Les Aventures Maritimes

edited by Bill F. Ndi

Recit Autobiographique d’Edward Coxere

Pour réveiller l’intérêt du public du sort qui aurait été pendant longtemps celui de ce délice de récit d’aventure, Bill F. Ndi passe par Fontenelle pour ainsi justifier sa mission traductrice. Il s’agit d’une traduction du titre original anglais, Adventures by Sead’Edward Coxere, qui tient toute son importance du fait qu’elle permet de mettre en évidence les grandes lignes de l’évolution des idées et des mentalités dans la société anglaise du 17ème siècle. Cette traduction que nous offre Bill F. Ndi est celle d’un roman articulé autour de rebondissement sur rebondissement qui étaye la dynamique au sein du mouvement Quaker des origines. Il s’agit-là d’un témoignage frappant de la première génération des prophètes Quakers ; une série d’aventure, d’intrépidité plein d’humour et de fines observations anthropologiques et linguistiques. C’est bien pour cette raison que le premier éditeur du récit soulignât qu’en matière de Variété, d’humour, d’authenticité, de description d’autoportrait, Edward Coxere appartient à ceux des grands héros de fiction d’aventure qui stimulent les jeunes et font oublier la vieillesse.

In order to fuel public interest regarding the fate that for long has struck this masterpiece cum adventure story, Bill F. Ndi references Fontenelle to justify his translation undertaking. It is a translation into French from the original English version, Adventures by Sea of Edward Coxere’s which holds its import from the fact that it traces the major trends in the evolution of ideas and mentalities in the 17th century English society. This translation brought to us by Bill F. Ndi is that of a novel spun around a series of upheavals that bring to life the dynamism within the early Quaker movement. It is a befitting testimony of the struggles of the early generation of Quaker prophets; a series of foolhardy adventures filled with humour and keen anthropological and linguistic observations. This and many more justify why E. H. W Meyerstein, the first editor of the book pointed out that in matters of humour, variety and description of self-portrait, Edward Coxere belongs to the great heroes of adventure fictions which would stimulate youths and easily make one to forget old age.

Bill F. Ndi

Dr. Bill F. Ndi, poet, playwright, storyteller, critic, translator & Fellow of The Booker T. Washington Leadership Institute is an American-Southern Cameroonian who was educated at GBHS Bamenda & Essos, the University of Yaoundé, Nigeria: ABSU, Paris: ISIT, the Sorbonne, Paris VIII & Cergy-Pontoise where he obtained his doctorate degrees in Languages: Translation and Languages, Literatures and Contemporary Civilizations. He has held teaching positions at the Paris School of Languages, the University of the Sunshine Coast at Sippy Downs, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia and Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. He is presently Professor of Modern Languages, Communication and Philosophy at Tuskegee University, Alabama, USA.