Translation Of Literary Texts Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE’S TRANSLATION AND THE AUTHOR’S FROM ALBANIAN TO SERBIAN LANGUAGE

Literary translation, as one of the most complex forms of translation, requires a special approach and attention, given that it involves not only conveying meanings but also preserving the style of the original text. Although the translation of texts using various online tools is becoming increasingly common today, the question arises - are these tools advanced enough, and can they replace the translation done by human authors? As our corpus material, we used specific excerpts from the first chapter of Ismail Kadare’s novel ‘The Palace of Dreams,’ which we translated using Google Translate and compared with the Serbian translation of this novel by Shkëlzen Maliqi. The aim of the paper is to examine the reliability of machine translation, i.e. analysing the mistakes it makes, compared to the translation of competent and professional translators. The comparison process is based on different linguistic disciplines, and we have come to the conclusions that Google Translate has not yet improved enough to become the main tool in the translation of literary texts, where professional translators still play a key role. Of course, the question arises - whether it would perform better in translating other types of literary texts or in translating different language groups, considering its diverse corpus of literary texts in its memory?

DIFFERENTIATION OF WORD MEANINGS IN TRANSLATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF RUSSIAN AND TURKISH LANGUAGES)

The relevance of the study of lexical transformations in the process of translation is associated with the need to ensure communication between the author and recipients in terms of recreating the lexical, structural and stylistic richness of the original in the translated text. Since today far from all the methods and mechanisms for eliminating language inaccuracies have been studied, this direction occupies an important role in the translation science branch of knowledge. The purpose of the study is to examine the role and functions of differentiation of meanings in the process of literary translation from Russian into Turkish by analysing the lexico-semantic means used in the context of literary works. This paper uses the methods of contextual, lexico-semantic, comparative, linguoculturological and analytical-synthetic analysis are used in the paper. This study is aimed at studying lexical transformations in the translated text, mechanisms for transferring the semantic subtleties of the source with minimization of lexical losses and combining techniques to obtain a translated text that is as accessible to the readership as possible. The work is focused on contextual and lexico-semantic analysis, search, and comparison of lexical variants and structural patterns in the original and translation. Attention was drawn to the mechanisms of differentiation and generalization of meanings, as well as the semantic unfolding of events. When analysing lexico-semantic and syntactic constructions, as well as phraseological phrases, the topic of national linguistic features and cultural specifics, which play an important role in the translation of literary texts, was touched upon. In the future, this work can be used in the field of translation studies, cultural linguistics, automatic text processing, the creation of lexicographic thesauri, and the study of semantic patterns and equivalents. The study examined the nuances of word usage in translations from Russian to Turkish, underscoring the inevitability of lexical transformations. Strategies primarily involved expanding, narrowing, and clarifying the source text’s semantics. Russian-Turkish translations also frequently employed semantic deployment and structural element transformations to elucidate intricate meanings. Stable, often phraseological turns were highlighted, emphasizing their non-equivalent nature. Such techniques reconstruct the original’s cultural essence and authorial style. While there exist discrepancies between the Russian and Turkish contexts, lexical transformations often simplify complex structures for clarity in Turkish. Idiomatic expressions in Turkish involve detailing meanings or unfolding specific events descriptively. The study demonstrated the interplay between the original and its translation, revealing strategies and issues within linguistics and translation studies.

Translation of literary texts and online collaboration: Breaking barriers through virtual exchange

Literary translation usually brings linguistic, textual, cultural, and pragmatic problems into perspective. As a knowledge-transfer process, it also demands a set of skills as the translator intends to convey, to some extent, the literary subtleties of the original. Graduate students attending a MA seminar of Translation of Literary Texts are frequently asked to undertake the process of translating a selection of excerpts of a variety of literary texts, to acknowledge difficulties and set up strategies for achieving their work. One of the most rewarding tools available to literary translators is working with the author, which is not always feasible in real-life activity and even more unlikely in Literary Translation classes. This report presents the practice of virtual exchange by describing the experience of matching Creative Writing students with students attending a Translation of Literary Texts seminar. Online collaboration gave Literary Translation students a sense of real-life experience by having the opportunity to communicate and work with the author, translating unpublished and untranslated texts. It was not only an opportunity of participating in a collaborative international project by means of virtual exchange, but also an opportunity of translating with the author.

