literatos extranjerizantes

English translation: foreignizing literati

17:47 Feb 15, 2021

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Spanish term or phrase: literatos extranjerizantes

From a contemporary work on Argentine literature, the complete sentence is as follows:

La cuestión, decía Echegaray, era ponderar el libro en una justa medida, pues tanto los nostálgicos del rancho y el chiripá como los “literatos extranjerizantes” lo habían colocado, por razones opuestas, en alturas inmerecidas omitiendo lo esencial: su carácter de literatura de clase.

I know that literato is "man of literature" but "men of literature" is a little clunkier and "men of literature with a fondness for foreign influence" even worse...

(I also welcome any suggestions for "literatura de clase" -right now, the best I've come up with is working-class literature, but perhaps there is something better. It is a Marxist concept.)

Rebecca Wolpin KudoZ activity Questions: 2 (none open) Answers: 0 Argentina
Local time: 17:57

English translation:foreignizing literati

Explanation:
Definition of foreignize:
to make foreign: give a foreign character or flavor to
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreignize

Definition of literati:
1: the educated class
2: persons interested in literature or the arts
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literati

«In any event, Victoria was accused of being extranjerizante, a "foreignizer," because she preferred to write in French».
Victoria Ocampo: Against the Wind and the Tide
By Doris Meyer
https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=J6FIDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA52&lp...

Selected response from:

Pablo Waldman
Argentina
Local time: 17:57

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +5

foreignizing literati

Pablo Waldman

foreign-centered literati

matt robinson

3 +1

foreign-leaning literati

David Hollywood

foreign-centric literati

Marcelo González

overseas-adoring writers

Wordrow (X)

3 -2

Foreign ways-lover-writers

Yudith Madrazo

Summary of reference entries provided

"Extranjerizante" in the Argentine literature

Toni Castano

Discussion entries: 5

Answers

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

foreignizing literati

Pablo Waldman
Argentina
Local time: 17:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Barbara Cochran, MFA

1 min

-> Thank you, Barbara

agree

Katarina Peters

6 mins

-> Thank you, Katarina

agree

matt robinson: Well, I'd never heard of "foreignizing" before today. I mustn't have been paying attention to the translation theory.

26 mins

-> Me neither until I found the definition in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. Thank you.

neutral

Yvonne Gallagher: no, I don't believe it applies here?/They are not writers so can do no "foreignizing" of texts. It's the wrong word here imo and would not be understood. A false friend. You're also misunderstanding literati then!

17 hrs

-> They're literati who talk and write about literature and mold literary taste at a certain time, having a foreignizing influence (in the sense of making foreign) on national literature. That's the way I understand it.

agree

neilmac: Seems appropriate for the Arg. literary context of the query.

17 hrs

-> Thank you, Neil

agree

Thayenga

20 hrs

-> Thank you, Thayenga

17 mins confidence:

foreign-centered literati

Explanation:
I think literati fits well. foreign-focused or foreign-centered (I went with US spelling. For UK it would be foreign-centred)

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles/literati

matt robinson
Spain
Local time: 22:57
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 20

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): -2

Foreign ways-lover-writers

Explanation:
My try.

Yudith Madrazo
Cuba
Local time: 16:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish

8 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

foreign-leaning literati

Explanation:

Filipp Filippovich Vigel was a Russian noble of Swedish extraction who served in the foreign ... They are considered unreliable in so far as they concern the Western-leaning literati such as Nikolai Gogol and Pyotr Chaadayev.

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Note added at 8 hrs (2021-02-16 02:41:48 GMT)
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you might also consider "foreign language leaning"

David Hollywood
Local time: 17:57
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 136

2 days 20 mins confidence:

overseas-adoring writers

Explanation:
These writers are deemed to be mistaken in their foreign-based focus, hence "adoring" shows the give inordinate attention to that camp.

