174 THINKING ITALIAN TRANSLATION

reformulation, because of the whole context in which the ST was written and published.

Some of these considerations are illustrated in the following example. It presents a range of features which presuppose not only alertness to the ST context but also some familiarity with the people mentioned (public figures), the place (Rome) and the issue (Roman dialect). It is in this wider context that the articles play their role, between grammar and style. Before reading our comments on the text, translate it as if for publication in a broadsheet supplement on contemporary Italy. Then, in class, discuss how far the use of articles in student TTs mirrors that of the ST:

LINGUA E LINGUACCE

Perché il romanesco è diventato sinonimo di volgarità

Il Novissimo Ceccarelli Illustrato

`A Fra', che te serve?' Tutto cominciò con questa frase, anno 1980. Anzi, non semplicemente `frase': slogan, tormentone giornalistico per sintetizzare un tic, un malcostume, un modo di vivere e di essere dei politici romani, faciloni, arroganti, smaccatamente corrotti. `Fraº era Franco Evangelisti, corrente 5 andreottiana, cardine di quella Dc strapotente che deteneva un regno a suo modo assoluto, ma che cominciava già a scricchiolare. Evangelisti raccontò senza remore (questi erano i tempi) all'intervistatore Paolo Guzzanti il piccolo aneddoto che fece epoca, nel senso proprio che segnò un'epoca: i Caltagirone, inaffondabile schiatta di `palazzinari' romani, erano pronti a esaudire ogni 10 richiesta degli alleati politici. E si esprimevano in romanesco puro, prontamente riportato da Guzzanti sulla Repubblica.

E questo romanesco è moneta corrente, ingrediente giornalistico inevitabile, ogni volta che si vuole screditare, simpaticamente o meno, un qualche personaggio pubblico col vezzo di esprimersi nel colorito gergo della capitale. Non succede 15 con altri dialetti. Dal Nord al Sud, un lombardo o un siciliano difficilmente diventa macchietta come invece succede per direttissima ad un romano. Ultimo in ordine di tempo il pittoresco avvocato Aldo Ceccarelli, che sembra un'invenzione di Carlo Verdone.

(Petrignani 1997:168) For `il romanesco' in the title one could retain the article (`the Roman dialect'), although it may be better to eliminate it, as the term appears in a headline. It is also possible to reduce the expression simply to `Roman', because the words `Lingua e linguacce' give an idea of the subject matter. The reference to `Il Novissimo Ceccarelli Illustrato' is both a paronym and a pun. The title of the well-known dictionary alluded to is `Gabrielli', not `Ceccarelli' (the latter reference appears in 1. 18). Dealing successfully and succinctly with headlines/ titles often requires a decision to prune the ST material; in this case, one is at the

DETERMINERS 175

very least likely to omit the pun it can be assumed that the TL reader does not know of the dictionary alluded to.

A particular feature of style in this passage is the suppression of indefinite articles by the author in the title, in lines 2, 5, 12 and 16. Though it may be possible to do the same in translating line 2, it would certainly be hard to do so with the other lists. This is largely due to English grammar: the lists are not all single words, and some may need expansion for clarity. Thus, the translator will probably use the indefinite article (`not simply a ªphraseº, but aªsloganº', etc.). Mixed lists like this, where the items do not all have the same grammatical structure, can cause problems for reasons of consistency. This is likely to arise with any translation of `tormentone' (1. 2), which denotes an endlessly repeated catch phrase or slogan, whether in advertising, entertainment or politics. In this case, the translator will need to find the hyponym which will most suitably lead into the list of traits which follows. It is of course the nominal units themselves that suggest whether or not using articles with them is appropriate, and this appropriateness is dictated by the grammar, semantics and logic of the text as a whole.

