TWENTY Jacques DERRIDA From Des Tours de Babel ‘Translated by Joseph F. Graham “Babe: is proper ame, granted. Rat when we sy “Bak” today, do we know wha wea nani? Do we Know wham TF we conser the survival fa et that alga the marae ot the myth ofthe tower of Babel fe doce not consiure sone figure among cakes Teling ais of the adequaon of one tener another, fone pus inthe eoslopedie wo another ot language o self and © meaning nde fork abo tls of ee for figuration, for myth, fa wope fo wit and tna er stanton inadequate compen fo that which alplicty dens us In this srs woul ete mh oh nga oe, the meraphor of metpon the nara of maa, the eal ten of canon, ads on It would oot be thecal Sucre hollowing isl ou ke hy be would do sot ts own Wy (isl anos unusable like prope ane), and i Wor ‘woud have obese The “tower of Babel” does no merely gue dhe ietce nui of tongues i ibe an incompleten, the ines bility of hing of tring, of rutin. of completing eos. shngon the nf ean, acer constrain ch and architectonic What the mipiy of ome actualy bes ‘she only a “te” wanton,» trasparcae and adequate expression, iis ao a sructral order 3 cohcence of eons) ‘There then (et ws trate) sobhing ke an ines nie foxmalzaion, an incompleteness of the sonsrtre. I would be ep fom ues Dery “De Tot de Bib" easily neh F oni in cer hh Ge Crt os ais ‘aon Dus Toons Be Baas as 2x nd opto a ein pin jae ose there the wansaion cf tipmnn ecmmration ‘re should never pss ovr in sence the question ofthe ong in which tc sion ot the tongue fed a no shes dco testo sie Finn mht tng we he we of Babel onstcted and deconttd naonge ihn which the pops eae of abel {oak ako by conn, waned y "conten Te proper mane Bate 3a prope ane, sod renin nant tt By a kind of socinte cnfson sar nse npc rendered posible one thought elated mth er) tong bys oe Son nc puns what mr wana confi” Voc Showed as stone in fos Disab Pepe a he Butane 1 dono know why ti ain Gotha Babel signifies consi, for Bugs bth the Orel tones, snd las God Babel sigies che cy of God, heb The Ancis gvethit rue wo all ei capa. Bat i incoeesabe tha Babel nee ‘ofan citer beat the ache wre confounded ae hang Fase thee work up eo ogy-one tnusnd Jewish fet, or Bene the rngucr mee hen confound i cay fen ht time (on chat the Gea ho longer sean te Chun cet, Secoig tothe schol Bacar that Cee oily he sae tongue i High Geman, “he calm irony of Voltsire mean that Babel mean: i is no aly 2 proper mune, he reference of «pte igi to single being Sand fortis easonuntransaable~buts common noun related 0 the geneaity of meaning. Tis common noun means, and means ‘or only confusion, even though “confusion” has at leat wo ‘meanings, 3¢ Voire i ware, the confusion of tongues, but abo the sate of confsion in which the achites find themselves with the structure inzrrupted, so thats cersn confusion has aleady begun to afer the ewe meanings ofthe woed “confusion” The signicauon of “confsion” i conte, atleast dove. Bot Val tate suggests something cee agin Babel means nat ony con sion in the double seaseof the word, but also the name ofthe father, moce preely and more common, the name of God rane of fther he cey would bear the nate of God the father and ofthe ater ofthe city that salle confson. God, the Ge, ‘would have marked with his patronjm a communal space, that cisy pcareenctetnememecesirampemsemrcne paige20 heques Damas svete understanding is no longer possible, And understanding ie ho longer posible when tere ae oaly proper names and under standing Is no longer possible when there are no lager proper rmmes. In giving Ris sams, a name of his choice, in gig all ames, the fther wouk be 3 the origin of language, and thie power would belong by right to God the fither And the mame of God the fither would be the name ofthat origin of tongue But iti ao chat God who, in the action of his anger (ike the God of Bohme or of Hegel, he who leaves himself, determines hie in his inne and thas produces history), annul the gift of tongue, ‘rat least emboli swsconfsion among his ons and pone the present (Gigi). This also the origin of tongues, of the multiply of stoms, of what in ther words are sual ced ‘other tongues. For ths enue history deploys ations, genes ‘ons and genealogies al Sete. Before the deconstraction of Bs bal the great Semitic family was establishing its empire, which i ‘muted univers adits tongue, which tao aempe to impose fn the universe, The moment ofthis projet immediatly precedes ‘he decostrcton ofthe tower. Tce two Feench translations. The firse tanto stays away fom what one would wane eal “ite ality” in other words, from the Hebrew figure of spch for “rongue’” where the second, more concemed abou liealicy mesaphoric, or tater metoaymnc), says “ip since in Hebrew “ip® designaces