Unraveling the Mistakes: An Analysis of Student Errors in Translating Literary Texts

The aim of this paper is to analyse the translation performance of German students at the University of Prishtina when translating literary texts from German into Albanian. The paper focuses on the question of whether errors occur during the translation process in the areas of grammar, orthography, semantics, and sentence structure, including possible interference errors between the two languages. These errors may arise due to uncertainties, carelessness, or the influence of other languages. The interference of German manifests itself primarily in the lexical level and sentence structure. If the languages have differences in sentence structure, this interference leads to grammatically incorrect sentences. An interference of Albanian is also noticeable, primarily on a pragmatic level, which is mainly determined by the cultural context. Errors are a characteristic feature of foreign language learners. They are a phenomenon that affects not only foreign language learners but also native speakers. This paper analyses and classifies the errors that German students at the University of Prishtina make when translating by applying the theoretical, analytical, and contrastive methods in the translation of literary texts.

Comparative assessment of Bing Translator and Youdao Machine Translation Systems in English-to-Chinese literary text translation

This study explores the performance of machine translation of literary texts from English to Chinese. The study compares two machine translation systems, Bing Translator and Youdao Machine Translation, using selected texts from the novel “Nineteen eighty-four” by George Orwell. The data collection includes the original source texts, their machine-generated translations by Bing Translator and Youdao Machine Translation, and comparisons with human reference translations to assess the performance of these systems. The research’s focal point is to evaluate the accuracy, fluency, and appropriateness of translations generated by these two machine translation systems, while also analyzing the post-editing effort required to enhance the quality of the final machine-translated product. The study revealed that despite the presence of flaws in both machine translation systems, Youdao Machine Translation demonstrated superior performance, especially in accurately translating technical terms and idiomatic expressions, making it the more effective option overall. Nevertheless, the translations from Youdao Machine Translation required more substantial post-editing efforts to improve fluency and readability. Conversely, Bing Translator yielded more fluent and natural-sounding translations, albeit with a need for improved accuracy in translating technical terms and idiomatic expressions. The study concludes that while machine translation systems are capable of generating reasonable translations for literary texts, human post-editing remains essential to ensure the final output’s accuracy, fluency, and appropriateness. The study underscores the importance of selecting the appropriate machine translation system based on the nature of the text being translated. It also highlights the critical role of post-editing in refining the quality of machine-translated outputs, suggesting that while machine translation can provide a solid foundation, human intervention is indispensable for achieving optimal accuracy, fluency, and overall readability in literary translations.

An Analysis of Translation of Literary Texts under the Guidance of Adaptation Theory— A Case Study of White Teeth (Excerpt)

As an important part of cross-cultural communication, the significance of translating literary works accurately is self-evident. In specific translation practice, how to clear cultural barriers, resolve cultural misunderstandings, and faithfully convey meanings have always been challenges for translators. Literary texts often have a large number of long and difficult sentences while Adaptation Theory advocates conforming to the linguistic characteristics and style of the translated text, which has a certain guiding effect on the translation of English-Chinese literary texts. Based on the translation practice of White Teeth (excerpts), this paper analyzes the specific role of Adaptation Theory in translation practice, with a view to providing specific references for the translation of literary texts.

Discourse Coherence in English-Chinese Translation of Literary Texts: A Case Study on Tess of the D'Urbervilles Translated by Zhang Guruo

Discourse coherence refers to the mechanism by which words, sentences, and sentence clusters in a discourse are logically related to form a larger semantic structure, which is one of the most important factors of effective communication. Whether a discourse is coherent determines the extent to which the reader understands the discourse. This paper explores the theory of discourse translation and discourse coherence, compares and analyses the original text of Tess of the D'Urbervilles with Zhang Guruo's translated version in terms of semantic, contextual, logical, and linguistic coherence. Then it describes the strategies and methods used by the translators to ensure discourse coherence in translation, to gain a deeper understanding of the theory of discourse coherence and its application.

