Among the world’s minor literatures, the history of Belgium’s two literatures has been traversedby disquieting existential issues: national bilingualism (French/Dutch), linguistic identificationwith the great French and Dutch neighbours who, in addition, hold a virtual monopoly onconsecrating authority, and the various phases of the country’s federalisation, which togetherhave mortgaged a distinct Belgian literary identity, forged along the lines of the French nationstatemodel. The study of intercultural “intra-Belgian” relations between its minor literatures ispresented as a veritable challenge to translation studies. In particular, this article will analyse thedegree of heterolingualism in literary translation from Dutch to French during the between-warperiod in Belgium. It will delve into the modalities of literary heterolingualism and the latter’simpact on identity in translations between these minor literatures. Translation is an interculturalprocess that occurs between cultures that do not enjoy the same power and status; as a result, theextent of a translation’s heterolingualism can take on an important symbolic value. This articlewill improve our understanding of the construction of literary identities and the interculturaldynamic at play between minor languages, past and present. Moreover, applying a functionaldescriptive approach to the study of heterolingualism in translation between minor literatures isable to correct the artificially monolingual character of translation studies models. This study willcontribute to making more flexible traditional binary oppositions between original/translation –monolingual/multilingual, and to increasing our understanding of the cultural dynamics ofcultures and literatures considered (erroneously?) until now to be monolingual.
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