Considerations of relevance to the target reader in Korean into English translation

Abstract

This paper looks at the considerations of target reader in Korean into English translation tasks involving culture-specific lexis (CSL) in relation to the notion of relevance in translation. It draws on findings from a pilot study which was conducted on five students learning Korean into English translation. A teaching session which placed emphasis on optimal relevance in translation and the translation of implicit information was held, and pre and post tasks and interviews were conducted. Recorded data was transcribed and coded using NVivo software. When translators translate a text, they have an imagined or implied target reader for whom they are translating the text. The translation of CSL requires communicative interaction between the translator and intended target reader. Translators need to consider how to convey CSL in an optimally relevant way. This is particularly important for those dealing with language pairs which are significantly different from each other, such as Korean and English. Results show a significant difference in consideration of the target reader in Sessions 1 and 3 (pre and post tasks), which indicates that it is highly likely that such considerations were reinforced during Session 2 (teaching session). Presenting qualitative excerpts from the data, the current paper highlights the important role CSL can play in developing learners’ considerations of target readership.