Translating
Literary Prose:
Problems and
Solutions
What is “Prose-Translation”?
Prose - Translation is the translation of novels, essays, fiction, short
stories, comedy, folk tale, hagiography, works of criticism, science
fiction etc. It is a type of literary creativeness where the written-work
of one language is re-created in another.
It is an inherent idea that the translation of poetry is very problematic, yet we have to agree
that the translators also have to face lots of difficulties when it comes to translating prose:
Find terms in his or her own
01 02
Be able to skilled enough to
language that express the highest translate feelings, cultural nuances,
level of faithfulness possible to the humor and other delicate elements
meaning of certain words. of a piece of work.
Peter Newmark
03 04
(1988) delineates translation as
Make the words work as the
“rendering the meaning of a text
‘key ingredient’ of literature
into another language in the way
that the author
intended the text”
The Essence of Translation of Literary Prose’
The translation of literary depends on the existence of an object of translation, a
work to be translated. In some examples, a work may not be a translation in the
common sense, but it may not be possible to express it absolutely as a work of
literary creativeness. Several labels that are used to designate these works
include- “open translation”, “faux”, “a work on the themes of”, and “founded on”.
The particular meanings of these designations rely on the language and the eon.
Nida says that the definition of a dynamic equivalent translation is to
describe it as “the closest natural equivalent to the source-language
message”
1. Equivalent, which refers to the source-language
message.
2. Natural, which refers to the receptor language.
3. Closest, which “binds the two orientations
together on the basis of the highest degree of
speculation”.
Problems in Translating Literary Prose
Translation is a challenging activity and there are few difficulties that
emerge throughout the translation process since every language
portrays the world in diverse way and has its own grammar
structure, grammar rules and syntax variance.
The most particular problems that the translators face include-
illegible text, missing references, several constructions of grammar,
dialect terms and neologisms, irrationally vague terminology,
inexplicable acronyms and abbreviations, untranslatability,
intentional misnaming, particular cultural references etc.
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words, phrases, and idioms in British and
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Problems in Translating Literary
Prose
Translation is a challenging
activity and there are few
difficulties that emerge
throughout the translation
process since every language
portrays the world in diverse
way and has its own grammar
structure, grammar rules and
syntax variance.
NEXT!
The most particular problems that the translators face include- illegible text, missing
references, several constructions of grammar, dialect terms and neologisms, irrationally
vague terminology, inexplicable acronyms and abbreviations, untranslatability, intentional
misnaming, particular cultural references etc.
Because grammatical
particles (verb tenses, Because idioms of
Because a particular word in one
singular/dual/plural, one language and
language often contains
case markers etc.) are
meanings that involve several culture may be
words in another language. For not available in every
utterly perplexing to
example, the English word ‘wall’ Language.
might be rendered into German speakers from
as Wand (inside wall) or as another language
Mauer (exterior wall). and culture.
The sentence does not consist The English editions
only of a statement but aims show some types of
at something beyond what it negative shift
actually says. Within a literary relating:
text, sentences always
indicate something that is to
come and their particular
content foreshadows the
structure. There may be a
loss of element if the
translator handles sentences
for their definite content only.
NEXT!
Translating texts simply means
changing a text in one language
to a text in another based on the
rules of that language. In this
case, the word is distinguished by
the fact that it forms a compound,
has synonyms, has antonyms, Without ignoring
forms phraseological units, is other language
used in a figurative sense. units, it can be said
that a word is a
unique unit within
all language areas.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CULTURES
For example, in the
culture of Uzbekistan
gardening, agriculture,
domestic animals and
everyday life are of great
importance.
In England and in
America,
attention is paid
to income,
money, sports,
and benefits.
4. Solutions for
the Translators of
Literary Prose
1. A great understanding of the
language, written and verbal.
2. An excellent control of the language
into which he is translating i.e. the
target language.
3. Awareness of the subject matter of
The prose-translators should the book being translated.
start with the careful adherence 4. A deep knowledge of the
to the following principles: etymological and idiomatic correlates
between the two languages; and
5. a delicate common sense of when
to metaphrase or ‘translate literally’
and when to paraphrase.
Methods
2. Conference with Other People:
Discussions about the use and
meaning of words with bilingual
people.
