6.1 Racist and colonialist elements
6.1.4 Explicit racism
In the novel, there are four cases of explicit racism and different strategies have been applied to translating them into Finnish. The first of these instances occur when Mary meets Martha, the maid who works at Misselthwaite. The two almost have an argument because Mary, who has always been dressed by servants does not know how to do it herself. Mary is not happy as
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Martha thinks it is time for her to learn. In the following passage, Mary explains that things are different in India, to which Martha replies that is because people there are black people instead of respectable white people:
ST (17): ‘Eh I can see it’s different,’ she answered almost sympathetically. ‘I dare say it’s because there’s such a lot o’ blacks there instead o’ respectable white peo-ple. When I heard you was comin’ from India I thought you was black too.’ (p.25–
26)
TT1 (18): Niinpä kyllä, tiedänhän minä, että toisin siellä on, hän vastasi melkein säälivästi. – Siellähän on paljon mustia ja vain vähän valkoisia ihmisiä. Kun kuu-lin, että sinun piti tulla Intiasta, luulin sinuakin mustaksi (p. 24)
[Indeed yes, I do know, that things are different there, she replied almost pity-ingly – There are a lot of blacks and only a few white people. When I heard that you were supposed to come from India, I thought that you were black as well.]
TT2 (19): ”Niin varmana! Sen näkee kyllä”, hän vastasi melkein osaaottavasti.
”Kaipa se johtuu siitä, että siellä on niin paljo mustaihosia eikä juurikaan kunnolli-sia valkokunnolli-sia ihmisiä. Minä luulin että sinä ja olet mustaihonen, kun kuulin että sinä tulet Intiasta.” (p. 26–27)
[“Yes, surely! One can see it”, she answered almost sympathetically. “It is probably because there are so many black-skinned and not many decent white people. I thought that you and are black-skinned, when I hear that you come from India.”]
TT3 (20): ”Juu. Niinpä kuuluu olevan erilaista”, hän sanoi melkein myötätuntoi-sesti. ”Ehkä se johtuu siitä, että siellä on niin paljon mustia ja niin vähän valkoisia.
Kun kuulin sinun tulevan Intiasta, luulin sinuakin mustaksi. (p. 30–31)
[“Yeah. I hear it is different”. She said almost compassionately. “Maybe it is because there are so many black people and so few white. When I heard that you were coming from India, I thought you were black as well.]
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Martha’s utterance I dare say it’s because there’s such a lot o’ blacks there instead o’ respect-able white people contains firstly a view that white people, but not black people, are respectrespect-able.
Secondly, it contains an implication that things are different, implicitly worse, in India because of the lack of respectable white people. Both Toini Swan (TT1) and Emilia Numminen (TT3) have omitted the adjective modifier respectable and have thus toned down the racism in Mar-tha’s exclamation by removing the direct claim that people in India are less respectable than and thus inferior to white people.
The second part, the assumed causality between the way things are in India and the amount of white and black people, is retained by Emilia Numminen (TT3) as the translation contains Martha’s assumption of things being different is a result of its population: [e]hkä se johtuu siitä, että siellä on niin paljon mustia ja niin vähän valkoisia. Toini Swan (TT1) has left out the overt indication of the assumed causal connection. In the first sentence of the passage, Martha claims that things are different and in the following sentence she states that there are a lot of black people and few white people in India. The translation (TT1) does not contain ex-pressions such as because or as a result linking the two things directly to one another: toisin siellä on, hän vastasi melkein säälivästi. – Siellähän on paljon mustia ja vain vähän valkoisia ihmisiä. However, it can be discussed whether the assumed causality is made covert in Toini Swan’s translation (TT1). The translated passage contains the implication that Martha thinks that things are worse in India because there are few white people there, which is emphasized by the notion that Martha almost feels sorry for Mary.
