Translation, Culture and the Loss of Meaning in K R Meera’s Aarachar

Abstract

Translation, as a practice, has existed ever since the birth of civilization even though, its inclusion in the domain of scientific research did not take placeuntil the second half of 20th century. The ability of translation to transcend the linguistic barriers has always been used to its advantage to promote traditions, practices and even ideologies. However, it is widely accepted that translation is incapable of the complete transference of meaning when the source culture and target culture are significantly divergent. The aim of the paper, therefore, is to analyze this loss of meaning through the comparative reading of K R Meera’s Aarachar and its translation Hangwoman by J Devika. The source text was chosen for its significant contributions to the modern Malayalam literary tradition and the strong presence of cultural elements. Through this article, the researcher intends to trace the difficulties translator had to face during the process of translation and the extent to which the translator has succeeded in achieving an equivalence of meaning bound in a cultural setting. The concept of equivalence in translation defined by Nida andNewmark’s and Vermeer’s understanding of culture in translation is employed for this comparative reading.