1. Back Translation: a. The translation of items
“Comparison of a back- from the source language
translation with the to the target language.
original text is
3. Interviews or
sometimes used as a Questionnaires or Any Kind
check on of Tests: These are used to
the accuracy of the b. Free translation of
remove translation-related
original translation…” these back into the difficulties.
(Crystal, 2004: 5). source language.
Used to search for
equivalents through:
Besides, the translators should keep
the translation shifts in mind.
J.C. Catford (1965) 1. Structure-shifts involving a
grammatical alteration
He believes that there are two 2. Class-shifts
major kinds of translation shifts And category
shifts that have
been categorised 3. Unit-shifts involving
into four kinds: alterations in position;
Level shifts, where the S.L
item at one linguistic level,
for example: grammar
4. Intra-system shifts
Now, the problems in
translating literary prose can be
solved much if the prose- Thierry (1978) states that ‘perfect bilingual’ implies two things:
translator is both bilingual and 1. One speaks both the languages consistently well.
bicultural.
2. One has two mother tongues.
However, Harris and Sherwood (1978)
A natural translator has to go through the
By entering the S.L following stages:
cultural elements:
1. ‘Pre-translation’, where the translator typically uses
single words,
2. ‘Auto-translation’, whereby the translator translates to
others what he has said or written himself,
3. ‘Transduction’ whereby the translator works as a
1. the text will be more ‘fluently- mediator between two other people.
readable’ (no stops), According to his model, the usual process of translation
2. the text continues to be more looks like the following:
foreign, more distant,
3. the translator comes nearer to
the source culture, and
4. a more authentic picture of the
source culture appears before the
reader of the target texts.
In translation, the study of equivalence Mona Baker’s categorises equivalence
demonstrates the way the translators correctly
render the text in translation from S.L into T.L or in the following manners:
vice versa.
As the goal of translation is to establish a
relationship of equivalence between the
source and the target texts, a successful
translation can be judged by two criteria:
1. Faithfulness or 2. Transparency
Fidelity
(maintaining the
(accurate
translation of
grammatical).
the meaning)
Vinay and Darbelnet
(1995)
According to them, equivalence is the perfect technique
when the translator is dealing with idioms, proverbs,
clichés, nominal or adjectival phrases and the
onomatopoeia of animal sounds.
They conclude by declaring that the need for creating
equivalences arises from the situation, and it is in the
situation of the S.L text that translators have to look for a
solution.
Certainly, they argue that it is not enough to quote (in a dictionary
or a glossary) the semantic equivalent of an expression in the S.L
text, and it does not ensure that the translation will be a successful
one.
Roman
Jakobson
(1959)
States that there is a very 1. Intralingual Transposition: ( i.e. restatement or paraphrase)
important alternative for the
translators, who can complete
the task from the standpoint of 2. Interlingual Transposition: (between two languages)
creative transposition. from one language into another, and
Jakobson’s study of
equivalence recommends three
3. Intersemiotic Transposition: (between sign systems) one system of
types of translation on account
signs into another, e.g. from verbal art into music, dance, cinema or
of his semiotic approach to painting.
language:
In the case of interlingual translation, Jakobson maintains that:
Additionally, the prose-translators
should follow the six principles
presented by Hillaire Belloc (1931):
1. The translator must regard the work as
an integral unit and translate in sections.
2. The translator must decode ‘idiom by
idiom’.
3. The translator ought to translate
‘intention by intention’.
4. Belloc warns against les faux amis,
5. The translator is supposed to ‘alter
courageously’.
6. The translator must never overstate.
Belloc suggests the translator to view the prose text as a structured ‘whole’; if
the translator thinks in this manner, then it will be easier for him to translate
and the translated text will be a good one. Besides, the translator must not
forget the stylistic and syntactical requirements of the T.L.
However, there is a risk of the occurrence of mistranslation if
the translator takes each sentence or paragraph as a
minimum unit and translates it without connecting it with the
general work.
The prose-translators must not think that any bilingual
individual is able to produce satisfactory .
Primarily, the prose-translators must be able to read,
understand and cling to somebody else’s thoughts, then
translate them accurately, completely and without omission.
Conclusion
In the end, the translators, beside dealing with the difficulties inherent to the
translation of prose, must think about the artistic features of the text, its
exquisiteness and approach, as well as its marks (lexical, grammatical, or
phonological). They should not forget that the stylistic marks of one language
can be immensely different from another. “As far as the whole text is
concerned, it is simply impossible to transfer all the message of the original
text into the target text”.