Wordrow (X)
United States
Local time: 16:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

4 days confidence:

foreign-centric literati

Explanation:
Though 'foreignizing' and 'foreignization' are discussed extensively in translation theory, I'll join those who cast doubt on its applicability here, where 'literatos extranjerizantes' appears to refer to those literati who favor that which is foreign, rather than referring to those who produce texts with a foreignizing effect.

Euro-centric, Arab-centric >>> foreign-centric

Something along the lines of 'literati with a foreign-centric orientation' may also be an option.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2021-02-20 13:39:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I also agree with David and Matt, as my suggestion here draws from that of the latter.

I hope this helps :-)

Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 10:57
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 44

Reference comments

32 mins peer agreement (net): +4

Reference: "Extranjerizante" in the Argentine literature

Reference information:
This link supplies some help to understand the notion of “extranjerizante” within the context of Argentine literature of the last century.

https://www.borges.pitt.edu/bsol/bsi7.php
Borges: a Writer on the Edge
THE ADVENTURE OF MARTíN FIERRO:
THE AVANT-GARDE AND CRIOLLISMO
(…)
The debate over language is one chapter in the vast and, for Argentine intellectuals, obsessive question concerning cultural tradition. In the first literary questionnaire organised by Martín Fierro, the definition of a 'national' was given as one who had an 'Argentine sensibility and mentality'. The question of cultural nationalism and by extension, of cosmopolitanism, divided the intellectual field along distinct class lines. The social writers of the Boedo group rarely mentioned the question, or when they did so, it was to accuse the avant-garde of being truly extranjerizante (following foreign models in an unquestioning fashion). The members of Martín Fierro, as well as declaring themselves to be heirs of this 'natural' cultural identity, threw the argument back at Boedo, accusing them of being linguistically and culturally foreign.

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Note added at 18 hrs (2021-02-16 12:31:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Extranjerizante" in the DRAE dictionary. Yes, it is included. Please see here:

https://dle.rae.es/extranjerizante?m=form
extranjerizante
1. adj. Que tiende a lo extranjero o lo imita. Una actitud extranjerizante. Apl. a pers., u. t. c. s.

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Note added at 19 hrs (2021-02-16 13:26:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

An additional note, this time from the Merriam Webster dictionary:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreignize
foreignize transitive verb
Definition of foreignize
to make foreign : give a foreign character or flavor to
concealing fact under a foreignized terminology

So it´s obvious then that 1) the infinitive "foreignize" does exist in English and 2) its meaning is similar to the Spanish counterpart "extranjerizar" (infinitive) and "extranjerizante" (adjective).

The debate remains open and I believe Pablo´s suggestion might be reasonable in an academic context (despite the fact we still don´t know the context!).

Toni Castano
Spain
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)

agree

philgoddard

12 hrs

-> Thanks Phil. Just still wondering if "foreignizing" is a comprehensible term for the English audience. What do you think?

agree

neilmac: So, Pablo's "foreignizing" would be correct in this Argentine context. Not the same as its meaning/use in general translation theory.

17 hrs

-> Hi Neil (hope you´re well). Yes, this seems to be the case in the Argentine/Argentinian/Argentinean :-) context. My only doubt is if "foreignizing" is a comprehensible term for the English audience. Do you think it is?

agree

Yvonne Gallagher: yes, that is a different meaning than the usual translation theory one//and no, most English speakers would not know the term at all// I think 1 word doesn't work here. Rather, foreign-influenced literati or aficionados of foreign literature or similar

18 hrs

-> Many thanks for your clarification, Yvonne. I was very sceptical about "foreignizing" being used in a general (non academic/scholar) context. But then, what can be a (short) alternative? //j Okay, thanks again for your input.

agree

Pablo Waldman: While we await an answer about the context from the asker, I believe that the sample paragraph provided suggests the text is not intended for a general audience but one similar to the book by Doris Meyer I have referenced.

19 hrs

-> I agree with you, Pablo. What you say it´s just logical. Let´s see what the asker has to say though.

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English translation: foreignizing literati

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