Identité en action: la double visée axiologique des textes cioraniens traduits en français

Abstract

Translation represents a way to approach Cioran’s relationship with Romania, without falling victim to his provocative remarks or ironing out his complicated narration. If Cioran himself was hesitant to talk about his Romanian writings, Western critics in turn hastened to follow his example. Some critics have found it hard to imagine why anyone would care about Romanian «minor» culture, in the first place. Other comments on the translation process underline its importance for Cioran. For example, the insight gained by the translator extends not only through the text under consideration, but also towards the author. Cioran was thinking that translation is a judgment, a commentary or a mirror where the author can contemplate, at his ease, the faults of his mind. So, a translation betrays us more than it betrays our text. Therefore, Cioran’s interest in translation is like a place where one gets an idea of identity. The use of «we» in his fragmented texts links his theoretical position to the current state of Cioran’s translated texts, where he finds himself in multiple overlapping roles: the first person plural is the author, but also the translator. But his Romanian identity appears, volens nolens, in his French messages, denoting clemency and nobility, this time.