Translation Theory Research Articles

Analysis of the Subtitle Translation of The Shawshank Redemption from the Perspective of the Skopos Theory

Translation is an important communication skill between different languages. In modern society, audiovisualproducts are distributed to worldwide areas as a popular means of mass media. As the globalization of economy and culture is advancing in the new century, audiovisual subtitle translation plays an increasingly important part. Good subtitles can enhance the audience’s experience of appreciating foreign films and make cultural communication more effective. This thesis conducts a brief survey on the strategies for film subtitle translation using the case study of the famous film The Shawshank Redemption. In this paper, based on Skopos theory, the author made a comprehensive analysis of subtitling activities and pointed out that subtitling, as a specialized area of translation, is not only guided by translation studies but also under the constraints of film properties. The Skopos theory of film subtitle translation is to provide, within the constraints of time and space, a well-translated subtitle that can contribute to a good understanding of what is happening on the screen. In short, the end justifies the means. Therefore, during the process of subtitle translation, the subtitler should take all the factors into consideration to identify the translation purpose, and then adopt corresponding translationstrategies. From this perspective, the author takes the Skopos theory as instruction and applies the reduction and addition method to analyze the film subtitle translation. In the age of globalization, foreign films are increasingly entering people’s lives. Watching foreign films is a popular and effective way to understand foreign cultures. However, in China, subtitle translation has not attracted as much academic attention as it deserves and few theories could be appropriately applied to subtitle translation. Therefore, the author hopes that subtitle translation could be paid more attention in terms of crosscultural communication.

Psychology or Religion? Bridge-Building in the Translation History of The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is one of the most popular Eastern scriptures in the West, in part because it has been framed outside of religion, as a kind of psychology. And yet its translators have also used it to stake claims in the debate about the relationship between psychology and religion, generally Buddhism, but also Theosophy, a religious and philosophical system founded in 1875, which tried to unify all religions. The first major English translation of the Book of the Dead was published in 1927, by W. Y. Evans-Wentz, who was a Theosophist, with the assistance of Kazi Dawa-Samdup. Evans-Wentz framed the text as supporting the existence of a universal religion grounded in science, altered terms to support Theosophical beliefs, and also opened the way to psychologized interpretations. Carl Jung’s 1937 introduction to the Evans- Wentz-Samdup translation solidified a psychologized reading. In 1975, Francesca Fremantle and Chogyam Trungpa produced a more accurate translation, which continued the psychologizing trend. The 2005 translation by Gyurme Dorje, with Graham Coleman and Thupten Junpa, is the most traditional and technically accurate, yet also shades meaning towards universal appeal. My evaluation of the orientation of these three translations—Theosophical (Evans-Wentz, 1927), psychological (Fremantle-Trungpa, 1975) and traditional (Dorje, 2005)—highlights the difficulty of translating religious terms. The translation history also sheds light on the ongoing debate about the compatibility of the aims of psychology (self-development) and Buddhism (self-eradication) and provides a foundation for my argument that psychologized renderings are simply a part of theological drift, a process that is continual and ongoing in religious traditions.

Перевод творчества Солженицына в режиме «внутреннего распространения» в Китае (1960–1980 гг.)

In China, the interest to the work of A. I. Solzhenitsyn arose soon after the publication of his story One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in the journal New World with the permission of N. S. Khrushchev in 1962, which immediately attracted the attention of Chinese literary circles. However, the initial interest in Solzhenitsyn was connected with the political situation in China at that time. The period from the 1960s to the 1980s can be considered the initial stage of the translation of the writer’s work. Almost all the works translated during these years were marked by “internal distribution”. The purpose of this paper is to identify the features of the history of translation and publication of A. I. Solzhenitsyn’s work in the “internal distribution” mode with Chinese characteristics. In the course of the research, for the first time, a connection is established between the system of production of printed materials in the 1960–1980s in China and the process of translating the works of the Russian writer, which determines the scientific novelty of this work. The author of the article pays special attention to the analysis of the historical background of the implementation of the “internal distribution” regime in China. The implementation of such a regime in the 1960–1980s was inseparable from the social, political and cultural context of the time. Knowledge of the context and historical background of this phenomenon will help not only to understand the historical conditions for the translation of Solzhenitsyn’s works during this period, but also to clarify the general picture of the acceptance of the writer in China. The study reveals that the label “internal distribution” for a long time influenced the perception of Solzhenitsyn’s work by the Chinese audience, giving rise to a critical, negative attitude towards the writer himself and his works. However, with the disappearance of ideological pressure in the 1990s, a rational study of the work of A.I. Solzhenitsyn begins in the Chinese scientific community and it is evaluated precisely from the point of view of the literary heritage.

