As I worked on the translation of this volume, I met regularly with the authors and we collectively made decisions concerning difficult questions that emerge in a work of linguistic interpretation. Translating into English the speeches of Fidel Castro from 1959 to 1961 involves particular challenges. In the first place, the political and ideological context of the words of Fidel is different from that of the English-speaking peoples of the global North. Therefore, the translation continually involved two moments: a first moment of interpretation, understanding the meaning of the words in the political-ideological context in which they are expressed; and a second moment of reinterpretation, expressing that understanding in a different cultural, political, and ideological context, perhaps in a different terminology, but faithful to its original meaning.
Secondly, Fidel for the most part did not write out his speeches and his spoken words were transcribed by the stenographic department of the Cuban revolutionary government. The spoken word, uttered in a form that effectively communicates, often is indifferent to the accepted grammatical structures of the written word. Paragraphs and sentences often are not clearly defined and the articulation can have a complex grammatical structure. Accordingly, I made the judgment in some cases that comprehension would be enhanced by expressing the words literally in English, with all their details and complexities. In other cases, however, I judged that understanding would be most facilitated by a reformulation of the words, in a form faithful to the original meaning. In this book, there are ample examples of both literal, detailed translation and faithful reformulation.
We have also decided to leave some words in their original Spanish. These words are frequently used in Cuban public discourse and their literal meaning in English has a somewhat different connotation. They include the following:
Compañero literally means partner, teammate, roommate, coworker, or colleague. In Latin American social movements, it connotes âcompanion in the struggle.â It could be translated as âcomradeâ in the Cuban context but as a legacy of the Cold War, such a translation would have an image that invites some degree of distortion.
Comandante, literally âcommander,â âmajor,â or âcommanding officer,â has a connotation in Cuba different from a military rank, as a result of the fact that the rank became associated with column leaders or officers assigned to important tasks in the revolutionary guerrilla struggle of 1956â1958. Some âcomandantesâ became legendary and their title permanent.
Venceremos could be translated as âWe shall overcomeâ or âWe will be victoriousâ. Fidel declared âVenceremosâ to be the slogan of the people on June 7, 1960, maintaining that, in the long run, the people will be victorious.
The Spanish is retained in the book in common Latin American slogans. SÃ, (âyesâ), regularly used in the slogan âCuba, SÃ,â a proclamation of support for revolutionary Cuba; and Viva!, âLong live,â as in Viva Cuba!, or Viva Fidel!
In certain political contexts in Latin America, the Spanish word pueblo (people) refers to persons with a common identity and common political culture. Accordingly, a concept has emerged of a nation that is formed by âa people;â and in multi-cultural nations, there are various âpeoples.â Similarly, there is common reference to âthe peoples of Latin Americaâ and âthe peoples of the world.â Although the plural âpeoplesâ is used rarely in English, and some consider it grammatically incorrect, I generally use it to translate âpueblos,â in order to be faithful to the Latin American meaning and intention.
Following the custom of Cuban revolutionaries and the Latin American Left of the time, Fidel uses the word âmonopoliosâ (monopolies) to refer to what we today call transnational corporations. I have translated it as monopolies, in accordance with the usage of the time.
In the period 1959 to 1961, Fidel was speaking prior to changes in language stimulated by the international womenâs movement. For the most part, Fidelâs traditional language has been respected and retained. The reader should understand that when Fidel used the word âhombresâ (men), in most contexts he meant men and women, and not men to the exclusion of women. Similarly, âhijosâ (sons) should be interpreted as sons and daughters; and âhermanosâ (brothers), as brothers and sisters. As is seen in some of the selected texts, Fidel was a groundbreaking advocate of the principle of full equality for women and the full participation of women in the revolutionary project. His use of traditional language reflected the usage of the time.
The nearly universal custom in written works is to refer to historic persons by their surname only, except for the initial reference to the person. Accordingly, many published writings outside of Cuba refer to the man who gave the speeches that form this book as Castro. But this is never done in Cuba. Sometimes, in the initial reference or in formal occasions or moments, he is referred
Charles McKelvey