Pragmatic Equivalence in Literary Translation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46991/TSTP/2024.SI.2.158

Keywords:

Cross-Cultural Pragmatics, pragmatic equivalence, literary translation,, verbs of speaking

Abstract

The present paper addresses the issue of pragmatic equivalence in literary translation, which is considered to be one of the most important aspects of linguistic uniformity between the source and target texts. Pragmatic equivalence of translation is defined as the conformity of the translator’s ‘duplication’ of the content with the author’s communicative intent or the literary objective. The cross-cultural pragmatic analysis of translation equivalence carried out in the paper focuses on the interpretations of the verbal behavior of the heroes while performing speech acts. For the purpose of analysis the novel by R. Bradbury “Dandelion Wine” and its Armenian and Russian translations are chosen. The research shows that the interpretative words nominating the heroes’ verbal behavior, namely, the verbs of speaking, are culture sensitive. Therefore, in some cases the translator may diverge from the source text in order to sound authentic in the target language. The comparative analysis of the samples served as a mediated translation approach, revealing certain linguistic and culture-specific points at issue in the translation process.

 

 

Author Biography

Shushanik Paronyan, Yerevan State University

D.Sc., Professor, Chairperson of the Department of English for Cross-Cultural Communication, Yerevan State University, Armenia; head of the Methodological Council of the Faculty of European Languages and Communication; member of Scientific Council of the Faculty of European Languages and Communication; member of AASE (Armenian Association for the Study of English); member of the Editorial Board of the AASE Journal of English Studies ‘Armenian Folia Anglistika’ and the Advisory Board of the international scientific journal “Translation Studies: Theory and Practice.”

References

Alkston, William P. 2000. Illocutionary Acts and Sentence Meaning. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Bradbury, Ray. Dandilion Wine. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://pdfroom.com/books/dandelion-wine/ra517rEjgJO

Bradbury, Ray. 2008. Vino iz oduvanchikov [Dandilion Wine]. Russian translation by E.I. Kabalevskaya]. Moskva, Sankt Peterburg: Eksmo, Domino. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://coollib.com/b/461429-rey-duglas-bredberi-vino-iz-oduvanchikov

Bradbury, Ray. 2016. Khatutiki gini [Dandilion Wine]. Armenian translation by Z. Boyajyan. Yerevan: Antares.

Caballero, Rosario, and Paradis, Carita.2018. “Verbs in Speech Framing Expressions: Comparing English and Spanish.” Journal of Linguistics, 54(1): 45-84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022226717000068

Dixon, Robert Malcolm Ward. 2005. A Semantic Approach to English Grammar. New York: Oxford University Press. Accessed June 21, 2023. https://www.google.am/books/edition/A_Semantic_Approach_to_English_Grammar/5c8SDAAAQBAJ?hl=ru&gbpv=1&dq=semantic+typology+of+verbs&printsec=frontcover

Harding, Sue-Ann, and Cortés, Ovidi Carbonell (Eds.). 2018. The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Culture. London: Routledge.

Hartono, Rudi. 2020. Translation Techniques & Methods. Semarang, Indonesia: LPPM UNNES Press.

Honig, Hans G. 1997. “Positions, Power and Practice: Functionalist Approaches and Translation Quality Assessment.” Current Issues in Language and Society, Vol. 4: 6-34.

Komissarov, Vilen Naumovich. 1990. Teoriya perevoda (lingvisticheskiye aspekty) [The Theory of Translation (Linguistic Aspects)]. Moskva: Vishaya shkola.

Newmark, Peter. 1988. Approaches to Translation. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall.

Nida, Eugene. 1964. Toward a Science of Translating. Leiden: Brill.

Paronyan, Shushanik. 2011. “Khoskayin akteri hamarzhek targmanutian mi qani usutsoghakan khndirneri shurj.” [On Some Educational Problems of Equivalent Translation of Speech Acts]. Targmanutian tesakan ev gorcnakan hartser. Gitakan hodvatsneri zhoghovatsu [Theoretical and Practical Issues of Translation. Collection of Scientific Articles]. Yerevan: YSU Publishing, pp. 53-62.

Paronyan, Shushanik. 2021. “Pragmatic Coherence and Equivalence in Literary Translation.” Translation Studies: Theory and Practice 1(1):142-154. Yerevan: YSU Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46991/TSTP/2021.1.1.142

Perman, Marcus. 2011. “The Challenge of Faithful Translation.” In Tsandra Foundation. Accessed April 19, 2023. https://www.tsadra.org/2011/03/26/the-challenge-of-a-faithful-translation/

Searle, John R. 1969. Speech acts. London: Cambridge University Press.

Sukiasyan, Ashot, and Galstyan, Sergey. 1975. Hayots lezvi dardzvatsabanakan bararan [Phraseological Dictionary of Armenian]. Yerevan: YSU Publishing.

Verschueren, Jeff. 1980. On Speech Act Verbs. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Verschueren, Jeff. 1999. Understanding Pragmatics. London, New York: Arnold.

Downloads

Published

2024-03-29

How to Cite

Paronyan, S. (2024). Pragmatic Equivalence in Literary Translation. Translation Studies: Theory and Practice, 158–171. https://doi.org/10.46991/TSTP/2024.SI.2.158

Issue

Section

Part II