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

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 6, 51 - 62, 10.12.2017

Moruwawon Babatunde Samuel

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Apart (1958) and unpublished literary material.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

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