Translation Adaptation Research Articles

The First Work on Oliver Cromwell in Georgia

In 2022, the publishing house “Logos” published the book “Oliver Cromwell. Puri-tan, Captain, Statesmen” (441 pages) by Ivane Menteshashvili, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Fellow International Napoleonic Society. Ivane Manteshashvili is a Georgian historian, senior scientist at the Georgian National Museum, asso-ciate professor at the University of Georgia, and simultaneous interpreter and poetry translator in Georgian historiography, Iv. Menteshashvili is well-known through his research and works on the history of England and France, mainly: “History of En-gland, “Love and Power. Elizabeth I Tudor”, “Napoleon,” Cardinal Richelieu”- in Georgian, “The Falkland Islands. History of the Conflict,” “Power and Hero. Na-poleon Bonapart,” “Transcaucasia in British Russian Competition in 1880-1914,” “The Contiguity of Civilization of the Western and the Eastern Civilizations During the Activity of the British East India Company in India” -in Russian, etc. By the way, Professor Ivane Menteshashvili partly dealt with Oliver Cromwell in his book “Power and the Heroes Born of Revolution” (in Russian), where he gives portraits of three historical persons: Cromwell, Napoleon, and Stalin.

Translatorial Landscapes From My Country: Nâzım Hikmet in English

Abstract
 The present study delves into the translation of poetry, with a specific focus on the work of Mutlu Konuk and Randy Blasing, who translated Nâzım Hikmet's Memleketimden İnsan Manzaraları (1966) as Human Landscapes From My Country: An Epic Novel in Verse (1982). Translating poetry is a multifaceted endeavor due to the diverse directions a poem can take in its source language. This often necessitates a trade-off between prioritizing content or form. Nâzım Hikmet's fusion of prose, poetry, regional idioms, and folk sayings presents substantial hurdles for translators. It is precisely here that the present study aligns with Francis Jones' notion of "valency," aiming to convey, or more accurately, recreate the features of the source text within a new language and cultural context. The achievable goal is not a flawless replica, but a correspondence on multiple levels, which forms the foundation for the study's analytical framework.
 In essence, this study contributes to the field of translation studies by delving into the intricacies of translating poetry, particularly a work that amalgamates diverse linguistic elements. It highlights the challenges confronted by translators in capturing both the form and content of the source text while accommodating the constraints and nuances of the target language and culture. Through a meticulous analysis of specific excerpts, the study sheds light on the strategies employed by Konuk and Blasing to convey the essence of Nâzım Hikmet's work to an audience unfamiliar with the original language and cultural context.

Michael Swan's Poems in Translation on Social Media – An Exercise in Rendering Poetic Images and Encouraging Translating Communities

Translating poetry is an exercise that stimulates both the cognitive and the emotional potentialities of students. Poetic texts are the essence of what poets thought and are therefore more difficult to decipher given the minimal linguistic input. The present study is the result of the work with two groups of students who had classes online during the coronavirus pandemic. Facebook as an accessible social media platform proved to be a great hub for launching the challenge of translating poetry and having students post their versions of translations. Their work was thus exposed to the assessment and appreciation of their fellow students who became thus part of a translating community. The poems chosen for this exercise in translation were selected from Michael Swan’s volume tiger dreams/ vise cu tigri POEMS/ POEME. The bilingual edition appeared at Niculescu Publishing House Romania and served as a consistent basis for the translation practice with the students from the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași who were specializing in Applied Linguistics - Translation and Interpreting. The resulting versions of the texts prove that language in poetry is pulsating with meaning anchored in the reality of the author’s imagination and in the translators’ efforts to mediate that reality and make it accessible to the contemporary public.

Proper Names and Register in Poetry Translation. The Effects of Transplantation in Eliot’s “The Naming of Cats”

In literary translation, cultural adaptation or transplantation is a method that offers the readers of the target-text linguistical and cultural ease in their interaction with the text. Still, it could also prevent them from absorbing foreign cultural elements. (Re)translation could change the status of a text in that it could offer fresh perspectives that have never been offered before. In this study, we will analyse two Romanian (re)translations of T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Naming of Cats”, focusing on the translation of proper names and on the differences in register and style that arise from different translation choices, to argue in favour of the idea that the transplantation of cultural elements can be just as valuable for the readers as preserving the foreign elements.

