Research Proposal

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements of the

Professional Master Degree in Translation

Evaluating
Keith and Paula Cohen’s Translation
of
Hélène Cixous’ Le Rire de la Méduse
in light of Lawrence Venuti’s Theories of
Domestication and Foreignization

Submitted by: Raja Zaghdoudi

Supervised by: Dr Lobna Ben Salem
There are no facts, only interpretations

(Nietzsche)
Introduction:

Translation Studies, as an academic discipline, emerged in the mid-20th century,

focusing initially on issues of fidelity, equivalence and linguistic transfer. As the field

evolved, there has been a growing recognition of the cultural and ideological dimensions of

translation, paving the way for theories that foreground the translator’s visibility and agency.

Moving beyond traditional concerns with equivalence and neutrality, scholars began to

emphasize the role of translation in shaping cultural narratives and power dynamics. Among

the key theoretical frameworks that tend to champion the role of the translator and delve into

the complex interplay of language, culture, and power are cultural translation studies and

feminist translation studies.

As a subfield within translation studies, Cultural Translation Studies tend to explore

the dynamics of translating cultural elements across different linguistic social settings. They

emphasize the role of translation in mediating cultural identities, and power structures. This

approach considers translation as a site of negotiation where cultural meanings are both

preserved and transformed, highlighting the translator’s agency in shaping cross-cultural

understanding. Feminist Translation Studies, on the other hand, focus on the intersection of

translation and gender. It critically examines how translation practices can either perpetuate or

challenge patriarchal norms and gender biases. Feminist translators aim to make women’s

voices and experiences more visible, advocating for translations that reflect feminist values

and promote gender equality.

The intersection of these two fields is particularly evident in the work of scholars like

the American theorist Lawrence Venuti, who emphasizes the importance of preserving the

cultural, political and ideological essence of the source text through his support for the

foreignization strategy in translation. In fact, Venuti distinguishes between two main

strategies of translation: domestication and foreignization. Domestication involves adapting

the source text to fit the cultural norms, values, and expectations of the target audience. This

strategy aims at rendering the translation as fluent and natural as possible, often at the expense

of preserving the cultural and linguistic uniqueness of the original. Foreignization, on the

other hand, seeks to preserve the cultural and linguistic elements of the source text, even if

they seem unfamiliar or challenging to the target audience. The aim of this approach is to

highlight the “foreignness” of the source text, fostering an appreciation for cultural difference

and resisting cultural homogenization. For Venuti, the translation is never neutral; it always

involves cultural and ideological decisions. As he puts it in his famous book The Translator’s

Invisibility: A History of Translation, “the translator is no longer a passive conduit of

meaning, but an active participant in the creation of meaning, shaping the text through choices

influenced by cultural, linguistic, and ideological considerations” (Venuti 15). Venuti’s

emphasis on the translator’s visibility aligns with feminist goals of asserting the translator’s

agency and challenging the invisibility of marginalized voices.

Venuti’s concept of foreignization resonates with feminist translation practices that

seek to preserve and highlight the unique perspectives of women and other marginalized

groups. In fact, by integrating insights from both cultural translation studies and feminist

translation studies, Venuti has sought to develop practices that not only bridge linguistic gaps

but also engage critically with the cultural and gendered dimensions of translation. This

integrated approach aims at fostering a more nuanced understanding of how translation

functions as a tool for cultural negotiation and social exchange.

At this stage, it may be useful to introduce Hélène Cixous’ ground-breaking essay

entitled “The Laugh of the Medusa”, the subject matter of this thesis, in order to prove the

relevance of Venuti’s theory to Cohen’s translated version of this foundational text. Le Rire

de la Meduse is a seminal feminist text known for its experimental style, radical ideas, and

cultural specificity. These characteristics make it an excellent case study for examining how
translation strategies affect the transmission of feminist and philosophical thought. Lawrence

Venuti’s theory of domestication and foreignization, along with his broader critique of

translation practices, provides a useful framework for evaluating the impact of these

translation choices on the reception of Cixous’ famous philosophy. It offers a framework for

analyzing how translations navigate cultural linguistic differences. In fact, if there has ever

been a feminist text that has unflinchingly resisted conventional translation methods

throughout history, it must necessarily be Cixous’ “Laugh of the Medusa.”