Translations of portrait characteristics of the heroes of V.G. Korolenko's Siberian short stories into the Yakut language

The object of the study is the Siberian stories of V.G. Korolenko. The subject of the study is the portrait characteristics of the heroes of V.G. Korolenko's Siberian short stories. The material for the study was the portrait characteristics of the heroes of V.G. Korolenko's Siberian short stories translated by N.E. Mordinov-Amma Achchygyya. His stories are rich material for research, since in them the portrait characteristics of the characters are presented very figuratively, using various expressive means (metaphors, comparisons, personifications, metonymies, hyperboles). The short stories "Makar's Dream", "Marusina Zaimka", "At-Davan" from the Yakut cycle of Siberian short stories were chosen for the study. The theoretical basis for the research is the works of G.N. Pospelov, A.B. Esin, L.S. Kulik, O.I. Ivanova, K.I. Platonova, I.S. Yemelyanov and others. The purpose of this work is to identify the features of the translation of portrait characteristics in the translation of Korolenko's literary texts from Russian into Yakut. The purpose of the work identified the following tasks: 1) to analyze the concept of "portrait characteristics"; 2) to make a solid selection of portrait characteristics from Siberian stories; 3) to consider the features of the translation of portrait characteristics when translated into the Yakut language. Descriptive and comparative methods were used to solve the research tasks. The material was collected using a continuous sampling method. The relevance of this study is due to the lack of scientific works in Yakut literary studies on the comprehensive study of portrait characteristics when translated into the Yakut language. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that in modern literary criticism, the transfer of portrait characteristics in the translation of literary texts remains still unexplored. The theoretical significance of the study lies in the fact that it reveals for the first time the features of portrait characteristics when translated into the Yakut language. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of using its results in the analysis of other similar works and their translations. Also, the research materials can be used in universities of the humanities in the creation of textbooks, textbooks on translation practice for students of the philological department.

From the head to the heart: A less-than-orthodox means for foreign language teaching and learning through theatre practice

In this article I reflect on the use of theatre as a tool to teach a foreign language. Within the context of language education, theatre practice does not focus on the final product. On the contrary, it emphasises the process of learning a foreign language. Between 2020 and 2022 I conducted in-class theatre projects with students learning Spanish at the University of Otago in New Zealand. These projects entailed the translation of literary texts from English to Spanish, which later were dramatised. The translation was carried out as an in-group discussion about grammar and vocabulary. The dramatised reading encouraged students to use a variety of tones and levels of volume to physically embody the text. The dramatisation allows students to design their performance with freedom, because they are not ‘acting themselves’, but are performing a different person. The final presentation of these projects filled students with pride because the work was done entirely by them, from selecting the text, to the translation and finishing with its dramatisation in front of an audience. These projects prioritised freedom of expression and promoted autonomy in students to integrate and apply the learnt content within a specific context in another language. This paper provides a detailed description of how theatre-based instruction developed different aspects of the learners’ language skills with students ranging from 100- up to 300- level.

Investigating Machine Translation Errors in Rendering English Literary Texts into Arabic

Machine translation is a machine that employs artificial intelligence (AI) to translate texts between languages without human intervention. Machine translation approaches translate text or speech from one language to another, including the contextual, idiomatic and pragmatic issues of both different languages. The present study aims to analyze the translation of literary texts selected from different novels, plays, and poems and clarify the method for translating them from English into Arabic. This study also aims to discover machine translation errors in rendering English literary texts and clarify the translator's role in transferring the rhetorical impact on the reader who reads the (TT). This study hypothesizes that translators(students) face difficulties regarding words and structures when translating literary texts from English into Arabic because they misunderstand rhetorical devices. So they tend to use machine translations that translate literally, such as (Google Translate, Reverso translation and Bing Microsoft translation). This study adopted two models: First, Newmark's translation model (1988b), which includes two basic types of translation: semantic and communicative. This model is used widely in the analysis of literary texts. Second, Harris (2018) linguistic model theory of rhetorical question and the general purpose of the rhetorical devices to analyze the data. Finally, the study ends with the conclusions that all machine translation programs (Google Translate (GT), Reverso Translation (Reverso. T), Bing Microsoft Translation (Bing. M.T) in rendering English literary texts from English into Arabic are unacceptable and have more problems because these programs are just machines and cannot think or feel as well as all these machines renderings are meaningless and ambiguous. So Human translation is better than Machine Translation because the first uses communicative translation while the other uses semantic translation.