For Poetry's Sake: Resistance to Translation in the German Versions of Oscar Wilde's THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL

While Oscar Wilde’s The Ballad of Reading Gaol is frequently examined within the genre of prison writing, translations of the poem push one to consider the relevance of its aestheticism within the genre of poetry. This article comparatively examines three German-language versions of the poem by Emma Clausen, Wilhelm Schölermann, and Albrecht Schaeffer to show how the practice of poetry translation resists the source object, translating for poetry’s sake. Key refrains reveal individual translators embracing their own artistic aims to create more poetry, even as the source poem simultaneously resists translation in its own way. Consideration of the genre of poetry, or what Walter Pater describes as its formal “width, variety, [and] delicacy,” ultimately encourages one to follow an aesthetic model of translation, rather than an interpretive model such as that of Lawrence Venuti. This article also draws out the value of thinking about German translations of Wilde’s prison poem, which are consistently underexamined yet prolific in number, for situating the aestheticism of one of the most widely translated literary authors in modern times.

The Study of Translation Ideology and Its Accuracy in Qur'anic Vocabulary for Women

Gender issues have garnered considerable attention from researchers, women's campaigners, and society at large. The perspectives held by individuals are grounded on cultural, religious, and ideological frameworks. The religious perspectives, such as those rooted in Islam, draw upon the Qur’an and its translation as primary source. The comprehension of translation is purportedly intricately linked to the underlying ideology that informs the translation process. This study aimed to offer a formulation of ideology that may be utilized to sustain the notion of gender as shown in the translated text. In order to accomplish this objective, an analysis was conducted on the translation of Quranic verses that encompass words pertaining to women, specifically al-umm, al-wālidah, az-zauj, al-'imra`ah, an-nisa`, an-niswah, and al-untsa, employing a series of steps. Those steps were examining the translation technique, identifying the underlying ideology associated with the technique, evaluating the accuracy of the conveyed meaning, engaging in a discussion, and formulating a conclusion. Moreover, this study included the cumulative sum of the seven terms amounted to 146 units, which were extracted from The Qur’an and Its Translation as published by the Ministry of Religion. The findings of this study indicate that gender concepts are translated in a literal manner. This approach demonstrates the adoption of the foreignization ideology in translation, which prioritizes the source language and the precise conveyance of its meaning. The utilization of the idea is further reinforced by the assertion that the seven terms are faithfully translated, except for the term imra'ah, which is rendered as wife, a translation that is deemed to be inaccurate.

DIMITRIE CANTEMIR ŞI CHIRURGIA

One of the most important works left by Dimitrie Cantemir, among his rich writings, was "INCREMENTORVM ET DECREMENTORVM AVLAE OTHOMANICAE SIVE ALIOTHMANICAE HISTORIAE A PRIMA GENTIS ORIGINE AD NOSTRA VSQVE TEMPORA DEDVCTATE LIBRI TRES", translated nowadays under the title "HISTORY OF THE INCREASE AND THE DECAY OF THE OTTHMAN OR ALIOTHMAN COURT (FROM THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NATION TO OUR TIME), IN THREE BOOKS". Among other information, it also contains a description of the land and the city of Avlonia - i.e. Vlora (dominated then by the Sublime Porta), as well as the Albanians from that region who had several qualities: fierce fighters, builders of aqueducts (without formal education) and healers of hernia by surgical operation. The surgery part has a special significance. In 1734 ”Incrementorum...” was translated into English by pastor Tindal, historian and translator. He used a manuscript in Latin given to him by Antioch Cantemir, son of Dimitrie Cantemir. The English text was translated into French by Fr. de Joncquieres. In 1745, a German translation appeared in the city of Hamburg, also using the English edition. In 1876, the Romanian Academy, published Iosif Hodoş first Romanian translation of the German edition. Fragments adapted from this edition were then used by Romanian researchers, including historians of medicine, such as Pompei Samarian, Dr. Vasile Sârbu. The original Latin manuscript of Dimitrie Cantemir's text was to be found not earlier than 1984 by Virgil Cândea at the Houghton Library in the USA. The Latinist Dan Sluşanschi published the manuscript and made its first translation from Latin into Romanian. The surgeon Dr. A. E. Nicolau published fragments of this translation, namely the passage regarding the surgical cure. În 2015, years after Dan Sluşanschi passing, the Romanian Academy published the text of the transcribed Latin manuscript and a translation version. In parallel, another academic and surgeon, Mircea Beuran, highlighted Cantemir's text, in a different form, exposing in the Floreasca Hospital on large, colorful, how inguinal hernia was operated in the 17th-18th centuries.

