Análisis de las operaciones que generan ineficiencias en el proceso

I have chosen the three£^,kT(2/scT5 discussed in this section as illustrating both the recurring patterns I observed in the English Evangelium, as well as the particularities of N iclaes’ style that I want to draw attention to. The last two

C while generally following V ittels’ translations methods, include shifts on the sentence level that are not a constant feature in the English text but are of interest with regard to the questions this research poses.

I. First 6 /S T R /\C T

Dewile My dan nu van Godes Genade (alse ein utherwelet Vat, edder Hus, edder W oninge Godes) in dessem Dage der godtsaliger Lieften, de Vorborgentheit des hemmelschen Rycke Godes, syn rechtferdich Gerichte, unde de Thoekum pst synes Christi ;nu tor lester Tydt; in de Vorrysenisse der Doden vorklaret, unde tho erkennen edder tho verstaen gegeven is: unde dath ick ;dorch den D enst der Lieften Jesu Christi; desulve Vorborgentheit der Ryckedommen Godes, wedder up Erden vorklare: unde idt genadige unde levendige W ordt des Keren (dat ick ;uth dem waren Lichte unde hemmelschen Jerusalem; to eine Getuge der W aerheit, van dem Munde Godes sulvest, entfangen hebbe) in synem Name, unde na synem Wille bedene, tor Beholdinge unde Segen alien Geslachten der Erden, die daer-anne geloven, na de Beloften, so ware idt oick wal billick edder behorlick, dath se allé, die nu ;in desse vaerlicke Tyden; beholden willen bliven, My ;in dem genadigen Worde mynes

Seeing now then that ;out of G od’s grace; in this day of the godly Love, the mistery o f the heavenly Kingdome of God, his righteous Judgment, and the coming of his Christ ;now in this last time; in the Resurrection o f the dead, is declared unto me (as an elected vessel, house, or dwelling of God) and given me to know or understand the same: and that I ;through the service of the love of Jesus Christ; declare forth again the same mystery of the riches of God, upon the earth: and minister the gracious and living word of the Lord (which I have received ;out of the true light and heavenly Jerusalem; to a witness of the truth, from the mouth of God himself) in his name and according to his will to the preservation and blessing of all generations of the earth, which beleeve theron, according to the promises: so were it likewise very m eet and right, that they all which will now bide preserved ;in these perilous times; gave ear unto me, in the gracious word of my heavenly father: turned their

Chapter V

hemmelschen Vaders; gehor gaven: ere Herten to de Gehorsamheit des genadigen W ordes ;mith alle Goed- willicheit to de Liefde unde erem Denste; wendeden: unde nicht unvorstandelick ;na erem Goed- duncken edder Inbildinge der W etentheit; vorthliepen (sig. A4v)

hearts ;with all good willingnesse to the love and her service; unto the obedience o f the gracious word: and ran not forth in ignorance, according to their good-thinking or imagination of the knowledge (sig. A6r-A6v)

The m ost striking feature for anyone reading through the English Evangelium,

especially when one is not acquainted with its source text, must surely be the syntactical organisation of the work. The heavy punctuation of the Low German, which allows Niclaes to construct long sentences broken down in clausal units, is preserved in V ittels’ translation of the work. As Smith (1989: 179) rightly noted, the expressive function of N iclaes’ style becomes limited by the short clauses, so that the structure in each sentence becomes that of a list, the com ponents of which contain one action within a larger framework. This is especially the case in the last part of the sentence above, which consists o f a string of exhortations. It seems safe to argue that this aspect of N iclaes’ style is reflected in V ittels’ translation.

As can be observed, V ittels’ general approach to the sentence structure of the original seems to aim for an accurate and close following of the source text. Nevertheless, his translation avoids syntactic caiques and reads idiomatically, while not strictly reflecting the wording of the original - e.g. the verbs are put in their natural position in English. The small changes he makes to the constructions of the source sentence force him sometimes to insert anaphora or substitutions so that the cohesion of the sentences is preserved, as can be seen on line ten in the passage above - ‘or understand the sam e'.

b. Second 6 A T R /4 C T

Derhalven, dorch desse velerlye M isbruken unde Unvorstanden ;angenomen unde gedreven uth de W etenschoppe der Schrift; unde vormiddelst der falscher Herten, die Religien, Ceremonien, edder Godes- densten driven (wahr-dorch se einanderen vor Secten unde Vorforers, unde mith mannigerleye falsche Getugenissen beschuldigden: unde also mannigerleye Bosheit ;tom Laster unde Vorflockinge; over einandem uth riepen) worden de Overicheden der Werlt ;over Velen; to Vorfolch unde Dodinge vorohrsaket (sig. K2v)