what we cal in another mets, “ongue™ One wil haven ay mail of ie and go of tongues vo name the Batelian confsion. The frst translator, chen, Loui Segond, a thor ofthe Segond Bibl, publi in 1910, writes hi ‘Those a the sons of Sem, according to the ies, de tongs, there nantes ther atone. Soc ae the fies ofthe sone of [Nauk seeding othe generations ther ations And om them ht emerged henson whith ape ove the nth ere ‘tod lhe eh has single ong andthe ame word A ey ‘nd eft the they found pin ithe county of Sci apd brik an ke them inher And brs seed chem a tonya ‘arsed acomere Again they i Cane! Leis bu ures = Shy and ower one umm oa he ewer, x ake tunel me, hat we ae be steed over thee a the 1 donor know jus how to interpre thi alsin othe substntion ‘om Drs Towns Basse m1 ‘or the wansmuration of material, brick becoming stone and tar ‘eosin 36 mortar. That already resembles a traniaion, 4 tas: ‘on of ranlton. Bue let ws leave and subenite a second rans lation forthe fie. that of Chourag Tei scent and wants to tbe more literal, almost erbum pro verbo, as Cicero said shoul ‘ote done in ane of thot st ecomsmentations tothe trsndator ‘which canbe readin his ili de Optima Genom Orson. Here Here ae he nsf Shem forth dng, fore ongues, fre in for hee pple “lee hed of the sans Of Noa or thi nl, inex pope form tater vie the peoples. on cant fer the od adic the each: snl ip, on spe ‘Andit sachet depsre fom the One hey Sin canyon, Ie ant of Shinar They se ere They each oh he Lexus ith the fe” The boc bsomes fr em soo, thet, mora The oy Cote es us bid our cy and sme, IWebext: nde heres. ‘hat we not be scattered over the Face ofall he ext” What happens to chem? In other words, for what does God. punish chem in giving his name, orate, snce he ives io a Ing and to.n0 one, n prociining his name, the proper name of “confusion” which wil be fis mark and bis see Dows he punish hem fr having wanted o build igh as the heaven? Fr baving ‘wanted to accede wo the highs, upto the Mose High Perhaps foe thar #00, no doubr, bu incontesably for having wanted thas £0 ‘mate w name for shomicv t0 give themscves the name, t0 con ‘fru for and by themseves har own name eo gather themes ‘here ("hat we no longer be satered”) 3 inthe unity ofa pce ‘hich sat once a tongue and a rower, the one 25 well asthe cher, thecne asthe othe, He punishes them for having dhs wanted 60 vmm, Taoquts Denaro. assure dhemseie, by themselves, nique and univer genealogy: For the text of Genesis proceeds immediatly as ft were all 2 mater ofthe same design raising a tower, constructing ac ake Inga name for ones in 2 universal tongue which would aio be amdiom, and gathering a fiaon heyy Come ut ald ote cy nd tome ers mate ouseles ene, thar ne notte sere over she fice fal he ach” ‘et een se theca the omer thatthe soe of san are bul ont sy Ys! Ase peo, sing lip foal hai what hey begin wo do! (Come! Ledeen! Let onoand thei tips, ‘mun no ager undertake ip or phic” “Then he disseminates the Sem, and diseminaton is here deson wo spies he om ere over the ee of all he ear, “hey cease wo bal he iy (rer nich he procaine hs ame: Ravel Confson, Tether confoande the ip fa he at, te fom Bere tw doers ten over eco he ath Gan we not, then, speak of God jealousy? Out of reientment guns hae unique ame and ip of men, he pores his name, hi ‘ame of father; and with this olen positon he open che de ‘construction ofthe rove, a of the universal language; he seats ‘he genealogical lation. He bed te nage: Ee atthe sme tne imposes and forbids ansation He imposes and forbs it, cou strins, but as if fale, the children who henceforth wil bear his mame, the name tat Be vest the city Tei from 2 proper ‘name of God, come fiom God, descended from God or from the fer (and is indeed said that WH, an unpronounceable name, ‘decends coward the rower) abd by hit that tongucs ae scared, ‘onfounded or maltiplied, according toa deseendance that in ts ‘ery dispersion remains seed by the only name that wil have Been the srongest, by the only idiom that wil have triumphed. Now, {his idiom bas within el the atk of onfixon,cimpropery rein the improper, wt Bal, confusion. Tarlton then bey Comes neces sod possible ike he eso rug foc te Stpopraon of th ae neesary and fon in the ier ‘een two absolutly proper names. And the proper ame of {Go gen by God) vided oh nthe fog, ead, SSgufy tuo, conf, “onfon” And the war hat be dese: fi Ane raged wid his name: vided, Sd, ambalne, poy ‘esc! Go deconstructing, “And he wat” one ean Fay Tie, and we coud follow tht whe ory fom the side of Shem and Shaun The he wat” does tonya place together Sh incl namnberof phonic ad seman hea aoe date cont and throu ths Babelan book; ms the dchaation of wat Gn Engst) ofthe One who sy Tam te one ‘rho am