Translation at the Crossroad of Rhetorical Troop: Translating Metaphor in the Light of Relevance Theory

Abstract

The present study discusses the translation of metaphor as a stylistic element in the light of relevance theory. The data of the study consists of three assorted metaphors that have been used in French and their English translations. These texts have been culled from some published (Achebe (1958) Things Fall Apart (1958) and unpublished literary material.  The study focuses on the identification and analysis from the perspective of relevance theory of the metaphorical expressions used in the texts and explains the translation procedures resorted to by the translators in renderings such expression. The study also adopts the operational framework of metaphor translation procedures based on the Source Text and target text approach developed by Vinnay and Darbelnet (1995) and Showqi (2014). Although no single theory of translation is capable to analyse the phenomenon of metaphor in translation, the article relies on relevant theory in order to develop a view on the translatability of metaphor in literary texts. The metaphors analysed in this study reveal the thinking pattern of people in the society. It equally provides a step in the right direction to understand the phenomenon of metaphor translation in the light of relevance theory. We do not propose that our theory is the only answer to all the challenges of translation. Despite the usefulness of the theory, the translator’s competence and knowledge are equally necessary to faithfully render metaphorical expressions from one language into another.

Keywords

• metaphor,translation,relevance theory,faithfulness

References

1. Achebe, Chinua (1958) Things Fall Apart, Heinemann Educational Book, London. Ibadan- Nairobi, p158Trans. Michael Ligny (1966). Le Monde s’effondre. Presence Africaine.
2. Esimaje, Alexandra Uzoaku (2009) Proverbs in Context: A Study of John Munonye’s The only son. Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, no.18.
3. Firth, John Rupert (1957) Papers in Linguistics. Oxford University