For that cause, through these many manner o f abuses and ignorances ;taken on and m aintained out of the knowledge of the Scripture; and by reason of the false hearts, which set forth and enforced Religions, Ceremonies, and God-services (wherethrough they ;with many manner of false testimonies; accused each other for sectaries and seducers: and also brayed forth much wickedness ;to slander and cursing; one over another) the M agistrates of the world, were occasioned ;against many; to persecution and putting to death (sig. L6r)

The translation Vittels gives is o f particular interest, because it includes one o f the very few changes on the more syntactical level of the text to suit the particular context of the English religious situation. On the whole, Vittels follows the source text closely, with the typical associations of N iclaes’ Low German original being preserved in the translation. Again, the exact wording of the source text is not strictly kept but adapted to the linguistic requirements of the English tongue. Note also the doublet ‘set forth and enforced’. On the word level, Vittels does not translate as an absolute the Low German ‘secten’197

The feature in the English sentence I want to draw attention to can be found on line thirteen in the Low German edition and on line fourteen in the target text: Vittels translates the source tex t’s present tense ‘w orden’ by the past tense ‘w ere’; a practice which is rare in his translation. In this passage, which we have looked at in part before, Niclaes talks about the persecutions the Protestants suffer from the authorities. O f course, in the Anglican context of the Elizabethan time the religious

The word ‘sectary’ cam e in the m id-seventeenth century in use as an absolute (first attestation in James H o w e ll’s T w elve T rea tises o f 1643), but this use w as very rare.

Chapter V

policy of the State was orientated towards the propagation o f Reformed ideas, and it was largely the Catholics who were under attack. Although Vittels does not alter the actual criticism Niclaes had on the Protestant religion - moreover, he preserves and translates literally N iclaes’ positive remarks about the Catholic Church which we find in the text - it is possible that the historical reality o f the English religious context made him change the present tense of N iclaes’ original.

c. Third

Seet: middeler Tydt (dewyle idt by Velen noch Nacht was, unde de figurlicke Densten, unde Sacramenten, mit Em ste gedreven, unde oick mit Em ste ;tor Vordemodinge der Volckeren; underholden worden) so zynt oick de Volckeren, die sick gehorsamlick daer-under vordemodigeden, under desulve figurlicke Densten bewaret gewesen, dath en de grote unde gruwelicke Vordervinge nicht overfallen heft, die nu ;in dessem lesten Tyde; alien Godtlosen unde W edderstreveren der Waerheit, unde en allen die sick nicht ;gehorsamlick; under den Denst der Lieften Jesu Christi bugen willen, overfallen sal (sig. I2v)

Behold: in the mean time (the while it was yet night with many, and that the figurative services, and Sacraments, were with diligence set forth, and eamestely observed, to an humbling of the people) so have the people ;which humbled them obediently thereunder; been kept under those figurative services, so that the great and horrible destruction hath not fallen upon them, which shall now ;in this last time; fall upon all ungodly and resisters of the truth, and upon them all ; obediently; under the service of the love of Jesus Christ (sig. K4v)

This last «FATV^^AcTshows that even a diligent translator such as Vittels could sometimes miss the meaning o f N iclaes’ source text. On the whole, these two passages, again, exemplify N iclaes’ writing style and V ittels’ general translation strategy. Notice how Vittels varies the recurring ‘E m ste’ of the original. However, in his rendition o f the last part o f the original’s sentence Vittels, while forgetting to translate a crucial part of N iclaes’ original - i.e. ‘die sick nicht ... bugen w illen’, brings about a shift in the textual function and claims the opposite of what the source text says. While Niclaes writes that the ‘horrible destruction’ shall now come

to fall upon all those who refuse to accept the ‘D enst der Lieften’, Vittels has it that those who are ‘under the service o f the love’ will be destroyed. Examples of this kind, it needs to be said, are very few in V ittels’ translation, but they do exist. This quite ironic missing of the source text’s meaning m ight suggest that even an experienced Familist like Vittels was sometimes dazzled by N iclaes’ style, and, in a way, it explains the different interpretations some of the less ‘illum inated’ followers of the movement gave to their prophet’s doctrines.