Identité ‘propre’ ou identité ‘empruntée’ des littératures mineures? Hétérolinguisme dans la traduction littéraire intra-belge

Among the world’s minor literatures, the history of Belgium’s two literatures has been traversed by disquieting existential issues: national bilingualism (French/Dutch), linguistic identification with the great French and Dutch neighbours who, in addition, hold a virtual monopoly on consecrating authority, and the various phases of the country’s federalisation, which together have mortgaged a distinct Belgian literary identity, forged along the lines of the French nationstate model. The study of intercultural “intra-Belgian” relations between its minor literatures is presented as a veritable challenge to translation studies. In particular, this article will analyse the degree of heterolingualism in literary translation from Dutch to French during the between-war period in Belgium. It will delve into the modalities of literary heterolingualism and the latter’s impact on identity in translations between these minor literatures. Translation is an intercultural process that occurs between cultures that do not enjoy the same power and status; as a result, the extent of a translation’s heterolingualism can take on an important symbolic value. This article will improve our understanding of the construction of literary identities and the intercultural dynamic at play between minor languages, past and present. Moreover, applying a functional descriptive approach to the study of heterolingualism in translation between minor literatures is able to correct the artificially monolingual character of translation studies models. This study will contribute to making more flexible traditional binary oppositions between original/translation – monolingual/multilingual, and to increasing our understanding of the cultural dynamics of cultures and literatures considered (erroneously?) until now to be monolingual.status: publishe