Sari Karhulahti (TT2) has retained the modifier respectable, which is translated as kunnollinen. In addition, Karhulahti (TT2) has retained the view of causality between the lack of white people and the state of things in India: [k]aipa se johtuu siitä, että siellä on niin paljo mustaihosia eikä juurikaan kunnollisia valkosia ihmisiä.
In the second explicitly racist passage Mary is outraged when she learns that Mar-tha has thought Mar-that she is a black:
ST (21): ‘You thought that I was native! You dared! You know nothing about na-tives! They are not people–they are servants who must salaam to you. You know nothing about India. You know nothing about anything!’. (p. 26–27)
TT1 (22): Sinä luulit minua intialaiseksi! Kuinka sinä uskalsit? Sinä et tiedä mitään Intiasta. Sinä et tiedä mitään! (p. 24)
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[You though I was Indian! How dare you? You know nothing about India. You don’t know anything!”]
TT2 (23): ”Sinä luulit, että minä olen intialainen! Että sinä kehtasit! Sinä et tiedä mitään intialaisista! Ne eivät olet ihmisiä vaan palvelijoita, joiden pitää kumartaa meitä. Sinä et tiedä mitään Intiasta. Et tiedä mistään mitään! (p. 26–27)
[“You thought that I am Indian! How dare you! You know nothing about Indi-ans! They are not people but servants that have to bow to us. You don’t know anything about India! You know nothing about anything!”]
TT3 (24): ”Sinä luulit minua intialaiseksi! Miten sinä kehtasit! Sinä et tiedä mitään intialaisista. Sinä et tiedä mitään Intiasta. Sinä et tiedä mistään mitään!” (p. 30–31)
[“You thought I was Indian! How dare you!” You do not know anything about Indians! You don’t know anything about India. You know nothing about any-thing]
Again, both Toini Swan (TT1) an Emilia Numminen (TT3) have omitted the explicitly racist elements. The sentence “They are not people–they are servants who must salaam to you, which refers to Indian people, has been omitted altogether from both translations. However, the racist discourse is not entirely removed, since Mary’s angry response to the fact Martha thinks she was an Indian implies a negative attitude towards Indian people. Sari Karhulahti (TT2), on the other hand, has retained the expression in the translation: ne eivät olet ihmisiä vaan palvelijoita, joiden pitää kumartaa meitä.
The third explicitly racist utterance is, again, made by Martha, who is surprised that Mary does not know how to skip a rope and she suspect this has something to do with the skin color of Indian people:
ST (25): ‘For!’ cried Martha. ‘Does tha’ mean that they’ve not got skippin’-ropes in India, for all they’ve got elephants and tigers and camels? No wonder most of
‘em’s black. This is what it’s for; just watch me.’ (p. 56)
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TT1 (26): – Mitä tehdään! ällistyi Martha. – Eikö Intiassa ole hyppynuoria? Mitäs sitten kannattaa puhua norsuista, tiikereistä ja kameleista? Kummako sitten, että ihmiset siellä ovat niin mustia. Tällaista sillä tehdään! (p. 55)
[What is done? Martha was taken aback. Are there no skipping ropes in India?
What is the point in talking about elephants, tigers and camels? Is it any wonder that people are so black there? This is what is done with it!]
TT2 (27): ”Että mihinkö!” huudahti Martha. ”Tarkotatko sinä, ettei Intiassa ole hyppynaruja, vaikka siellä on norsuja, tiikereitä ja kameleja? Vaan ihmekös tuo, kun sikäläiset on melkein järjestään mustaihosia. Annas kun minä näytän, mihin hyppynaurua käytetään.” (p. 59)
[For what! Martha exclaimed. ’Do you mean that there are no skipping ropes in India even though there are elephants, tigers and camels? Though it’s no wonder, since people there are almost predominantly black. Let’s me show, what skipping rope is used for.]
TT3 (28): ”Mitäkö?” Martha huudahti. “Eikö Intiassa muka ole hyppynaruja, vaikka siellä on norsuja ja tiikereitä ja kameleita? Minäpä näytän, mitä sillä tehdään.