Legal Equivalence in International Agreements Case Study: Morocco-European Union Agreement Association

This study is comparative, qualitative and exploratory in nature. It aims at exploring the types of equivalence and translation procedures used in legal translations. The representative data consists of three authentic versions of the Morocco-European Union Association Agreement. This study has started by providing a brief overview of the translation theories and schools of thought as well as the issue of equivalence in translation, important translation techniques and procedures often employed in the translation of law are presented, discussing each translation procedure and its applicability to legal translation, and then a succinct description of the Morocco-EU FTA Association. This is followed by a comparative analysis of the English, French and Arabic translations in relation to the translation procedures used by translators. Because this study is mainly descriptive, Gideon Toury‘s comparative analysis translation approach will be used. It consists of the identification of the source text, and then the mapping of target text’s segments on their counterparts in order to determine the relationships that link a target text to its source.

Repositioning the Theory of Dialectical Translation of Religious Texts in Qur'anic Perspective

Dialectics focuses on understanding the context of the al-Qur'an and is integrated as a method of dialogue between the original text and the translation. By developing a new framework that combines al-Qur’an dialectics and religious values through textual analysis and literature review. This study provides a critical review of translation theory, investigating the relationship between language and religious meaning in the al-Qur'an text. The combination of dialectical aspects and al-Qur'an perspectives is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of theories on the translation of religious texts, especially in the Islamic context. The practical implications include the development of more contextualized and detailed translation guidelines as well as a more comprehensive understanding of the religious meaning embedded in the al-Qur'an text. The methodology used is library research using a descriptive qualitative approach and book research involving textual analysis of religious texts in the al-Qur'an, followed by a literature review of existing translation theories. The results of this analysis form the basis for the development of a dialectical model in the translation of religious texts, in which cultural, historical and linguistic contexts become key considerations. By utilizing the al-Qur'an perspective, this research directs the translation of religious texts towards a deeper and more contextual understanding.

Un-Tainting Ars Erotica: The Orient’s Perspective

This study examines the evolution of the Kama Sutra within the context of Hinduism and its subsequent misrepresentation through colonial interpretations, particularly focusing on the impact of Western scholar Sir Richard Francis Burton. Within Hinduism, the concept of Purusarthas encapsulates the foundational pursuits of human existence: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. While Dharma, Artha, and Moksha have historically held elevated positions, Kama's significance has been marginalized over time. Originally an autonomous pillar akin to the other three, Kama underwent censorship and degradation, notably evidenced in the Manu Shastra, attributing its decline to a deviation from righteous living. The translation of the Kama Sutra into English by Burton in the 19th century propelled its misinterpretation globally, transforming it from a comprehensive guide celebrating love and fulfilment to a sensationalized sex manual. This shift obscured the text's spiritual essence and cultural context, perpetuating Orientalist stereotypes and reinforcing Western sexual fantasies. Burton's translation, influenced by colonial agendas, not only erased the agency of women but also distorted the original intentions of the text, presenting a skewed narrative that catered to Victorian ideals and patriarchal norms. This paper examines the translation, portrayal through the lens of Orientalism, and the intricate gender dynamics the Kama Sutra embodies. Employing critical frameworks of translation theory, feminist analysis, and postcolonial perspectives, this study reveals how the Kama Sutra, as a historical and sexual text, underwent transformation under the influence of Western cultural impositions. Through the prism of translation theory, the paper unravels the colonial lens shaping the Western interpretation, thereby altering the original text to fit Eurocentric ideals. The feminist analysis exposes the erasure of female agency within the text, reinforcing patriarchal norms rather than liberating women. This analysis engages post-colonial theories, notably Edward Said's Orientalism, to illuminate the intricate power dynamics entrenched in the colonial interaction. It exposes how the Western perspective imposed its cultural prism upon Eastern texts, perpetuating a dichotomy between the Occident and the Orient. This division rendered the East a subject of both fascination and apprehension, leading to a reductive depiction that obscured the multifaceted and nuanced tapestry of Eastern cultures. Additionally, the paper integrates feminist and post-colonial theories to comprehensively investigate the profound impact of this representation.

