Multilingualism in the Romanian translation of C. N. Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus: Sociolinguistic considerations

Abstract

This article investigates the translation of multilingual fiction from English into Romanian by setting it under the lens of the novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The novel comprises three language varieties spoken by the Nigerian Igbo ethnic group. Bearing distinct sociocultural features, the interlingual transfer of the three language varieties (Nigerian English, Nigerian Pidgin English, and Igbo) impacts the preservation of the information relative to cultural items and to the social configuration of the local community. The sociolinguistic configuration of the text under analysis is first presented and exemplified as they integrate into the sociocultural context and are subsequently discussed by analysing relevant examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the translations. This descriptive approach to the translation envisages the detection of strategies adopted with a view to observing and preserving the author’s intentions, namely those of exhibiting Nigerian traditions and the contemporary sociolinguistic picture. The findings indicate that the translation of three language varieties posed different kinds of problems and required different translation strategies. The conclusions comprise some possible solutions for the translation of multilingual fictional discourse and its sociolinguistic features.

Keywords

• multilingual fiction
• sociolinguistic features
• nigerian languages and language varieties
• translation