Concepts of Translation of Russian Poetry in Western Culture

This article compares the peculiarities of Western and Russian versification and then considers the aspects to observe when translating Russian poems. While the Western tradition continues to be dominated by the distinction between form and content, Russian poetry does not share this binary logic, as both concepts are inextricably linked. Whereas in the West, poetry has become individualised, “mute”, and mostly “written”, Russian verse has not lost its “communicative” character and is therefore highly phonetic. Given this fact, it is possible to identify some Spanish-language examples that bring the two traditions closer together and can serve as rhythmic models for a more identical translation of Russian verse. The author uses his own experience as a translator of Russian-language poems.

Ludwik Kondratowicz jako wydawca staropolskich pisarzy łacińskojęzycznych. Problemy edycji

Ludwik Kondratowicz (1823–1862) first came to prominence in wider literary life as a translator and publisher of works by Polish Latin-language writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. The course of his translation work is known from the translator’s letters, above all to Jozef I. Kraszewski and Antoni Pietkiewicz, with whom he consulted his initiative. The translator’s works were published between 1848 and 1855 in two collections: Translations of Polish-Latin Poetry of the Zygmunt Era [Przekłady poezji polsko-łacińskiej epoki Zygmuntowskiej], and The Country’s Chronicle Writers [Dziejopisowie Krajowi], each comprising six volumes. For both series, Kondratowicz gave an aesthetically pleasing graphic design, as well as valuable editorial content, providing individual works with introductions and factual footnotes (by himself and, among others, Mikołaj Malinowski). The translation and publishing work received relatively considerable recognition from the culturalmilieu of Vilnius, but also of Warsaw and Greater Poland, and was meticulously remarked upon above all by the critics of the “Biblioteka Warszawska”. The reviewers’ opinions show the areas of interest of literary historians of the time. However, there was hardly any place for editorial and philological phenomena. Still, Syrokomla’s translation initiative restored forgotten Old Polish writers to literary and social life, and proposed a publishing model that was perpetuated in the following decades.

Guessing from Textones. Distributed Translation as Exemplified by Sea and Spar Between (2010) by Stephanie Strickland and Nick Montfort

This article discusses the challenges of translating poetry generators in multi-authorial, creative collaborations and within the context of understanding text as a process. Stephanie Strickland’s and Nick Montfort’s Sea and Spar Between is in many respects a translational challenge that in some languages might be considered an impossible task. Polish, our target language, imposes some serious constraints: one-syllable words become disyllabic or multisyllabic, kennings have different morphological, lexical, and grammatical arrangements, and most of the generative rhetoric of the original (like anaphors) must take into consideration the grammatical gender of Polish words. As a result, the JavaScript code, instructions that accompany the JavaScript file, and arrays of words that this poetry generator draws from, needed to be expanded and rewritten. Moreover, in several crucial points of this rule-driven work, natural language forced us to modify the code. In translating Sea and Spar Between, the process of negotiation between the source language and the target language involves more factors than in the case of traditional translation. Strickland and Montfort read Dickinson and Melville and parse their readings into a computer program (in itself a translation, or port, from Python to JavaScript), which combines them in almost countless ways. Such a collision of cultures, languages, and tools becomes amplified when transposed into a different language. This transposition involves the original authors of Sea and Spar Between, the four original translators of Dickinson and Melville into Polish, and ourselves, turning into a multilayered translational challenge, something we propose to call a distributed translation. While testing the language and the potential of poetry translation in the digital age, the experiment – we hope – has produced some fascinating and thought-provoking poetry.

The Cultural Negotiation and Compromise: On the Chinese Translation of Jonathan Locke Hart’s Two English Poems

Jonathan Locke Hart is not only a wellestablished scholar in the area of comparative literature, but also a poet who has been writing passionately since his teens. In 2021, an anthology of Jonathan Locke Hart in six volumes was published by Shanghai Jiao Tong UP, and the fourth book is a selection of 100 poems and their Chinese translations. Starting from Eugene Nida’s correspondence theory about translation, this article chooses two poems and their Chinese translations from the selection to explore the cultural negotiation and compromise in the process of their translation. As Jacques Derrida writes, translation, like the tower of Babel, is a task that can never be finished. The translation of poetry is particularly difficult because of the singularity of poems, and it is hard to conclude what is right and which is better. The analysis in this article is a personal view and needs further verification.