An Initial Exploration of the Chinese Translation of the "Frozen" Series from the Perspective of Skopos Theory

Subtitle translation of movies plays a vital role in cultural communication, and the "Frozen" series, as an animation innovation, presents a higher translation challenge. This paper, starting from the perspective of the Skopos theory, investigates the application strategies of the Skopos theory in the subtitle translation of this film series, aiming to promote cultural exchange and understanding effectively. This paper will study the subtitle translation of the "Frozen" series from the standpoint of Skopos theory, compare the application of Skopos theory in Chinese-English translation, further understand the relevant theories of translation purpose, and better grasp the practice of Skopos theory in movie subtitle translation.

How anti-gender and gendered imagery translate the Great Replacement conspiracy theory in online far-right platforms

This article is based on a case study of online media practices of the Czech far-right group Angry Mothers, the biggest far-right Facebook group in the Czech political context in 2018. We show how the group used visual storytelling to translate the narratives of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, which has become one of the most dominant narratives in European and US far-right discourses over recent years. The conspiracy theory was introduced in the book Le Grande Replacement by Renaud Camus in 2011 and claims that powerful Jewish elites use their financial resources to promote ‘Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual + (LGBTQIA+) and gender ideologies’ and multiculturalism to destroy the white race, which will eventually die out. Based on theories of translation and visual storytelling, we demonstrate how the main tropes of its anti-Semitic narrative were diffused through the use of images stigmatising LGBTQIA+ people and other minorities in online communications of the Czech far-right group Angry Mothers.

"The Seagull" by A. P. Chekhov in English translations (1909-2019): the experience of comparison

This article is devoted to the consideration of the main translations of A. P. Chekhov's play "The Seagull" into English. The purpose of the work is to identify the key translation trends in the transmission of the above–mentioned work, depending on the year of its creation. The theoretical basis of this study was the works devoted to the theory of translation by domestic and foreign researchers (such as Alekseeva, 2004; Vinogradov, 2001; Vlakhov, Florin, 1986; Nelyubin, Khukhuni, 2008; Proshina, 2019; Fedorov, 1983; De Waard, Nida, 1986; Nida, Taber, 1982; Savory, 1968). The research material was the original of A. P. Chekhov's play "The Seagull" and twelve of its translations into English, published in the period from 1909 to 2019 in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The following methods were used in this study: comparative method, descriptive method, component analysis method. Thus, based on our research, we come to the conclusion that translations of A. P. Chekhov's play "The Seagull" into English can be divided into actual translations of the literary text, preserving the semantic content, and interpretative variants, the purpose of which is adaptation not only linguistic, but also cultural, for the viewer, at all unfamiliar with the original source. Russian authors, who are native speakers of the Russian language, but are guided by a different, to varying degrees alien, cultural orientation, are characterized by excessive domestication and attempts to bring the translation of a work closer to the realities of another culture, not so much by English-speaking translators, who nevertheless tried to convey the author's style of A. P. Chekhov and explain certain realities to a foreign reader.

Translation as a cultural tool for mediating conflict in queer and feminist grassroots democratic coalitions in Denmark, Germany and Sweden

In this article, I present the findings of a three-year qualitative research project studying feminist and queer activist groups that support refugees in Denmark, Germany and Sweden. My findings show how multilingual activists volunteered as linguistic interpreters to enable inclusive dialogue between refugees and host-country citizens in joint grassroots democratic coalition meetings. Based on interviews with different groups, I show that their linguistic-broker position gave these activists the leverage to challenge and bring to the attention of white-majority citizens the exclusionary dynamics of structural inequality and civic-status hierarchies that create tensions within supposedly open and inclusive joint meetings. By highlighting the critical, counter-hegemonic positionality of activist-translators in coalitions working on gender, the central contribution of my case study is to connect theories of translation and conflict mediation in transnational social movements with research that focuses on the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in intersectional coalitions.

