Chapter 3: The Translation of Cultural Categories
4.3. Micro-textual analysis of Oyono Mbia’s source texts
4.3.5. Swearwords
Another device which Oyono Mbia uses which introduces local colour in his plays and further dramatizes the action in his plays are swearwords and oaths and this is particularly evident in his first play Trois Prétendants…Un Mari where he makes abundant use of such swearwords and oaths. All of them are in the Bulu language and the author has introduced them untranslated in his plays.
The oaths in the names of his Bulu ancestors are used by his characters to express various emotions such as shock, pride, disgust, stress and despair/helplessness at having been overtaken by events. Some highlighted examples include the following:
i) Bella: (Qui vient de s’installer à côté de Matalina) Qu’est qu’il y a encore dans ce monde d’aujourd’hui mon pauvre mari ? Je vois les femmes manger même des vipères, des sangliers, des…(Claquant des mains, scandalisée) :
Eé é kié Oyônô Eto Mekong ya Ngozip é é é ! (TPUM:15)
The expression “Oyônô Eto Mekong ya Ngozip” refers to Oyônô Eto Mekong, an illustrious figure of the past from the Ngozip village. The Bulu people also have as custom to express their surprise, pain or any strong emotion by invoking aloud their most illustrious ancestors. The emotion expressed here is that of shock and consternation at the women’s audacity and impudence to violate with impunity such a deeply entrenched custom.
The author ironically puts across his message through the expression of this emotion.
In the play, the author is castigating the subjugation of women in the traditional society through outdated and anachronistic customs which impede the emancipation of the women. It is thus ironical that it is Bella, a female character, who disapproves and is scandalized and shocked at such despicable, unbecoming and reprehensible
behaviour of some of the women who dare to eat vipers and wild boars reserved exclusively for men.
ii) Bella: (Fièrement) Un vrai blanc! Ma petite-fille Juliette va épouser un vrai blanc !...Ah Nane Ngôk ! (TPUM:16)
“Nane Ngôk!” is the illustrious ancestor invoked here and the emotion expressed is that of pride and satisfaction. Bella feels very proud that her granddaughter will be married to a man who is as civilised as a white man (i.e. a European).
iii) Oko: (Tranquillement) Pour qu’elle m’épouse, il faut qu’elle suive sa volonté à elle.
Abessôlô : (Ecoeuré, aux autres) Qu’elle suive sa volonté à elle ? Une femme ? Zua Meka ! (TPUM:112)
“Zua Meka” is another Bulu illustrious ancestor. The emotion expressed by Abessôlô by invoking aloud this figure is that of complete disgust and revolt. Indeed, he is utterly disgusted and revolted at the suggestion from Oko that Juliette should be the one to freely choose her husband rather than for one to be imposed upon her by her parents as required by custom.
iv) Atangana: Hi yé é é …ah Zua Meka! Quelle journée! (TPUM:81)
The same illustrious ancestor as above is also invoked here but this time the emotion expressed by the character is that of stress and despair/helplessness at having been completely overtaken by the events of the day.
All these oaths evoke ancestors who the villagers believe exist in the spirit world and can assist them. Since this belief is peculiar to the Bulu culture and the oaths have no direct equivalent in French, it is probably for this reason that the author has introduced in his source texts the Bulu signifiers which reveal the cult of ancestors practised in his native village of Mvoutessi.
It is also observed that just as in the case of Bulu loan words discussed above (cf.
section 4.3.3.) Oyono Mbia equally gives the readers an idea of the emotions conveyed by the oaths in each situation by cushioning them with explanatory tags in the stage directions. For instance, in (i) above the word “scandalise” in the stage directions provides the readers with a cue to the emotions experienced by the character.
Similarly, in (ii) and (iii) the words “fièrement” and “écoeuré” in the stage directions respectively provide the readers with an idea about the emotions experienced by the characters while in (iv) it is the utterance “Quelle journée!” immediately following the oath that provides the cue to the emotion experienced.
However, while the cushioning within the text provides an idea about the emotions experienced by the characters, the readers are still not informed about what the native Bulu words mean or refer to. To adequately inform the reader about his culture therefore, the author has provided supplementary information about the significance of the Bulu oaths in a glossary at the end of the play.
It is worth pointing out here also that, just as in the case of the Bulu loan words, the cushioning is effected mostly in the stage directions and also elsewhere in a glossary, in other words, out of the play text proper. The device thus essentially benefits readers and not an audience watching the play on stage. However, given that the stage director and actors also constitute part of the readership since they also have to read the script before acting it out, they would exploit the cushioning in the stage directions to inject into their gestures and movements on stage the corresponding emotion highlighted by the cushioning. That way the emotions intended by the playwright and experienced by the characters would then be perceived by the audience watching the play and who have no access to the text. Even then, the audience would still not have access to the supplementary anthropological information provided by the author in the glossary.