Formulation And Implementation Of A Translation Policy In Madagascar:A Descriptive Study

Madagascar is an island country in the southeast coast of Africa where people from different nationalities meet for intense trade and diplomatic activities.Therefore,the importance of translation is self-evident.However,the country has not been touched by the powerful trend of Translation Studies since the 1970s.It is only very recently that Madagascar has elaborated a policy for its national language,while translation policy in the country remains simply a blank space.Given the present background of globalization,Madagascar has witnessed growing exchange and communication with other countries both economically and culturally,it is urgent that the country formulate its own practical and effective translation policy and implement it so as to promote its translation practices and translation studies.The present study makes an in-depth and systematic research into such a question.The theories that frame our research are the polysystem theory,the norm theory and the post-colonial approaches to translation studies.The author holds that these theories support the idea that,all along,Madagascar needs a translation policy which will not only promote the development of its literature and literary translation,but will also boost its advancements in diplomacy,politics,economy and culture.In this way,it will lay a solid language foundation for Madagascar's economic and cultural exchange and interaction with other countries.As there are various factors and obstacles which constrain the formulation and implementation of a translation policy in Madagascar,we propose a number of suggestions in an effort to overcome these obstacles.These suggestions which will support the formulation and implementation of a translation policy involve such facets as government,economy,society,culture,language,and literature.For government-related suggestions,we hold that it is the role of the government to set up a specialized agency or body in order to formulate and implement the translation policy because the government is the main actor which has the power to offer administrative and financial support for the actual formulation and implementation of the policy.For the economy-related suggestions,we propose that the government should financially help and support the domains that call for the translation policy.As an example,we can cite Malagasy tourism which is the most rapidly developed field in Madagascar.The policy would well organize this field that involves translation between local and foreign languages.Accordingly,this field calls for the financial support for the effective implementation of a translation policy.We also propose social solutions for the formulation and implementation of a translation policy in Madagascar which involves the creation of a strong cohesion between translation scholars in Madagascar,especially between different generations of scholars who are expected to be more cooperative in their work of translation.For culture-related suggestions,we hold that translation trainers should offer a greater number of Malagasy books and translated works of foreign literature to the students in order to provide students and future scholars of Translation Studies with good materials on the learning of foreign culture,since translation studies and translation practices always involve cultural matters.Our main language-related suggestion for the formulation and the implementation of the translation policy is that we should set up more institutions or centers that offer the teaching of language and linguistics and translation trainings.The instructors should adopt more effective teaching methodologies,for example,to create language games(such as "dictionary games")to improve the learners' language proficiency so as to lay a solid language foundation for the development of their translation ability.After all,for a translator to be at the top of his/her work,he/she is supposed to have a good mastery of the two languages involved.As for literature-related suggestions for the formulation and implementation of a translation policy,we hold that to train future specialists in translation,gifted both in literature and foreign languages,we should clearly stipulate within the policy an argument in favor of the advancements in literary translation and non-literary translation,as well as translation criticism.Then in the present study,the suggestions for the promotion of translation studies and translation practices in Madagascar are discussed.These suggestions involve such entities as government bodies and the translation institutions.First,for the sake of the promotion of translation studies,the Akademia Malagasy(the biggest governmental institution in charge of the promotion of Malagasy language)is entailed to promote Malagasy language as either the target language or the source language of every translator.The translation institutions should pay full attention to the evolution of the Malagasy terminology in order to keep the pace with the unavoidable progress of neologism in todays' globalization.For the promotion of translation practices,governmental bodies should allocate generous subventions for the promotion and compilation of glossaries and dictionaries which are the main tools for translation practitioners.Translation institutions are expected to initiate magazines and journals treating languages and translation.Then the prospects for the formulation and implementation of the translation policy are discussed.In terms of translation practices,Madagascar has already accepted the use of formerly forbidden vowel and consonant system as well as the extensive use of neologisms,especially in advertisements.Translation policy's most positive impact would be on tourism and the guidance of migrants in Madagascar.In terms of translation studies,the formulation and implementation of the translation policy would better organize the profession of translation studies and foster its development.Apart from that,the present study,taking South Africa and European Union as samples for a case study,explores their language policy and translation in an effort to demonstrate that a strong and well supervised language policy and translation policy are highly promotive for translation studies and practice.Unstable situation due to language insecurity in South Africa and Madagascar would be rarer thanks to the introduction of the official languages(e.g.French)to minor ethnics that do not understand those languages.The positive aspect of translation policy in the European Union and Madagascar is that this policy would promote cultural and linguistic diversity.Although the cost of formulating and implementing a translation policy is very high,it would be the sole solution to multilingualism in South Africa,the European Union and Madagascar.To conclude,the present dissertation offers some suggestions for the formulation and implementation in Madagascar in an effort to promote translation studies and practices in the country.It must be admitted that the suggestions we provide in our study are still very basic and are from adequate enough.In spite of this,the author hopes that it can be a positive step forward to the actual formulation and implementation of a translation policy in Madagascar.We cannot wait for too long,and we are eager to see that the present study could serve as an inspiration for the Malagasy government,society and academic circles to take some necessary measures in an effort to actually formulate and implement an effective translation policy for the better development of Madagascar,in translation in particular,and in culture in general.