Creative Writing and Translation

Creative writing and translation have an intricate relation in writing, scholarship, the classroom and beyond. The philosophical context of mimesis and anti-mimesis affects writers, translators, critics, scholars, teachers and students. Imitation, innovation, originality, copying all become part of the debate over translation and creativity. From Plato through Roger Ascham to Immanuel Kant and beyond, this article explores the relation between writing and translation and discusses contributions to this debate East and West before proceeding to the author’s experience in those two realms, especially in Canada, England, China and the United States. I argue that translation is creative, for both creative writing and translation are – along with reading – forms of interpretation. Translators of poetry are, or should be, poets who create anew or recreate the poems.

Mrs. Talfj's salon and her methods of mediating Serbian culture in Germany

Creation of cultural and poetic conditions in German cultural and political centers suitable for the reception of folk poetry in general, and thus also of a Serbian poetry; conceptualization and textualization of the image of Serbs, especially on the basis of Talfja's translations of Serbian folk poetry in German literature and nonfiction in the 20s and 30s of 19th century. Formation of literature circles in Berlin led by Goethe, Brothers Grimm, Kopitar, Stieglitz and Varnhagen. Description of the trip in the book Visit to Montenegro, with Stieglitz's special interest in folklore, legends and epic folk poetry in Njegos's Grlica. Stieglitz's importance as a cultural mediator and one of Talfja's best followers is also mentioned.

The Multidimensional Analysis of the Translator Style in English Translations of The True Story of Ah Q

This research investigates the characteristics of the translator style in five English translations of The True Story of Ah Q, with particular attention paid to lexicons, syntax and overall text structure. The primary goal is to examine patterns between translation versions as well as identify subtle variances that exist among translation versions. By employing Multidimensional Analysis techniques, we delve deeper into the concept of Translator Style. Explore their choices and patterns across translation projects. Our findings illustrate elements that define a translator style at a level, such as syntactic structures and overall text composition in The True Story of Ah Q. This study emphasises the significance of translators and scholars of translation studies recognising how translator styles impact translated text. Further research should be undertaken to gain more insights into translator styles and their effects; furthermore, findings from such research could also be integrated into translation training programs to promote greater appreciation of translation as an art form.

Explore Impact of Cultural Differences Between Taiwan Region and the Chinese Mainland on English Literary Translation: Take the Example of Two Translation Versions of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

This study explores the cultural disparities between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland and their impact on English literary translations within these regions, focusing on the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese versions of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Employing text close reading and comparative analysis methods, this research unveils significant translation differences stemming from the subcultural nuances inherent in Taiwanese culture. These variations manifest in alterations to the books title, personal names, and sentence structures in the respective translations. In essence, both the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese translations contribute to the rich tapestry of Chinese literary translation history. Recognizing these disparities and capitalizing on their individual strengths is vital for the advancement of Chinese literary translation. This analysis underscores the significance of understanding and appreciating cultural distinctions in literary translation, ultimately enhancing the quality and depth of cross-cultural literary exchanges.

Abstract A044: Creating culturally relevant colorectal cancer screening messages and materials for tribal communities in the Great Plains

Abstract Introductory sentences indicating the purposes of the study: We applied a modified version of boot camp translation (BCT), a validated community participatory approach, to engage tribal community members in the Great Plains to develop culturally and locally relevant colorectal cancer (CRC) screening messages and materials. Brief description of pertinent experimental procedures: CRC is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States and disproportionally affects American Indian adults, especially American Indians living in the Great Plains. Routine CRC screening leads to earlier diagnosis and prolonged survival from the disease. However, American Indian adults are less likely to be up to date on CRC screening than White adults, highlighting the need to increase CRC screening within this community. In partnership with the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, we used a modified BCT approach to elicit feedback from tribal community members to create messages and materials that motivate tribal members to get screened for CRC. To make the BCT process more meaningful for our partner communities, we reframed the BCT sessions by referring to them as listening sessions. Eligible tribal community members recruited were between the ages of 45-75 and agreed to participate in all three listening sessions over a two-month period. The sessions consist of one five-hour in-person gathering in Rapid City, South Dakota, and two one-hour follow-up video-conferencing calls. The in-person session included a cultural presentation of Lakota teachings by a local hoop dancer, CRC education by an expert in CRC research, a presentation by local leaders on interventions to increase community access to CRC screening, and discussions on CRC knowledge, beliefs, barriers to screening, and messages/materials to help increase screening. The follow-up sessions, scheduled to occur in the summer of 2023, will gather feedback on draft materials and messages. Summary of the new unpublished data: A total of 38 adults participated in the first listening session. The key themes emphasized the importance of: 1) including Lakota words in the messages/materials as language is tied to cultural identity, 2) creating messaging/materials that are relatable, address local barriers, and include resources and cultural imagery, 3) applying a multigenerational approach to screening education in the messages and materials, 4) including cultural details about healing traditions, and 5) using visuals for colon health education and screening education. The participants suggested using videos in clinics, radio ads, visual stories, brochures, and text messages as the primary channels to disseminate the messages/materials. Statement of conclusions: We successfully used a modified BCT approach to incorporate participant feedback to develop CRC screening messages and materials and identified preferred dissemination channels for the Great Plains tribal communities. Final materials will be showcased. Citation Format: Priyanka Gautom, Jamie H. Thompson, Jennifer S. Rivelli, Senait R. Tadesse, Richard Mousseau, LaToya Brave Heart, Kelley LeBeaux, Derrick Molash, Lorrie Graaf, Dawn Wiatrek, Gloria D. Coronado. Creating culturally relevant colorectal cancer screening messages and materials for tribal communities in the Great Plains [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A044.