In her influential essay, written in 1975, the French feminist and literary theorist,

Hélène Cixous, coined the term “écriture féminine” which refers to an avant-garde style of

writing, calling for subverting the phallocentric discourse and counterbalancing the

essentialist culture of patriarchy. Not only has Cixous’ peculiar style of writing and deviation

from the Western feminist mainstream constituted a remarkable turning point in the history of

feminism, but it has also posited her as one of the idiosyncratic figures of translation studies.

Surprisingly, despite her resistance to traditional translation approaches, Cixous’ literary

endeavors have attracted many translators across the globe, with her essay Le Rire de la

Meduse now available in more than five languages, including Cohen’s English version. Being

situated within the fields of cultural translation studies and feminist translation studies, this

thesis attempts, therefore, to evaluate Cohen’s Translation of Cixous’ “Le Rire de la Méduse”

in light of Venuti’s theories of foreignization and domestication.

II/ Review of the Literature:

Before clarifying this thesis’ rationale and delineating its research objectives, it may be

important to explore the large body of literary criticism generated by Keith and Paula Cohen’s

translation of Cixous’ Le Rire de la Méduse. While Cohen’s translation has been celebrated

for its literary qualities, it has also attracted significant criticism, especially from feminist

scholars and translation theorists, who have debated its effectiveness in preserving the
nuances of Cixous' feminist agenda and her innovative style. Thus, being a focal point in

feminist literary criticism and translation studies, Cohen’s translation has been analyzed for its

fidelity to the original text and its handling of Cixous’ innovative language and feminist

themes.

The most widely acknowledged merit of Cohen’s translation is its accessibility and the

clarity with which it renders Cixous’ complex ideas. Among those critics who have

emphasized the importance of Cohen’s translation in making Cixous’ ideas accessible to

English -speaking audiences, particularly her radical concept of feminist writing and the

exploration of female subjectivity are: Sherry Simon and Susan Basnett. They have both

highlighted the importance of this translation in bridging cultural and linguistic divides,

offering a window into Cixous radical feminist theories that were previously unknown to a

wider audience. Cohen’s translation has also been praised for maintaining the poetic qualities

of Cixous’ original French text. The fluidity of the version is considered important for

conveying Cixous’ stylistic choices, which are integral to her feminist philosophy. For

instance, in « Constructing Cultures: Essays on Literary Translation, » co-authored with

André lefevere, Susan Basnet underscores the significance of acknowledging the translator’s

agency. She aligns with Venuti’s call for visibility, arguing that translators are active

participants in the creation of meaning and should not be rendered invisible. Bassnet

emphasizes that recognizing the translator’s role is crucial for understanding the cultural and

ideological dimensions of translated texts.

Scholars like Luce Irigaray, and Diane Elam suggest that Cohen’s translation manages

to capture the spirit of Cixous’ writing while navigating the challenges of rendering her

abstract philosophical style into English. More importantly, the translation has been

recognized as an important milestone in the international dissemination of feminist ideas by

several feminist critics including Helen E. Longino who has pointed out that the work
contributed significantly to the feminist intellectual movements of the 1970s, especially in the

context of the women’s liberation movements in English-speaking countries. In doing so, for

her, Cohen’s translation facilitated a new wave of feminist scholarship, both in translation

studies and literary theory.

Despite the significant praise generated by Cohen’s translation, it was also met with a

considerable amount of critique. One of the most significant accusations hurled against

Cohen’s translation is that it fails to fully preserve the feminist radicalism and ideological

force of the original text. Similarly, Luise Von Flotow has explained that Cohen’s translation

tends to soften some of Cixous’ more subversive ideas. She argued that the translation

smoothness and readability can sometimes obscure the aggressive tone of Cixous’ original

text. She has also claimed that some of key feminist terminology—for instance, the specific

nuances of écriture féminine and jouissance—were inadequately conveyed in English, or

were weakened in the process of translation. For her, certain terms and concepts in Cixous’

work are deeply embedded in French cultural and linguistic contexts and lose their power in

translation when not adequately adapted for the target culture.

In her work « Sexual/Textual Politics, » Toril Moi discusses the challenges inherent in

translating Cixous’ innovative and poetic language. She critiques the Cohen’s translation for

occasionally failing to capture the nuances of Cixous’ style, which can lead to a diminished

representation of the original’s radical feminist message. In her turn, Susan Sellers, in

« Hélène Cixous: Authorship, Autobiography and Love, » examines the translation’s role in

introducing Cixous’s concept of écriture féminine to an English-speaking audience.