Research on the C-E Translation of the Culture-Loaded Words in Hainan Folktales

Hainan folktales are precious folk cultural heritage in Hainan Province. Using culture translation theory as the theoretical framework, this paper studies the C-E translation strategies of material culture-loaded words, ecological culture-loaded words, social culture-loaded words, linguistic culture-loaded words in Hainan folktales. After the research, it is found that when translating these culture-loaded words into English, strategies such as literal translation, free translation, amplification, transliteration, and explanatory translation are frequently used. This research contributes to a better dissemination of Hainan culture and displaying the image of Hainan.

Translation and Equivalence: An Argumentative Approach

Purpose: This article aims at establishing a dialogue between the Theory of Semantic Blocks (TSB), developed by Ducrot and Carel, and translation theories (the notions of equivalence, skopo, and translators’ role), seeking a possible strategy for solving difficult situations when translating humoristic texts that have polysemy or homonymy relations.
 Methodology: The research methodology involved a literature review, and in the end, a humorous statement containing polysemy was chosen to illustrate how the application of TSB would work in a translation. In this paper, we do not aim to choose the most correct approach but try to match the positive aspects of each one with TSB in order to find strategies that might help translators.
 Findings: We understood that establishing argumentative meaning for enunciates enables a more proper selection of linguistic entities because it is done based on an argumentative equivalence. This study is ongoing. Given its relatively lengthy nature, it may not be applicable in situations requiring simultaneous translation.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: However, further investigation could explore its use as a means of assessing the adequacy of written translations. A more comprehensive study is also essential to discover additional ways of streamlining the translator's tasks and to determine if TSB can address various translation challenges across different textual genres. In conclusion, studies like this play a crucial role in expanding the range of possibilities to enhance a translator's work. This enables them to navigate between languages and cultures more confidently, linguistically supported, without the need to remain invisible to be recognized as proficient professionals.

Обучение будущих учителей английского языка способам перевода шуток, построенных на игре слов, на занятиях по теории и практике перевода

The aim of the study is to describe the methods of translating short humorous texts from English into Russian in order to teach them to senior students in language pedagogical training programs in the course “Theory and Practice of Translation” with an emphasis on the potential application of the acquired translation competence in future pedagogical activities. The paper presents three stages of translating a short humorous text, focusing on the second stage, during which students acquire the ability to apply the translation methods for jokes they have learned through the completion of three types of tasks within the proposed methodological framework. All methods of translating short humorous texts are illustrated with examples and commentary. The scientific novelty lies in developing a methodological toolkit (the technique of prompting questions, the technique of problem-based questions, the technique of educational analogy) for teaching future foreign language teachers how to translate wordplay-based jokes. The study describes three stages of recreating the humorous effect in translation based on the analysis of the linguistic and extralinguistic characteristics of humor in the source language and by considering the perception of the translated product by the speakers of the target language to develop translation skills among students in language pedagogical training programs. Practical recommendations are provided for future foreign language teachers on applying the acquired skills and abilities in the theory and practice of translation course within the context of their future pedagogical activities in secondary school.

Explicit and Implicit Ways of Expressing Author's Modality in Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Russian Languages: A Comparative Aspect.

Linguistic modality is one of the most complex categories, that is why its nature, meanings and ways of expression often become the object of various, at times, controversial theories. The present article described the concept of modality in the context of linguistic research. The purpose of this study was to identify the means of expressing author's modality in Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Russian, determine their relations in intra- and inter-system contexts, and specify the significance of modality for typological studies of these languages. The comparative typological method was mainly used, along with observation, description, transformational analysis, and synthesis of theoretical and practical materials. The results revealed similar and distinctive elements in constructing modal relations in Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Russian. The study suggested various forms of expressing author's modality in a literary text, including explicit means such as modal words, particles, moods and interjections, and implicit means like images, themes, ideas, concepts, symbols, and punctuation. In conclusion, the identification of multi-level means of expressing author's modality in these languages contributed to deepening knowledge on the linguistic category of modality, comparative language study, and translation theory.

