A Semiotic Framework for the Translation of Conceptual Metaphors

Abstract

The notion of successful literary translation and the fate of culture have been a constant concern to literary translators and scholars in cognitive and semiotic science. Studies of cognitive linguistics indicate that conceptual metaphors of any language are highly dependent on the cultural models of that language. A great deal of such studies has been devoted to the cultural conceptualization of body parts in different languages as the metaphoric embodiment of thoughts and emotions experienced by the speakers of that language. From the perspective of cultural semiotics, however, each metaphoric conceptualization is also indicative of specific subsets within a text, presenting the translator with even more challenges. Still, semiotics appears to be equipped with an extensive set of compatible ideas for coping with such challenging situations.The purpose of this essay is to offer a semiotic framework for the translation of the conceptualizations of body parts. I will discuss the ways in which the proposed method deals with the central issues faced in the translation process. This framework is mainly based on the semiotic theories of, among others, Lotman and Eco, and draws illustrations from the conceptualizations of “del” (heart/abdomen) in Persian and their corresponding English translations. This study hopes to provide a deeper view of the role and fate of cultural aspects in the translation process, as well as to dignify the status of the translator as both receiver and creator of a text.