TRANSLATING (OR NOT) IN MULTILINGUAL SINGAPORE: A HISTORICAL APPROACH

Abstract

This dissertation examines translation phenomena in Singapore from colonial to contemporary times, arguing that they are better understood as performative acts where their symbolic meaning is more significant than its semantic content. Acts of literary translation are performative in many ways, and various case studies are analyzed to demonstrate how translation can be a form of literary tribute, a performance of linguistic and cultural competence or a display of multilingualism. In particular, I propose the concept of ‘translation as tribute’, arguing that it captures a more nuanced understanding of Lim Boon Keng’s translation of Li Sao and Ly Singko’s translation of Modern Malaysian Chinese Short Stories. This dissertation also argues that the dynamics of translation is different in multilingual societies, giving rise to translation activities such as self-translation, parallel bilingual texts and incomplete translations, all of which challenge the conventional view that a translation should read only in one language.