A reference problem appears in line 8, with `il piccolo aneddoto'. Reading on, this can only really refer to the information following the colon (`i Caltagirone, etc.'), but the way the ST is formulated hardly suggests translating it as `the little anecdote'. In effect, the author is hinting at the story, rather than telling it, so using `anecdote' with the definite article would appear odd. Linked to this problem is `schiatta' (1. 9): we are obviously dealing with a large family of `contractors', but, interestingly, reference in the 1980s was usually to `i fratelli Caltagirone' rather than to a `famiglia'. In fact, given the business they were in, it appears far more logical that the male side of the family should be more important here. However, without this knowledge the translator is obliged to allude to `the Caltagirone family', as `the Caltagirones' is unclear.

In lines 13±14, the generic form `un qualche personaggio pubblico' requires an equally generic translation, while `col vezzo di esprimersi' (1. 14) may benefit from grammatical transposition to a relative clause: `any public figure who is in the habit of expressing himself. In line 16, the absence of an article before `macchietta' adds a little difficulty to the issue of lexical choice. As in the case of `tormentone', a suitable phrase will have to be found, and one which will capture the author's indignation: `a figure of fun', for example. `[Processo] per [via] direttissima' (11. 16±17) is an out-of-context legal reference to a trial under criminal law where the preliminary stage is bypassed and the trial proper goes ahead with extreme urgency. In this context it assumes an adverbial, rather than a nominal, aspect, as the author is implying that Romans immediately (i.e. automatically) become figures of fun when they speak in dialect: the issue of whether to use a TL article therefore does not arise.

It is clear that style and grammar are closely interwoven. The following passage admirably shows how the use or suppression of articles plays a significant role in realizing and interlinking different registers, as in the

176 THINKING ITALIAN TRANSLATION

`comunicazione interna' drafted by Inspector Santamaria's secretary, Pietrobono (`P.b.'), which is in her own personal, comic shorthand. In the previous section the Inspector has been interviewing a suspected mafioso, while in this scene he is speaking to the daughter of the mafioso's woman. After Pietrobono's brief memo, the narrative continues. Translate the passage, as if you were translating the whole novel for publication, and discuss the translations in class:

Comunicaz. interna: S.m. avvertemi che sta tornando su con figlia; ordina pertanto spostare madre in uff. attiguo, con pretesto verbalizzare sue dichiaraz.Ð O.K. (P.b.)

- Lui non c'entra niente. Lasciatelo andare.

5 ÐÈ un bravo ragazzo?Ðdisse Santamaria.

Contrariamente alle sue meccaniche aspettative, la brava ragazza non aveva niente di traviato, di perduto, di degradato. Abiti sul casuale, tutti diversi da quelli della madre, ma in ordine. Capelli idem e mani, collo, orecchie lavate. Fronte chiara, occhi luminosi. E l'aveva seguito in ufficio con una docilità da 10 scolara giudiziosa, s'era guardata intorno con equanime interesse, come in un museo o laboratorio forse un po' squallido, ma da cui si può sempre imparare qualcosa.

Vedi la freschezza, pensò il commissario assistendo ora all'apparizione di due fossette, la dolcezza.

15 ÐBravo ragazzo no, sorrise lei,Ðalmeno non nel senso corrente. Io credo che sia della malavita.

Vedi il candore, pensò il commissario, l'irresponsibilità, l'intangibilit༠(Fruttero and Lucentini 1979:243±4)

The memo is a challenge in itself. Here is a possible TT:

Memo (internal): SM warns me: coming back+daughter. Wants mother moved office next door with excuse taking her statement. OK. (PB)

Almost the same length as the ST, the TT falls short of it in stylistic effect, because the telegraphic style is generic rather than specifically police-like. To ensure coherence, no words are truncated, though articles, pronouns and some verb forms are removed. If the translator is willing to risk compromising absolute clarity, the following TT might have more of the required atmosphere:

SM warns: coming back+daughter. Move mother nxt office, to `take statement'. OK. (PB)

The rest of the text is less enigmatic, but the articles require careful attention. For instance, when Santamaria's reactions are expressed in telegraphese, the sociolect is that of the detached, observant professional (a detachment which may not last very long¼): does the absence of articles have any implications for translation?