Research Article

Culture specific items in literary texts and their translation based on “foreignization” and “domestication” strategies

Number: Ö7 October 21, 2020
  • Mesut Kuleli
TR EN

Culture specific items in literary texts and their translation based on “foreignization” and “domestication” strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine culture specific items in the novel titled Baba Evi by Orhan Kemal and find out the translation strategies used in translation of these culture specific items in English translation of the novel titled My Father’s House with a view to exemplifying and presenting potential translation strategies for professional and prospective literary translators. To this end, Newmark’s (2010) categorization of culture specific items was adopted in order to classify the culture specific items besides proper nouns suggested by Aixelá (1996) as culture specific items. The translation of those culture specific items was analyzed based on a synthesis of Aixelá’s (1996) conservation and substitution strategies with Venuti’s (2001[1995; 1998]) foreignization and domestication strategies. The analysis of the culture specific items in the source text yielded 194 items specific to the source culture. 31 items were found from proper nouns category while 163 items were found based on Newmark’s (2010) categorization. The translation analysis showed that foreignization strategies were dominantly used in translation of the culture specific items in the novel, while domestication strategies were used infrequently. Besides foreignization and domestication strategies, the translator also preferred to translate 59 source culture specific items through universal and neutral signs, favoring neither foreignization nor domestication strategies. Therefore, literary translators could benefit from both foreignization and domestication translation strategies rather than adopting only one of them in translation of culture specific items.

Keywords

References

  1. Aixelá, J. F. (1996). Culture-specific items in translation. In R. Alvarez and M. Carmen-Africa Vidal (Eds.), Translation, power, subversion (pp. 52-78). Clevedon, Philadelphia and Adelaide: Multilingual Matters.
  2. Antonini, R. (2007). SAT, BLT, spirit biscuits, and the Third Amendment. In Y. Gambier, M. Shlesinger and R. Stolze (Eds.), Doubts and directions in translation studies (pp. 153-167). Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing.
  3. Baker, M. (1992). In other words: A course book on translation. London: Routledge....................
  4. Baker, M. (2010). Reframing conflict in translation. In M. Baker (Ed.), Critical readings in translation studies (pp. 113-129). London and New York: Routledge. Bassnett, S. (2014). Translation studies. London and New York: Routledge.......................
  5. Can Rençberler, A. (2020). Uncovering the farthest reaches of the meaning universe of a short story and its translations through semiotics of translation. RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, (18), 539-556. DOI: 10.29000/rumelide.706324
  6. Chesterman, A. (1997). Memes of translation. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing.
  7. Derrida, J. (1976). Of grammatology. (G. C. Spivak, Trans.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  8. Ergil, B. (2020). Batı kanonu hayal perdesinde: Tiyatrotem yeniden yazım ve yeniden çevirilerinde “absürd”, “tragedya” ve “komedya” kavramlarının dönüşümü. Dünya Dilleri, Edebiyatları ve Çeviri Çalışmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 26-58.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Linguistics

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

October 21, 2020

Submission Date

August 22, 2020

Acceptance Date

October 20, 2020

Published in Issue

Year 2020 Number: Ö7

APA
Kuleli, M. (2020). Culture specific items in literary texts and their translation based on “foreignization” and “domestication” strategies. RumeliDE Dil Ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, Ö7, 617-653. https://doi.org/10.29000/rumelide.811038

Cited By