Although she acknowledges the significance of Cohen’s translation, she notes that certain

cultural and linguistic subtleties may not fully resonate with readers unfamiliar with the

French context. Other scholars including Rainer Schulte and Andrea Bell have explained that

Cohen’s translation tends to adapt Cixous’ text to the norms of the English language and
Western cultural sensibilities. This tendency risks rendering the text too familiar to the

Anglophone reader, which can oversimplify Cixous’ feminist discourse. Hence, the

translation failure to preserve the text’s critical edge and the “betrayal” of Cixous’ aims.

III/ Rationale and Research Objectives:

After reviewing the existing literature that has addressed Cohen’s translation of Cixous’

original text, it may seem valuable to explain this thesis rationale and outline the different

research objectives. This thesis aims to examine how Cohen’s translation navigates the

ideological, cultural and linguistic challenges of Cixous’ complex feminist text with a view to

addressing the tension between readability and fidelity in translation. It seeks therefore to

answer questions of the sort:

- To what extent does Cohen’s translation embody Venuti’s concept of domestication or

foreignization?

- How do Cohen’s strategies affect the feminist, philosophical, and stylistic dimensions

of The Laugh of the Medusa?

- What role does the visibility of the translator play in shaping the feminist and

philosophical elements of the text in the Cohen’s translation?

- How do the translation strategies employed by the Cohen’s affect the way cixous’

feminist ideas are conveyed to English -speaking readers?

- What ethical and political implications arise from the Cohen’s choices in translating a

feminist text like Le Rire de La Meduse?

My Contribution to the Academic field:

Despite the fact that Cohen’s translation of Cixous’ “Le Rire de la Méduse” has

been extensively explored by many scholars and critics, a direct application of

Venuti’s concepts of domestication and foreignization to Cohen’s translation has not

been prominently featured in scholarly discourse. Thus, by undertaking this critical

analysis, I aim to fill a gap in translation studies offering insights into how Venuti’s

theoretical framework can be applied to feminist texts and their translations and

enhancing the understanding of the interplay between translation strategies and the

preservation of feminist and cultural integrity in translated works.

IV/ Methodology and Expected Findings:

Before delving into the anticipated difficulties and challenges that may arise during the

course of this thesis, it may be highly rewarding to clarify this thesis’ methodology and justify

the textual and theoretical material selected to this purpose. As I decided to go against the

grain by opting for the evaluation rather than the translation of a given piece of work, it may

seem important to justify my recourse to the comparative study of Cixous and Cohen’s

endeavors through the lens of Venuti’s translation theory. Underlying my choice of the

comparative approach is the premise that “the evaluation of translations is essential, not only

to assess their fidelity to the original but also to understand how they mediate cultural and

ideological shifts between languages and societies.” (Venuti 27) Thus, the recourse to the

comparative approach stems from my recognition of the existing affinities between the tenets

of Venuti’s theory and Cohen’s strategies of translation namely domestication and

foreignization.

By comparing the original French text with its English version through the lens of

Venuti’s theory, this thesis attempts not only to demonstrate Cohen’s ability to navigate the

cultural and linguistic gap, maintaining the original text’s “foreignness”, but also to rebut the

charges hurled against Venuti’s theory of translation, such as oversimplification and

irrelevance to feminist texts. To put it differently, being a perfect embodiment of Venuti’s

translation theory, Cohen’s translated text can be used as yardstick against which the

applicability and relevance of Venuti’s theoretical framework to complex feminist text can be

tested and proved.

As far as my choice of the corpus is concerned, it should be said that it can be justified by

the existence of common ground between feminist translation studies and Venuti’s Theories

like resisting cultural hegemony and therefore raising the reader and translator’s cultural and

political awareness, championing the translator’s agency and asserting the relevance of

marginalized texts.

The Cohen’s attempt to translate Cixous’ original text demonstrates a delicate balance

between making the text accessible to an Anglophone audience and preserving the cultural

and linguistic essence of the source text. This does not only reflect the inherent tension

between the strategies of translation, but it also sheds light on the difficulty of the role of the

translator as a creator of meaning. The following are precise examples that show, in practice,

the application of Venuti’s theory to Cohen’s translation through their navigation of

domestication and foreignization:

Cohen’s Foreignization Strategies:

In Cohen’s translation of Cixous’ Le Rire de la Meduse, foreignization techniques are

evident in the following points:

Retention of French Words and Neologisms: It seems that the translators took the decision of

preserving the complexity of the original through maintaining Cixous’ neologisms (newly

coined terms) like “écriture féminine” in French.