A Comparative Study of Video Games Translation from the Communicative Translation Theory Perspective

With the development of the internet, video games are more and more popular. When games are introduced into China, translation plays an important role that will influence players’ feelings. Therefore, various game companies place great emphasis on video game translation. This thesis aims at studying the translation of League of Legends in Tencent and TWM. Based on Newmark’s communicative translation theory, and by adopting the method of comparative analysis and collecting the champions’ titles, names and weapons, the two versions were chosen as the subject, and it is found that Tencent’s translation is better. The analysis shows that translators should analyze the characteristics of champions before the translation, and then use the correct method. For further studies, the comparative analysis of these two versions can provide the theoretical basis for the translation of video game and also enable more gamers to know about the translation of video games.

Poetry and translation as bridges: exploring Nizar Qabbani’s translation theory

Poetry and translation as bridges: exploring Nizar Qabbani’s translation theory

Mechanics of ESL/EFL Writing Performance at the Tertiary Level

After exploring different theories of teaching and learning ESL/EFL writing, along with successful models of writing courses and instructional methods, this study investigates the internal complexity of ESL/EFL writing at the tertiary level, as well as the contributing factors in students’ writing performance. The characteristics of different types of language learners are identified in conjunction with the plasticity and lateralization of the bilingual brain and the critical period hypothesis. The study also delves into certain biases and heuristics while it analyzes Kahneman’s System 1 and 2 of thinking and various personality theories in order to determine students’ innate abilities to excel in ESL/EFL writing tasks. Furthermore, the paper elucidates the importance of psychological equivalence in the writing process with the help of Pym’s translation theories, and explains students’ interconnectedness through Berne’s transactional analysis and the ego states of each personality. By integrating neuropsychological perspectives with established pedagogical approaches, such as the scaffolding, product, process, genre and grammar-translation techniques, the article offers a holistic framework for educators and policymakers to enhance ESL/EFL writing instruction, and ultimately proposes future research directions for a better understanding of ESL/EFL students’ needs.

The early Polish attempts at translating Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason

This article presents the history of the first Polish translation of the Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics. An active role in its creation was played by: Henryk Struve, Romuald Grzymała-Piątkowski, and Kazimierz Twardowski. The study reveals the problem of the organisers of this initiative to the appointment of a translator and the preparation of the translation's publication. The key role was played by Struve. Twardowski limited himself to criticism, both of the editors of the "Biblioteka Filozoficzna" and of the translator himself. The translation was eventually published in 1901. Despite its flaws and numerous shortcomings, it was the first work by Kant representing a mature critical philosophy to be published in Polish.

Study on the English Translation of Museum Exhibits under the Cultural Translation Theory

Museum exhibits are the crystallization of human wisdom and also carriers of culture, playing a significant role in cross-cultural exchanges. As cultural exchanges between China and the world deepen, how to effectively translate museum exhibits and promote Chinese culture has become an important research topic in recent years. This paper selects some English translation examples from the official website of the Shenzhen Museum for study. Through the lens of the Cultural Translation Theory, it explores the fundamental principles and effective translation strategies and recommendations for translating exhibits into English.

Facework in translating and re-narrating vulgar language: The case of Macron's harsh statement against the unvaccinated in English language and Greek mainstream and alternative media

The present paper investigates, from a comparative and cross-cultural perspective, how ‘journalators’ in English-language and Greek media rendered a controversial statement by French President E. Macron against the non-vaccinated, with the use of the slang verb emmerder. The paper examines how journalators sought to render the verb and re-narrate that particular discursive instance, largely judged as vulgar, divisive and improper for a head of state, in order to save or aggravate the French president's face through selective appropriation and reframing. It draws on narrative theory of translation as developed by Mona Baker (2005, 2006, 2010), and explores the concept of facework (Goffmann, 1967; Brown and Levinson, 1978, 1987; Bull and Fetzer, 2010) and the notion of ethos (Mainguenau, 2002, 2014) to analyze from a critical discourse analytic perspective a corpus of press articles in English and Greek. The results of both quantitative and qualitative analysis indicate that there is an array of lexical choices and strategies to intensify or attenuate vulgarity and offensiveness and save or aggravate Macron's image. The study has also confirmed the role of ideology and ideological positioning in the choice not only of lexical choices but also what is selected or deselected to be translated.