Triple mediation of violence in traumascripts as illustrated by the translation of Cosmos by Witold Gombrowicz and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

The study deals with the subject of a specific type of crisis i.e. trauma in translation of literary texts. The field of Trauma Studies seems to have a huge research potential if juxtaposed with the discipline of Translation Studies. Many contemporary novels can be analysed from the perspective of traumatic experiences and their representation in works of fiction with special focus on the psychological aspect. Translation process has to make allowances for the hybridity of trauma fiction to recreate it in the target text. The analysis of the rendition of Kosmos by Witold Gombrowicz and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (works being apt illustrations of the inescapable interfaces of trauma) illustrate the triplicity of mediation of trauma which has to be considered during the translation process: 1. the performative recreation of the original traumatic event, 2. literary texts as inherently traumatic due to the inescapable entry into the symbolic order of linguistic codes, 3. the double bind of the translation process i.e. the trauma of the impossibility of translation.

Intercultural Competence in Literary Translation: Ali Al-Kasimi’s Arabic Translation of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast as a Case Study

This paper presents the results of a research study about the aspects of intercultural competence displayed in Ali Al-Kasimi’s Arabic translation of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. The study attempts to determine how intercultural competence is manifested in the Arabic translation of Ali Al-Kasimi. It also seeks to identify the strategies that the translator resorted to in the translation of 50 culture specific elements in the source text. The aim is to develop an understanding of the ways in which intercultural competence can be displayed in the translation of literary texts. In addition, the main strategies that were used by the translator in translating cultural terms will be highlighted, analysed and discussed. By doing so, a comprehensive understanding of how to implement intercultural competence-based strategies in the translation of literary texts can be derived. The results of the study suggest that cultural adaptation and reframing are the two most used intercultural competence-based translation strategies by the translator.

COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEANS OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IN UKRAINIAN AND VIETNAMESE CULTURES (ON THE MATERIAL OF A FILM STORY «POEM ABOUT THE SEA» BY O. P. DOVZHENKO)

The purpose of this article is to identify and compare non-verbal means of communication in Ukrainian and Vietnamese traditions based on the film story «Poem about the Sea» by O. P. Dovzhenko and its translation into Vietnamese. The object of the research is linguistic units indicating non-verbal behavior in Ukrainian and Vietnamese traditions, as presented in this film and its Vietnamese translation. The subject of the research is the general and personal features of perception and the use of gestures, facial expressions, gaze, intona- tions, and other non-verbal means in the process of communication. Compara- tive, semantic, cognitive, linguistic, and cultural analyses, paraverbal analysis, and the descriptive method are applied. As a result, their pragmatic meanings were determined, signs of similarities and differences, features of translation, and correlations based on the level of equivalence in artistic works were identified. A number of equivalent, background, and non-equivalent means in Ukrainian and Vietnamese languages were revealed. Conclusions and prospects of the study. Non-verbal language reflects the national character and each nation can have its own characteristics. In the works of fiction, the translator and the editor tried to convey the non-verbal behavior of the characters in such a way that the equiva- lent situations and units that most adequately convey the behavior of people of another culture in the Vietnamese language prevailed. The linguistic realiza- tion of non-verbal means is described by means of verbal means such as verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs, and accompanied by epithets, metaphors, idioms and punctuation marks. Understanding the ethnocultural features of non-verbal language is necessary for an adequate understanding of Ukrainian-Vietnamese communication and for those who work on translations of literary texts from Ukrainian to Vietnamese and vice versa. In today’s world, this field of research is becoming more and more relevant and promising