LITERAL AND
LITERARY
TRANSLATION
What is literal translation?
Why they happen
of
0 cak
01 Poor
3 Lack
knowledge of
the source
language
e”
02 Insufficient mastery
of the target language of
the
Translating literally is an inherent part
of the translation process. During
translation, two languages come in
contact, and in this contact a third
language is born: the so-called
interlanguage, which has features from
both the source and target languages.
Literal translations are simply a
manifestation of the interlanguage.
BENEFITS OF LITERAL TRANSLATION
It is the fastest type of It makes content
translation service,
decreasing turnaround time 1 2 understandable in the
target language while
for translation projects remaining easy and
straightforward
It ensures that no Because literal
important information
is excluded from the 3 4 translation is simpler, it
can make good use of
source content cutting-edge
translation technology
MORE ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
Literary
translation
Literary translation consists of
the translation of poetry, plays,
literary books, literary texts, as
well as songs, rhymes, literary
articles, fiction novels, novels,
short stories, poems, etc.
Translation of Literary Styles
Style is the essential characteristic of every
piece of writing, the outcome of the
writer´s personality and his emotions at
the moment; a single paragraph can´t be
put together without revealing to some
degree the personality of the author.
Every writer has a literary style and his
style is reflected in his writing.
Some authors say that a translation should
reflect the style of the original text while
others say that a translation should
possess the style of the translator.
Characteristics:
The literary translator has to take into account the beauty of the text, its style, the lexical,
grammatical and phonological features. Some of these may not be the same in the target
language.
. The aim of the translator is that the quality of the translation be the same as the original text
without leaving out any of the content.
In general, in literary translation we translate messages, not meanings. The text must be seen
as an integral and coherent piece of work.
The translator must find words in his own
language that express almost with the
same fidelity the meaning of some words
of the original language
The practice of literary translation has
changed as a matter of globalisation,
texts have become more exotic, and these
translations should contribute to a better
and more correct understanding of the
source culture of a country.
Translation of Poetry
In poetry, form is as essential to preserve as
contents. If the form is not preserved then
neither is the poetry.
One of the more difficult things to translate is
poetry. It is essential to maintain the flavor of
the original text.”
In the translation of poetry, puns, allusions,
analogies, alliterations, figures of speech, and
metaphors are always common.
Translation of Prose
poems
• Most translation authorities believe
in some sort of stylistic loss in
translating prose poems, let alone
for rendering a poem into its
equivalent verse.
• We must bear in mind that we
should always be faithful to the
meaning of the original poem
Translation of Plays
The work of the translator does not end when
the work is given to be performed. It is
advisable for the translator to work with the
director and the actors to resolve problems
when the text is put on stage.
It’s important to take into account the words
used at the time the play takes place as well as
the audience to which it is directed. For
example, a translator from Spain will use the
word “cojín” for cushion, while an Argentine
translator will use “almohadón.”
EXAMPLE
● Breakfast Table
In the fresh-washed sunlight, the breakfast table is
decked and white. It offers itself in flat surrender,
tendering tastes, and smells, and colors, and metals, and
grains, and the white cloth falls over its side, draped and
wide. Wheels of white glitter in the silver coffee-pot, hot
and spinning like catherine-wheels, they whirl, and
twirl—and my eyes begin to smart, the little white,
dazzling wheels prick them like darts. Placid and
peaceful, the rolls of bread spread themselves in the sun
to bask. A stack of butter-pats, pyramidal, shout orange
through the white, scream, flutter, call: “Yellow!
Yellow! Yellow!” Coffee steam rises in a stream, clouds
the silver tea-service with mist, and twists up into the
sunlight, revolved, involuted, suspiring higher and
higher, fluting in a thin spiral up the high blue sky. A
crow flies by and croaks at the coffee steam. The day is
new and fair with good smells in the air.
LINKOGRAPHY
● https://www.rws.com/insights/rws-moravia-
blog/the-good-and-the-bad-of-literal-
translations/
● https://global-lingo.com/literal-translation-
vs-creative-translation/
● https://translatorthoughts.com/2016/02/w
ord-for-word-translation/
