The Making of "le faulkner": A reflection on French of As I Lay Dying

Abstract

In a certain period of literary history, some works confirm its status and (re)gain its authority due to the translation. William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying is an example. The novel was long time ignored by American critics and it was discovered and favoured in France, then later in others European countries. The French translator contributed a lot to the acquisition of reputation and to the literary influence of the novel.

By an examination of the French translation, this paper argues the accuracy and appropriateness of some techniques and the strategy employed by the translator, for example, few deforming approaches which some translation theories criticised can be easily identified in the translation. But no doubt, the translation won the praise for the novel, then enlarged the influence of Faulkner’s style on French literature.

The French translation of As I Lay Dying confirms the power of the translator in multiple roles: his translation with the heavy domestication finger print, his efforts of promotion, his involvement in the publishing network, etc.. As the result, As I Lay Dying is conserved as one of the masterpieces of Faulkner and continues to impress readers and influence writing in both its host and original countries.