snd who hur wa (a trees el unten Isvery performance, nt th ict that ounce moce than one unpuage ne, English and Gera, Teven tn infinte tanticion exbastd i srante ck, td sl ‘ant ino me guage and would lose the mapiny of he War Les eve or another in aks aly inruped reading Of the the war and let note ene of ee mis of cones Craton: oo often dy eae pang om oe langage to mother ant do ot sulctenty contr the possi fo I fhe tobe implicated mnths vin act Flow ax we {Emin ever lnguages 2 Gmc be tanita low the ect ply tobe endef? Ant what of asating with seve ianguages oa ime, wile be eed wransaing? abc day we cae es + proper ane deed, but che proper name of what and of fom? Ar ier that of snare {Ee recounting a story anti smbokie alegre; mares litle for the moment) sory wich the proper rare, which then no longer the tle of the naraive, numer tower O cy bra ener ora chy dar eevee name frm an oe Og hich awa “prodaine hs ame” Now hs proper mane, wc Bieay names es the times and thee ifr hing, a0 thas th is the whol point proper name the incon of com> Ion noun Ths sor cecunts, on ote ings, the org {he confusion of tongue the reduce map fone, he Scena pon tk fant, ey a impor Siig. Now in general one pays ie enon to st in {neon har we mont of ead th naa. Add ints wane2 , sequrs Deano lation the proper narietetins a singular desing, since ti noe translated in its appearance as proper name. Nov 2 proper name 2 such remains forever untransiatabl, 2 fac that may lead one 10 ‘conclude that it dos nor src belong, for the same reason 3 the ‘other words, ro the language, to the sytem ofthe language, be it translated of ransating. And yer “Babel” an cvene in single tongue, che ose in which it pear 038 form ext” aloha 2 common meaning, 2 eonepeual genera. That ie be by way of| 2 pun or 2 confused asociation matter ite: “Babel” could be understood in one language as meaning confusion” And fom, then on, jst as Babel a once proper name snd common oun, ‘onfsion ako becomes proper name and common noun, the one 2 the homoaym ofthe oer, the synonym ae well but not the ‘equivalent, becuse there could be no question of easing them Inthar vale Tchas for the tansltor no satitictory slain, Re course apposition and capitalization (“Over which he prolains his name: Bavel Confusion”) nor transiting from one tongue Jno another. Tf comments, explains, paraphnscs, but does not ‘want. At best it reproduces approximately and by dividing the equivoetion into two Words there where confusion gathered in pote in all ts potent inthe interna ansaion, Fone can SY dar, which works the word in the so-called orginal tongue. For in che very tongue ofthe orginal marative there is transl ‘on, sor of ransfer, thc gies ummediately (by some confsion) the semantic equivalent ofthe proper name which, by elf 384 pate proper nate, i would ot have Asa mater of fat thi ia telingeinicranslason operates immediacy tis a even an op tration in the seice sense Nevertheles, someone wh speak the language of Genesis could be atensive othe fect ofthe propet ame in cing the concepeul ellen (ike pi (rock in ‘Perr [Per and these ae bro absolutely heterogeneous vals ‘or factions) ane would then be tempted to sa fir that proper ame, inthe proper sente, does noe proptiy belong tothe an ge; it does aot belong there, ahh and brane call rakes the language posible what woulda language be without che pos bly ofeallng bya propec name}; consequent it can prope lnseribe elf in» guage only by allowing ise be tanlated ‘hercn, nether words, sneprized bye semantic ula fem {this momen ie can no Tonger be taken 3s proper name. The noun piers belongs 10 the French language, ands eansation ino 3 {oveig language should in principle transport is meaning, Thiet -Frose Des Tovrs De Bane ns not the cate with Pore, whos inclusion in che French langage ‘not asured and ein any case not ofthe same ype. “Peter” in hi Sense is noc aration of Pure, anymore than Lands ia rans lation of "Londn,” and #0 forth. And ssid, anyone whose s0- called mother tongue wat the tongue of Geness conld indeed ‘understand Babel 5 “confusion”; that person then eos a ofr teuslation ofthe proper name by ts ommon equivalent without having nced for another word I sa there were two words ‘here, rwo homonyms one of which haste value of proper name ‘ad he othe that of common noun: berween the two, transaion ‘hich one can evaluate que dvesly Doe it belong tothe kind ‘hat Jakobson cal intralngwal ransation or reworting? I do noe think 0; “rewording”contems the reltons of wanafomation be ‘een common nouns and ordinary phrascs. The essay On Trams axon (1959) dsanguishes three forms of eansiation. Pavan sranlation interpre ings sigs by mean of other signe ofthe ‘ame language. Tie obvoady presupposes