A Comparative Study of Translation Strategies for Taboo Words in Persian Translations of Contemporary American Self-help Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the translation strategies employed by Iranian male and female translators when translating taboo words, particularly F**k words, from English to Persian in the self-help book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson. The study aims to identify the most frequently used strategies and examine whether there are significant differences between male and female translators in their use of these strategies. The study applies Davoodi's (2009) translation model as the theoretical framework to analyze the translation strategies used by Iranian translators in translating taboo words from English to Persian. The results show that both male and female translators predominantly used Euphemism as the primary strategy, indicating a shared understanding of the need for linguistic politeness and cultural sensitivity. However, significant differences emerged in the use of Substitution, Censorship, and Taboo for Taboo strategies, suggesting that gender influences translation choices and strategies. Male translators tended to rely more on the Substitution strategy, while female translators favored the Censorship strategy, carefully navigating the expression of taboo words. The Taboo for Taboo strategy was used more frequently by male translators, in contrast to female translators who used it the least. These results contribute to our understanding of how gender influences translation choices, suggesting that cultural and societal factors may play a role in the strategies employed by translators. The study offers valuable insights for translators, particularly those working with contemporary American self-help literature, by highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity and adaptability in language translation.