Cultural Transfer in Translation. Seamus Heaney’s Poetry: A Case Study

Abstract The present article sets out to investigate the rendering of cultural elements in the process of poetry translation, an undertaking that is a strenuous one, given the constraints of form. It looks into and illustrates the many layers of Seamus Heaney’s poetry, pointing at the profusion of allusions to cultural aspects that are embedded in the texts, and that ask the translator to decide whether to “foreignize” or “domesticate” the text. These extratextual features that a translator needs to consider are imbricated with the various textual elements, generating effects that are difficult to replicate in translation, making similarity of effect all the more difficult to achieve.

English-Chinese Translation of Names of Racehorses: A Case Study of Four Translation Strategies about the Hong Kong Version

This paper examines the translation of horse racing names, focusing on the Hong Kong translation version as a case study. It explores four distinct translation strategies employed in rendering these names into the target language. The prime principle guiding the translation process is the overarching purpose of the translational action. The four strategies discussed are: transliteration, which focuses on reproducing the sounds of the name in the target language; literal translation, which aims to preserve the phonetic and semantic aspects of the original name; free translation, which involves modifying the name to conform to linguistic and cultural conventions; and mixed strategies, which are combination of the previous and can invent new names that capture the essence of the original. By analyzing these strategies and their application in the context of horse racing names, this paper provides insights into the complexities and considerations involved in translating such names. It highlights the importance of understanding the purpose, cultural context, and target audience in order to effectively convey the meaning and impact of horse racing names in the target language.

The Operation of Language in Poetry Translation

The translation of one literary work from its mother language to a target language is certainly a key area of research in literary studies and comparative literature. The translation of literary works, specifically poetry, is extremely flexible and requires intricate operations of language. Not only do translators have to take into account of the structural elements of a poem, but also more obscure elements such as imagery and theme. This paper will explore the key elements of poetry translation, and the indispensable constituents of a successful translation of poetry, and focus primarily on the comparison of English and Chinese poetry along with their translations. The poetry that will be examined are Sonnet 130 written by Shakespeare and its Chinese translations, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, and the famous Chinese poem Yellow Crane Tower. Through the examination and analysis of these poems, a clearer definition of poetry translation can be achieved.

Do Self-translating Poets Have Equally Distributed Equivalent Words in the Target and Original Texts? A Corpus Examination of Yu Guangzhong’s Poems

This article examines the utilization of high-frequency words in Yu Guangzhong’s self-translated poetry through a corpus-driven analysis. The objective is to explore the presence of equivalence and inequivalence in the translations executed by Yu Guangzhong himself. The utilization of modal verbs, lexical bundles, and keywords has been analyzed in various contexts, such as novels and speeches. However, studies that compare disparities in the use of high-frequency words between the source and target languages within poetry translation are scarce. The original and self-translated poetry corpora of Yu Guangzhong have been constructed at the word level to enhance the original texts’ co-occurrence and corresponding translations. In the comprehensive self-translation of his eighty-five poems, Yu Guangzhong encounters challenges in achieving an equitable distribution of equivalent words between the target and original texts. It is observed that most high-frequency words in Yu Guangzhong’s original and target texts lack equivalence in use and meaning. Although two of the three poems analyzed individually mainly achieve equivalence, this discrepancy might be attributed to the translator’s utilization of literal and word-for-word translations.