tht one can know in the ial aalsis how to deermine igorousy the wnicy and ide tie ofa language, the decidable form ofits limits. There would then be what akobson neatly calls tansaion “prope” nterlngual translation, which interprets linguistic signs by means of some ‘other languages appeds to the same presopporion a ints lings ansation. Final there would be imtersemioteransation ‘or tansmutatio, which intepres Ungusic signs by means of ss ‘ems of nonlingustic signs. For the two forms ef talon hich ‘would not be tunslations “proper” Jakobson proposes 2 defn ‘ional equivalent and another word. The fast he ana, 40 0 pet, By another word intrlingval ranston ot rooring, The third Likewise: semen eansation or ranitaton. In these ‘bro cases, the transition of ranlaon” ta defniconal interpre {Btn Burin the cas of tanltion “proper” translation in the ‘ordinary sense, interline and port Babeln, Jakabron docs fot trasae; he repeat dhe same Woe: “ieingoal warlation| ‘or tannin proper” He supposes that tis noe neces to ane late, everyone understands wher that mean becase everyone has experienced it everyone is expected to know what is» guage, the rlinon of one language fo another and expeily ident oF iference in fc of language If there ea transparency tac Babel ‘would not have impaired, this is suey i, the experience of the _ukipity of tongues andthe “proper” sense ofthe Word “rans ation” In elation to this word, When itis 2 question of warslation226 aoquis Deaaina “pooped? the other ises of the word “tranlation” woud be ina posiuon of incalngual and inadequate ransaion, like meaphors, In shor, lke ovis or tums of transaton in the proper sete ‘There woul thos bea translation in the proper sense and 3 ta Jaton inthe guratvesenee, And in onde co wanelate the ane into the ether, within the same tongue or om one tong 1 another, inthe figurative or inthe proper sense, one would engage upon 2 ‘course that would quickly reveal how thi easing trpaiion ‘in be problematic Very quickly: atthe very moment when pro- ‘nouncing “Babel” we sense che impossibly of deciding whether the name belong, properly and simply, o one congue, And ic mat ters hu his unsecdabliy iat work in a erga forthe poy hime within a scene of genealogiealindetnednes. In seeking f2 "kes name for themselves to found atthe sare time a uniter ssl woague anda unigoe genealogy, the Semies want to bring the ‘world fo resto, and tht reson can sgn simultaneously 4 co Tonilvelence (ne the would thar unverslize thir idiom) and a peaceful transparency ofthe han community. Inversely when (God imposes and opposes his name he eupures the ronal sans patency but interropes ako the colonial valence or ee Ings {impenam, He desnes them to eransaton, he sb them t0 the law of tranuation both aecessry and impossibe, na stoke ‘with his twanlatablewntranlmble name he delves a universal reason it will no longer be subject 10 there ofa paul na ton), but he simleaneoosly mie its very envy forbidden ‘ramspereng, imposible uavocey Tanai becomes ly da, nd debe, but the debe one ean no longer dicharge. Such isa ‘eney is found marked inthe very ume of Babel: which at once tranlates and docs not translate sl, belongs without belonging, to language and indebte tel to itl for an insolvent de, £9 itself afore Such would be the Babelan performance. “This singular example, a once archetypal and allegorical, ould serve a an introduction tll the so-caled theoretical prob Jens of warsation. Bur no theorzation, inasmuch ast is proauced ina language, wil beable to dominate de Babean performance 1 do not wish only or essentially co reduce ny role to that of a pase or pacer, Nothing is more serious than 3 taslaon. Trather wished vo mark the Fc tha every warslatoris in 2 postion ‘row Drs Tours ne Baa ar te sek aie ermpon, i a pice wich ete ny oe ‘tnd or condor th cre of he gil ecto bythe euremen to mani ato pg on Sth nial begin by nding al wit eget Car fe ogi te et to, eS peo Sagi ying tiny peng nt enn, Tie ead tetoniy onthe of conto of he ener who wan to tie sya fr aces ano fends wine nga ee ting if by to se ont he decom of ‘owing hr ome, God snap oan, et ly et og ad sally tne mgd Sond, bt Sr fr name, ofthe ae be Ra poe, tien and whi should be wanted efson wD nde So hone to kc be cmon taf i oe “ and 0 to understand, A the moment when he imposes and op ose his aw to that ofthe ene, he i aso a pestione for ans fion. He is sao indebred. He has noe Bshed pleading for the "taslation of his name even though he forbids it. Foe Babel is untransltable. God weeps over his name. His text isthe most cred, the mos poetic, the most origina since he creates 4 name Shd gives i to himel, bot hei eft no lee desire in his force and eve in his wealth; he pleads for a wanslatoe