Ruído branco: cotejo das traduções de Pele negra, máscaras brancas, de Frantz Fanon

Abstract

This article undertakes a comparative study of two Brazilian Portuguese translations of Black Skin, White Masks, authored by Frantz Fanon and originally published in 1952. It explores divergent approaches to the translation process as shown in the versions by Renato da Silveira (Universidade Fedearl da Bahia, 2008) and Sebastião Nascimento, in collaboration with Raquel Camargo (UBU, 2020). In Silveira’s translation, these differences are evident from the outset, beginning with a translator’s note introduced by the familiar adage “traduttore traditore.” His commentary centers on syntactic and stylistic aspects of the target text, often accompanied by critiques of Fanon’s original, including translation notes that justify the omission of certain passages and point to perceived inconsistencies in the source text. In contrast, Nascimento and Camargo’s version presents translator notes only in the body of the text, offering conceptual clarifications and contextual background. Their translation foregrounds the complexities of rendering racially marked language, while also aiming to make this pivotal work more accessible to readers engaged in anti-racist scholarship and praxis. Rather than defending the limitations of translation, the 2020 edition asserts the translator’s role as mediator and facilitator. This article ultimately raises the question of whether an anti-racist translation is possible—and what steps might be taken to pursue it.