Moliere in Early 18th-Century England”, Classic literature 106 (2021), p. 19-30.
– Georges of Maun, Beautiful infidels (1955), Lilly, PUL, 1994.
-Venuti Lawrence, The invisibility of the interpreter. A History of TranslationLondon, Routledge, 1995.

Communications will be in French. Proceedings will be published.