The role of deconstructing as a part of translation process in literary text

This study investigates the role of deconstruction in the translation of literary texts, delving into the ways in which deconstructive approaches can challenge established translation norms and illuminate new possibilities for interpretation. By drawing upon the insights of Jacques Derrida and other influential deconstruction theorists, this research explores the transformative potential of deconstruction in capturing the complexities of language, symbolism, and cultural references in literary works. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and sample texts, this study aims to shed light on the ways in which deconstructive translation techniques can unveil the inherent ambiguities, subversions, and multiplicity of meanings present in literary texts, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of the intersections between deconstruction and literary translation. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to conduct the research. Also, the comparative approach is used to compare the translation of literary texts by Translation Program students. Two groups of translation students translated (4) literary texts. The research findings showed that deconstruction can play a significant role in challenging and reevaluating the assumptions and fixed meanings associated with the original language. The research concluded that translators should understand the original text's structural aspects. Translators may better determine whether structural decisions are necessary to keep the deconstructive spirit of the original work by knowing why.

English-Chinese and Chinese-English Translations of Literary Texts: The Influence of Stylistic Features on the Translation Process and Eyetracking Technology.

This study is based on an experimental method of eye-tracking to investigate how translators perceive and understand translated literary texts and how different stylistic features influence their perception. This methodology allowed us to observe which parts of the text translators focused on the most, providing valuable data on their reading patterns and cognitive processes. Among English-Chinese translators, 95 out of 120 participants (79%) showed a tendency to prioritize faithfully conveying the source text's meaning over crafting a target text that aligns with Chinese stylistically. In the specific context of Chinese-English translation out of the 120 instances examined, the translators exhibited a reduced fixation duration on words in the source language, accounting for 34 instances (28%). This suggests a greater concern for preserving the source text's meaning rather than adapting it to the target culture. This research can assist translators and linguists in translating the stylistic features of English and Chinese literary texts more effectively. Future studies can explore other language stylistic features that may impact translation and compare translation styles across various literary genres and language pairs.

The creativity and limitations of AI neural machine translation

Abstract This study examines the performance of the neural machine translation system DeepL in translating Shakespeare’s plays Coriolanus and The Merchant of Venice. The aim here is to explore the strengths and limitations of an AI-based English-Chinese translation of literary texts. Adopting a corpus-based approach, the study investigates the accuracy and fluency rates, the linguistic features, and the use of various methods of translation in the Chinese translations of Shakespeare’s plays conducted via DeepL. It compares these to the translations by Liang Shiqiu, a well-known Chinese translator. The study finds that DeepL performs well in translating these works, with an accuracy and fluency rate of above 80% in sampled texts, showing the potential of the use of neural machine translation in translating literary texts across distant languages. Our research further reveals that the DeepL translations exhibit a certain degree of creativity in their use of translation methods such as addition, explicitation, conversion and shift of perspective, and in the use of Chinese sentence-final modal particles, as well as Chinese modal verbs. On the other hand, the system appears to be limited in that a certain amount of translation errors are present, including literal translations.

Doctors and Doctoring: An Analysis of the Cultural Discourses of Medicine


 
 
 
 The astonishing stories from the discourses of medicine portray the values of a doctor and the process of doctoring based on humanistic principles. Medical Humanities is an interdisciplinary field of study where one of the aims is to attempt to focus on the importance of empathy and kindness in medical practitioners who experience anguish, anxiety as well as professional satisfaction. Haris Qadeer introduces Medical Humanities, basically a Western thought, to the Indian context by compiling translated stories of illness and cure from the regional languages of India. The book, Medical Maladies: Stories of Disease and Cure from Indian Languages (2022), through nineteen fascinating short stories ranging from the early twentieth century to the contemporary period, discloses the various aspects of the cultural discourses of medicine in India. The translation of literary texts into other languages enhances their scope of obtaining a wider readership as well as reviews and critical analyses. A text like Medical Maladies opens the doors of regional Indian literatures so as to enable us to understand and study the vicissitudes of life portrayed in literatures in regional languages from all over the country. This paper attempts to analyse the impact of medical pluralism and medical paternalism on the treatment offered, changing medical gaze, the threats of the corporatization of medicine that makes doctoring a business, the influences of sociocultural beliefs in the suffering of women, and the challenges faced by the doctors, patients and other medical practitioners through a study of five stories from this collection. These include “Quarantine”, “A Day in the Labour Room”, “The Surgeon”, “Mantra”, and “Narova Kunjarova”
 
