PROBLEMATISING CULTURAL PRAGMATICS IN LITERARY TRANSLATION: A STUDY OF SELECT ASSAMESE NOVELS IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Abstract

Translation of literature is not only an interlingual replacement of content; it is rather a negotiation between two cultures. Mere word and sentence level alteration in another language does not fully justify translation of a literary text. A language is embedded in its culture and makes signification only within it. Outside of that culture it loses its meaning because meaning is built through its conventional usage. How language works is governed by context and spatio-temporal parametres of a language which do not identify with another language. This character of language makes rendition of literary texts in another language difficult. The role of context, time, intention, speech act, presupposition, and implicature is very important; without understanding these, transposition of the same cannot be accomplished. The surface meaning and the implied meaning of a text have to be accurately understood to make an equivalent effect in the target text. Language in use therefore has to be attended by the translator rather than simply transliterating the text. This paper intends to attend to these features in the translation of select Assamese novels in English and see how translating novel is challenging as far as its pragmatic function is concerned.