Katso!” (p. 73)
[What? Martha exclaimed. “Don’t they have skipping ropes in India, even though there are elephants and tigers and camels there? Let me show what is done with it. Look!”]
In the source text Martha is bewildered that there are no skipping ropes in India and remarks that no wonder most of ‘em’s black. This statement has been retained by Toini Swan (TT1) as she has translated it as: [k]ummako sitten, että ihmiset siellä ovat niin mustia. While the remark in the source text states the idea that most people [in India] are black, Toini Swan (TT1) has translated it as ihmiset siellä ovat niin mustia (people there are so black). Sari Karhulahti (TT2), however, has translated the passage by reversing the relationship between the two sentences.
The source text passage implies that it is no wonder most people are black since there are no skipping ropes [in India]. Sari Karhulahti’s (TT2) translation contains the reverse implication:
[v]aan ihmekös tuo, kun sikäläiset on melkein järjestään mustaihosia thus claiming that it is no wonder there are no skipping ropes because most local people are black-skinned. Emilia Num-minen (TT3) has omitted this part of the passage. Her translation contains the part where Martha
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is first amazed that there are no skipping ropes in India even if there are elephants and other animals and then Martha goes on to show Mary how to skip rope.
The fourth explicitly racist expression is uttered by Bean Weatherstaff, who de-scribes Indian people as heathens.
ST (29): ‘I’ve never skipped before,’ Mary said. ‘I’m just beginning. I can only go up to twenty.’ ‘Tha’ keep on,’ said Ben. ‘Tha’ shapes well enough at it for a young
‘un that’s lived with heathen. (p. 59)
TT1 (30): – En ole koskaan ennen hypännyt nuoraa, sanoi Mary. – Aloitin vasta nyt. Minä en pääse kuin kahteenkymmeneen. – Anna mennä vain, sanoi Ben. – Tuohan on vallan sopivaa tytölle, joka on elänyt pakanain parissa. (p. 57)
[I have never skipped rope before, said Mary. – I am just beginning now, and I can only go up to twenty. – Go ahead, said Ben. – That is quite suitable for a girl who has lived among heathen.]
TT2 (31): ”Minä en ole hyppinyt narua koskaan ennen”, Mary kertoi. ”Se ei suju vielä kovin hyvin. Pääsen vasta kahteenkymmeneen.” ”Jatka sinä vaan”, kehotti Ben. ”Sinä pärjäät vallan hyvin vaikka olet eläny siellä pakanain seassa. (p. 61)
[“I have never skipped rope before”, Mary told. “It does not go very well, yet.
I can only go up to twenty.” “You just keep on”, urged Ben. “You are doing very well even if you have lived among heathen.]
TT2 (32): ”En ole ennen hyppinyt narua”, Mary kertoi. ”Minä vasta aloittelen, enkä jaksa hyppiä kuin kahteenkymmeneen.” ”Jatka vain harjoittelua”, Ben sanoi. ”Sinä hypit oikein hyvin ottaen huomioon, että olet kotoisin Intiasta. (p. 74–75)
[”I have never skipped rope before.” Mary told. “I am just beginning, and I can only go up to twenty. “Just keep practicing”, Ben said. “You skip very well considering that you are from India.]
Emilia Numminen’s (TT3) translation [s]inä hypit oikein hyvin ottaen huomioon, että olet ko-toisin Intiasta for the source-text part [t]ha’ shapes well enough at it for a young ‘un that’s
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lived with heathen does not contain translation for the word heathen. Heathen is dismissive as it refers to people in India, who as non-Christian are implicitly considered inferior to religious people in England. However, the omission does not entirely change the negative association.
The translation, in which Ben Weatherstaff says to Mary that she can skip rope well considering that she is from India, still implies that the exercise being considered healthy is unknown in India. Both Toini Swan (TT1) and Sari Karhulahti (TT2) have retained the word heathen, pa-kana, and have translated lived with heathen as elänyt pakanain parissa and eläny siellä pa-kanain parissa.