 
 

Effectiveness of SmartCat Technology in Artistic, Scientific-Technical and Social-Publicist Translations: How Modern Software Influence the Specificity of Different Types of Translation.

CAT tools are widely used in the translation industry and can be an essential tool for professional translators looking to improve their efficiency and consistency. This paper article aims to test the effectiveness of SmartCat technology for translating texts of different styles (artistic, scientific, technical and socio-journalistic). To do this, the author used quasi-experiment methods by interviewing participants and compiling reports. 120 translation students studying had been systematically working on a chosen platform for three months and performing their tasks of translating texts from English to Chinese. The author divided the participants randomly into three groups (40 in each). The first group translated texts of artistic style, the second-scientific and technical ones, and the third group-socio-journalistic ones. The results showed that the platform effectively translated all types of texts with particular difficulties. The main problem was the difficulty of selecting correct terms corresponding to the original ones in Chinese texts (for scientific and technical texts). Unlike the previous two types of texts, the translation of literary texts was the most difficult process for the students. Not many of them had the skills to translate such artistic techniques as epithets, comparisons, hyperbole, oxymoron, etc. 59% of the students emphasised this type of text, 33% indicated socio-journalistic, and 8%-artistic. The results of the research have practical value in the field of education, translation, and linguistics and computer science.

Human Translation vs. Machine Translation in the Naguib Mahfouz’s Novel Palace Walk: A Case Study

Literary translation is one of the most important ways to break down barriers between languages, as its mission is to convey the cultural aspects and beliefs of one people to another. For translating these works to look like the originals is not an easy task for humans, so imagine what would happen if they were given to machines! The researcher chose Naguib Mahfouz's novel Bayn Al-Qasrain ‘Palace Walk’ to study the differences between human and machine translation, so this study is based on comparing the results of human and machine translation of literary texts, in particular Naguib Mahfouz's novel Bayn Al-Qasrain ‘Palace Walk’, in addition to researching the strategies used by them. Finally, the researcher will shed light on the errors and problems faced by humans and machines in translating cultural expressions from Arabic into English.

LITERARY TRANSLATION AS A BASIS FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURES

The new possibilities of global communication and the latest information technology bring the history of literary translation as a scientific discipline within the science of translation to a new level since it infinitely expands the possibilities of searching and comparing historically significant information necessary to build a coherent concept of the evolution of translation activity in the history of human civilization.
 The problem of translation of fiction is one of the most important in both linguistics and literary criticism. Disputes about the methods, techniques and principles of translation, about the requirements for translations and the degree of their correspondence to a target text, about the originality of a translated text, as well as the problem of interlingual communication in general do not lose relevance in modern science.
 It has been by time that for a correct and profound interpretation of a literary text, a translator must know well the information about the era described in the work and the time in which the author lived; philosophical and socio-historical prerequisites for the creation of the work to involve “out-of-text structures” [Lotman: 1970, p. 65].
 In the paper the authors explore the peculiarities of translation of literary texts, consider different points of view on this issue and draw appropriate conclusions. Also, to reveal the specifics of fiction translation, in addition to the theory of proposition, the article deals with the theory of primary and secondary genres by M. M. Bakhtin [Bakhtin: 1986].
 The authors hold the opinion that there are no good or bad translations of literary texts in general, no perfect, no canonical ones. No translation fully renders the text of the source material: each translator selects only the essentials in the original and subordinates the secondary and the tertiary to them. What they consider primary or minor is a matter of individual taste.