Jul 2026· Journal of Urdu Studies· pp. 1-19· 0 citations· 7 references
Abstract
The article studies Urdu translations of Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” with the help of Lawrence Venuti’s hermeneutic model, which conceives of translation not in terms of fidelity to a source text, but as an interpretive act in which a translator uses interpretants to transform a source text according to the receiving culture’s preferences. While every translation domesticates a source text, for Venuti, a translation can produce either a domesticating or a foreignizing effect depending on the linguistic resources from which a translator draws their interpretants. For clarity, I propose to replace the terms “domesticating effect” and “foreignizing effect” with “conforming effect” and “non-conforming effect” respectively. I argue that Urdu translators draw their interpretants from dominant linguistic and cultural resources as a result of which these translations produce conforming effects, maintaining the status quo and reinforcing the linguistic and cultural standards in Urdu.
Poetry translation, which requires consistency in both artistic and semantic terms, has been one of the most controversial areas of translation studies, creating various obstacles to theoretical and practical discussions. While translation studies in the 1950s and 1960s were more linguistically oriented and focused on the language level, a cultural approach came to the forefront in the 1970s. Lawrence Venuti’s strategies of “domestication” and “foreignization” in translation are notable examples of this approach. Analyzing the translations produced by a Turkish translator (S. Behlül Toygar) and native English-speaking translator (Roger Finch), this study aims to determine which translation technique each translator primarily uses and the extent to which their translational decisions reflect domestication or foreignization tendencies. Moreover, the study comparatively examines how the translators dealt with the lexical, syntactic, semantic, phonological, and graphological elements of the source text. By comparing these linguistic and stylistic categories, the study identifies the parallels and discrepancies between the two translations, assesses how well they capture the aesthetic and semantic elements of the original poem, and highlights the gains, losses, and changes in poetic form and meaning in the translation from Turkish to English. It was concluded that poetry translation often requires a compromise between meaning, form, and culture, rather than achieving complete equivalence, and that Toygar and Finch, instead of copying Beyatlı’s poem “Flight,” recreated it within new linguistic and cultural contexts.
Senem Üstün Kaya· Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergi...· 0 citations
The translation of Devkota’s Pagal into The Lunatic by himself is an equivalent linguistic transfer from source to the target language. The paper observes the literary gaps in the course of linguistic transfer between the Pagal and its English translation. The transfer of its cultural, emotional, religious and spiritual uniqueness has created a negotiating space to the target reader. Therefore, the English version of Pagal struggles to carry the essence of the poet’s experience in its fullest form. The paper adopts translation approaches, methods and theories as a conceptual frame under a qualitative approach. Clifford E. Lander’s view in literary translation, Jiri Levi’s ‘On the Poetics of Translation’, and Anthony Appiah’s theory of ‘Thick Translation’ serve as the major conceptual gateway to assess Devkota poem and its translated equivalence. The study unfolds the compromise presented in the target text, contending the cultural, religious, emotional and spirituals nuances which remain partially transferable. The English version of ‘Pagal’ proves as a creative reimagination of its original, not merely a linguistic transfer of Pagal. The representation of linguistic richness, religious annotations, and emotional dynamics is under- question and carves a new space in translation. Interestingly, even in auto-translation, the target text fails to capture the multilayered meaning, linguistic/literary nuances; therefore, a complete literary translation is impossible.
Bhagabat Paudel· Academia Research Journal· 0 citations
Domestication and foreignization are two common strategies for translators to deal with cultural differences. Based on Berman’s translation ethics and twelve deformations, this paper takes Bai Juyi’s the Everlasting Regret (selected sentences) as the object of study, adopts close reading and comparative analysis, and selects the English versions of Xu Yuanchong, Xu Zhongjie and W. J. B. Fletcher for comparative analysis, focusing on the different degrees of domestication and foreignization in the aspects of word choice, syntax, rhetorical organization, cultural transmission and so on, as well as the effects caused by these differences. The study found that in the English translation of classical Chinese poetry, in addition to the necessary domestication adjustment, the translator should retain the cultural background and aesthetic logic of the original poem as much as possible, so that the translation can achieve the purpose of conveying the cultural nature of this special literary genre. Therefore, in the English translation, foreignization enjoys ethical priority.
Chenfan Wang· English Language Teaching an...· 0 citations
English as a global lingua franca transcends geographical, cultural, and socio-political boundaries. While it
facilitates the integration process of migrants and the articulation of diverse experiences, English also plays an ambivalent role
in hegemonic structures. This article examines the role of English in Vuong’s
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
,
focusing on the protagonist, Little Dog, who writes letters in English to his Vietnamese-speaking mother. Drawing on Homi K.
Bhabha’s concept of hybridity, Emily Apter’s notion of the translation zone, and Caroline Levine’s engagement with the affordances
of forms, this study explores how the English language affects migrant identity and examines the ambivalent role of translation in
this postmigrant
bildungsroman
. It argues that Vuong’s novel presents the English language itself as a site of
ambivalence, in which identity and culture are constantly negotiated through the act of translation.
Ceydanur Temurok· English Text Construction· 0 citations
This study demonstrates that the primary challenge in translating Indonesian literary works into Arabic lies in the cultural elements embedded in metaphors, proverbs, and local expressions. Employing a qualitative textual analysis of Hamka’s Di Bawah Lindungan Kaʿbah, the research reveals that differences in worldview between Indonesian and Arab societies influence lexical choices and stylistic expressions, making literal translation insufficient. The findings highlight the necessity for translators to grasp the cultural context of the source text to ensure comprehensive meaning transfer. The study contributes to translation studies by formulating strategies that integrate semantic and stylistic approaches, including transliteration with explanatory notes, functional equivalence in the target culture, and the preservation of social metaphors. These strategies prove effective in maintaining cultural authenticity while ensuring readability for Arabic audiences. Overall, the research reinforces the view that literary translation is an act of intercultural mediation, synthesizing linguistic, semantic, and cultural dimensions to preserve meaning, aesthetic nuance, and cultural resonance in the target language.
This study examines how activist translation practice has been utilized to disseminate socialist ideology and related concepts in Türkiye through the case of Alâeddin Şenel. The theoretical framework of the study is twofold. First, as a historiographical method, it employs microhistory. This approach makes it possible to focus on ordinary people and supplement the missing fragments of historical processes that are typically viewed through a macro lens. The second pillar of the theoretical basis consists of Pierre Bourdieu's sociological concepts, specifically habitus, field, and capital. Rather than presenting a mere compilation of biographical details, these concepts enable a systematic analysis of Şenel’s role as an activist translator. Activist translation is a concept with fluid boundaries and has been practised by translators in various ways throughout history. The strategic selection of texts for translation, aimed at establishing a canon without manipulating content, can be considered a form of activist translation. Şenel, who translated books authored by Marxist and socialist writers whose works have been dominated by historical materialism, appears to have aimed not only to construct an alternative intellectual framework for Turkish readers but also to contribute to the global struggle against dominant historical, political, and social discourses. The case of Şenel demonstrates that translation can be conceived as a strategic ‘front’ within the ideological struggle. Ultimately, this study illustrates that advocates of socialism in Türkiye, despite never constituting a dominant political trend, were not merely passive supporters, but waged a quiet struggle to disseminate their ideologies.
Barbaros Uzunköprü, Neslihan Demez· Çeviribilim ve Uygulamaları...· 0 citations