From a literary perspective, racism is in the cases presented above connected to the characters’ features and background. Martha is depicted as an uneducated and inquisitive, and her racist views can to some extent be interpreted as ignorance. Mary’s views can be inter-preted to reflect her self-centered and selfish as well as imperialist word view. However, this does not mean that the racist elements would necessarily be an acceptable means to depict and add depth to characters, since the tendency of modifying them in the two Finnish translations implies that the expressions are considered somewhat inappropriate, or at least controversial in the target culture.
To sum up this subsection of the analysis, Emilia Numminen (TT3) has clearly omitted or toned down racist elements most of the three translators. However, her translation has not entirely removed all racist implications, but Numminen (TT3) has, however, omitted explicitly racist elements. Toini Swan (TT1) has omitted some parts. Swan has translated the English expression natives as alkuasukkaat. Kielitoimiston sanakirja, a dictionary of standard Finnish, does not currently define the word as dated and derogatory, despite the fact that its appropriateness is under discussion, for instance, by Koskinen and Paloposki (2015:227). Sari Karhulahti (TT2) and Emilia Numminen (TT3) have translated the expression most often as intialainen. Otherwise, Sari Karhulahti’s (TT2) translation contains the racist elements of the source text, and in this respect, it seems to strive toward adequacy rather than acceptability.
Thus, Karhulahti’s (TT2) and Numminen’s (TT3) translations are different in this respect even if they have been published close to one another.
82 6.2 Violence
The Secret Garden contains violent elements. The protagonist, Mary, is threatened and treated with violence and she behaves violently as well. Violence is talked about and regarded as a potential and sometimes even accepted behavior. I will next discuss how the passages encom-passing explicit violence are translated.
In the material, there were altogether eight instances of explicit violence or a phys-ical attack either taking place or being described. Violent tendencies are mostly expressed by or targeted at Mary. In three of the instances Mary is violent or utters violent thoughts. In one instance Mary is treated with violence, and in one instance she threatens with violence. In two instances a threat of violence is aimed at Colin. One instance, in its turn describes domestic violence as gardener Ben Weatherstaff tells a story how a man he knows acted towards his wife.
This instance will be discussed further later.
6.2.1 Mary’s outbursts
Mary’s disagreeable personality is expressed in various ways. Mary’s appearance is described negatively, she says mean things and she is prone to violence. This becomes evident when Mary’s attitude and behavior towards her Indian maid is depicted in the first chapter of the book:
ST (33): The woman looked frightened, but she only stammered that the Ayah could not come, and when Mary threw herself into a passion and beat and kicked her, she looked only more frightened and repeated that it was not possible for the Ayah to come to Missie Sahib. (p. 8)
TT1 (34): Nainen änkytti pelästyneen näköisenä, ettei aia voinut tulla, ja kun Mary alkoi kiukuissaan lyödä ja potkia häntä, hän näytti yhä säikähtyneemmältä ja toisti, ettei aia mitenkään voinut tulla neiti sahibin luo.
[The woman stammered, looking frightened, that ayah could not come, and when Mary in her anger started to hit and kick her, she looked even more star-tled and repeated that ayah could not possibly come to Miss Sahib]
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TT2 (35): Nainen näytti säikähtäneeltä mutta änkytti vain, ettei Saidie voinut tulla, ja kun Mary löi ja potki häntä suutuspäissään, hän näytti vielä säikähtäneem-mältä ja toisti, ettei Saidie pystynyt tulemaan pikku emännän luo. (p. 8)
[The woman looked startled but just stammered that Saidie could not come and when Mary hit and kicked her in her anger, she looked even more startled and repeated that Saidie could not come to little hostess.]