Incorporating explicative notes and footnotes to explain the translation of gendered language

to make her choices apparent, reflecting Venuti’s visibility framework and aligning with his

resistance to marginalization. Thus, turning translation into a visible act of activism.

Maintaining the Original French Cultural References:

Preserving the mythological allusions through abstaining from replacing “the Medusa” and

refusing to substituting it with Anglophone equivalents.

While foreignization is prominent in Keith and Paula’s translation, some instances of

domestication can also be identified:

Cohen’s Domestication Strategies:

Simplification of wordplay, polysemy:

For instance, instead of simply translating the verb “voler” into steal the translators provide

the English translation accompanied with the French original word between parentheses. This

is meant to refer to the dual meaning of “voler” (fly and steal).

French version: “voler”

English version: “to steal” (and also to fly)

Simplifying the meaning and prioritizing readability over fidelity.

Replacing Untranslatable Idioms:

Replacing French Idioms that have no direct equivalent in English with culturally appropriate

expressions for the sake of readability and accessibility.

French: “prendre son envol”

English: “to spread her wings” instead of the literal translation “ to take flight.”

So here, the translators are trying to maintain the overall metaphor while making it more

accessible to English readers.

Minimizing Philosophical Density:

French: referring to Derrida’s “Différance” without explanation

English: explaining this term in order to domesticate the text and make it more familiar to

Anglophone readers.

VI/ Anticipated Difficulties:

Evaluating Cohen’s translation of Cixous Le Rire de la Méduse in light of Venuti’s

theory of domestication and foreignization may present several anticipated difficulties

including:

-The complexity of Cixous’ original text: replete as it is with poetic imagery, puns,

neologisms, wordplay and polysemy, Cixous’ text sems to resist not only translation but also

evaluation, for it requires close textual analysis and nuanced judgment.

- The translators’ use of overlapping techniques and strategies makes the application of

Venuti’s binary poles of domestication and foreignization sometimes difficult if not

impossible.

VII/ Tentative Outline:

My research paper is threefold:

1/ The first chapter will explore Venuti’s theory of translation, shedding light on his strategies

of domestication and foreignization as well as his advocacy for the visibility of the translator.

2/ The second chapter will be devoted to the comparative study of Cixous’ original French

text and Cohen’s translated text through the lens of Venuti’s theory of translation in order to

show the extent to which Cohen’s translation overlaps with Venuti’s theoretical tenets.
3/ Finally, the third chapter will highlight the challenges, findings and implications of this

thesis.

Conclusion:

Despite the difficulties that may be faced throughout the course of this thesis, its

contribution to the field may be highly promising. Apart from contributing to bridging the gap

between theory and practice, and contributing to ongoing discussions in feminist theory and

translation studies, this thesis will enable us to actively engage in feminist activism and take

part in the meaning-making process. This thesis will open avenues for further interdisciplinary

research by combining feminist translation studies, cultural translation theory, and Venuti’s

concepts of foreignization and domestication. Future Studies could explore how these

frameworks interact with other critical theories, such as postcolonialism or queer studies, in

translation practices. This horizon aims to inspire scholars to further investigate the

intersections of feminist translation, cultural theory, and broader ideological concerns in the

evolving field of translation studies.

VIII/ Tentative Bibliography:

Primary Sources:

Cixous, Hélène. Le Rire de la Méduse. L’Arc, vol.61,1975, pp.39-59.

Cixous, Hélène. Le Rire de la Méduse. Translated by Keith and Paula Cohen, University of

Nebraska Press, 1991.

Secondary Sources:

Venuti, Lawrence. The Translator’s Invisibility: A History of Translation. Routledge, 1995.

---------Translation Changes Everything: Theory and Practice. Routledge, 20013.

--------- the Scandals of Translation: Towards an Ethics of Difference. Routledge, 1998.

Moi, Toril. Sexual/ Sexual politics: Feminist Literary Theory. 2nd ed., Rotledge,2002.

Sellers, Susan. Hélène Cixous: Authorship, Autobiography and Love. Polity Press, 1996.

Bassnet, Susan. Translation Studies. 4th edition, Routledge, 2014.

Baker, Mona, and Gabriela Saldanha, editors. Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies.

3d ed., Routledge, 2020.

Simon Sherry. Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission.

Routledge, 1996.

Liu, Lydia H. Translingual Practice : Essays on the Institution of Translation and

Interpreting. John Benjamins, 2011.

Thanks for your Attention