TT3 (36): Nainen säikähti, mutta änkytti vain, ettei aya päässyt tulemaan. Kun Mary raivostui ja alkoi läpsiä ja potkia palvelijaa, tämä näytti yhä pelästyneem-mältä ja toisti, ettei aya mitenkään voinut tulla neiti sahibin luo. (p 8)
[The woman was startled, but just stammered that ayah could not come. When Mary got furious and started to slap and kick the servant, she looked even more scared and repeated that aya could not possibly come to Miss Sahib.]
Toini Swan (TT1) and Sari Karhulahti (TT2) have retained the verbs lyödä (to hit) and potkia (to kick) in their translations of the source-text expression Mary threw herself into a passion and beat and kicked her. Toini Swan (TT1) has translated the part as Mary alkoi kiukuissaan lyödä ja potkia häntä, (Mary started in her anger to kick and hit her). Both the verbs lyödä and potkia are in the a-infinitive form and are parts of a verb group with the verb alkaa (alkoi, past tense 3rd singular). In Sari Karhulahti’s (TT2) translation Mary löi ja potki häntä suutuspäissään the verbs are in past tense.
Emilia Numminen (TT3) has translated to beat as läpsiä which in English rather means to slap. This could be interpreted that violence it to some extent toned down, but on the other hand, the verb potkia, (to kick) is included in the translation and thus the overall impact is not diminished.
In the following passage, Mary is furious at Colin for having a tantrum and she yells that someone should beat Colin:
ST (37): He ought to be stopped! Somebody ought to make him stop! Somebody ought to beat him!’ she cried out. (p. 133).
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TT1 (38): – Hänet on saatava vaikenemaan! Jonkun täytyy saada hänet vaikene-maan! Jonkun pitäisi lyödä häntä! hän huusi. (p.132)
[He needs to be made silent! Someone must make him silent! Someone should hit him! she yelled.]
TT2 (39): ”Colin pitäisi pakottaa lopettamaan! Jonkun pitäisi pakottaa hänet lopet-tamaan! Jonkun pitäisi löylyttää hänet!” hän huusi. (p. 139)
[“Colin must be forced to stop! Someone should force him to stop! Someone must give him a hiding!” she yelled.]
TT3 (40): ”Hänet pitää hiljentää! Jonkun täytyy hiljentää hänet! Jonkun pitäisi an-taa hänelle kunnon selkäsauna!” Mary huusi. (p. 165)
[“He needs to be silenced! Someone has to silence him! Someone should give him a proper spanking!” Mary yelled.]
Interestingly, Emilia Numminen’s (TT3) translation slightly amplifies violence. In the source text, Mary shouts that [s]omebody ought to beat him! In Emilia Numminen’s (TT3) translation, Mary’s expresses that someone should give Colin a proper spanking: [j]onkun pitäisi antaa hänelle kunnon selkäsauna! The adjective that modifies the noun, kunnon (proper), is an addi-tion that intensifies the violence. In addiaddi-tion, selkäsauna (~ spanking) can be interpreted to refer to a repeated act of violence. The verb löylyttää (~to give a hiding) in Sari Karhulahti’s (TT2) translation refers to giving a hiding, and in a similar manner as selkäsauna refers to a repeated act of violence. The verb lyödä (to hit) in Toini Swan’s (TT1) translation refers to a single act of violence. However, it can be disputed whether there is a relevant distinction between the intensity of the verbs. After all, each of them refers to violence.
6.2.2. Violence towards Mary
In the story, attitudes towards children and corporal punishment are means of controlling, teach-ing and punishteach-ing children. In the followteach-ing passage, the maid Mrs. Medlock has found Mary in a corridor where she is not allowed to be. Mrs. Medlock is angry and uses force as well as threatens Mary with a corporal punishment as she takes her back to the nursery:
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ST (41): ‘You didn’t hear anything of the sort,’ said the housekeeper. ‘You come
ST (41): ‘You didn’t hear anything of the sort,’ said the housekeeper. ‘You come