TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION

When translating a literary text full of culturally specific features, interpreters try to explicate the implicit. It may turn into their interpretation of the source text, as well as paraphrasing and replacement of what is unclear or misunderstood by “understandable” ideas and concepts. Texts meani...

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Main Author: E. M. Maslennikova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MGIMO University Press 2017-03-01
Series:Концепт: философия, религия, культура
Subjects:
Online Access:https://concept.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/150
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author E. M. Maslennikova
author_facet E. M. Maslennikova
author_sort E. M. Maslennikova
collection DOAJ
description When translating a literary text full of culturally specific features, interpreters try to explicate the implicit. It may turn into their interpretation of the source text, as well as paraphrasing and replacement of what is unclear or misunderstood by “understandable” ideas and concepts. Texts meanings’ increment occurs when translators convert the initial system of concepts and images created by the author. Texts’ inclusiveness into the semiosphere is supported by citations, headings and titles, epigraphs, allusions, reminiscences, various symbols of culture, cultural memory, so-called genre memory, etc., referring to the prototext and / or substituting it in a particular text. In fiction the WORD specifies and directs the processes of meanings’ reception and meanings’ construction that are particular for every reader. In literary texts the WORD appears as a means of its cultural specification and sets out the limits of its interpretive range. The reader starts to reconstruct the author’s intentions trying to enter the WORD’s worlds. In some cases the WORD can be a part of the author’s particular “language” known only for the initiated readers. The level of the highest practicable translatability also depends on the orientation of the author to a particular subject area and associated specialized knowledge. Modern translation theory suggests the idea of fundamental translatability of any text due to the fact that there can be untranslatable language, thematic and stylistic phenomena, but untranslatability is eliminated at the level of the text. Translatability and untranslatablity of cultural references and cultural codes is related to specific lacunar concepts. The article discusses how to reproduce and recreate cultural specification of a literary text in the process of translation.
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spelling doaj.art-466f01c8e54047db97c890758f13499a2024-04-01T11:29:24ZengMGIMO University PressКонцепт: философия, религия, культура2541-88312619-05402017-03-010194105150TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATIONE. M. Maslennikova0Tver State UniversityWhen translating a literary text full of culturally specific features, interpreters try to explicate the implicit. It may turn into their interpretation of the source text, as well as paraphrasing and replacement of what is unclear or misunderstood by “understandable” ideas and concepts. Texts meanings’ increment occurs when translators convert the initial system of concepts and images created by the author. Texts’ inclusiveness into the semiosphere is supported by citations, headings and titles, epigraphs, allusions, reminiscences, various symbols of culture, cultural memory, so-called genre memory, etc., referring to the prototext and / or substituting it in a particular text. In fiction the WORD specifies and directs the processes of meanings’ reception and meanings’ construction that are particular for every reader. In literary texts the WORD appears as a means of its cultural specification and sets out the limits of its interpretive range. The reader starts to reconstruct the author’s intentions trying to enter the WORD’s worlds. In some cases the WORD can be a part of the author’s particular “language” known only for the initiated readers. The level of the highest practicable translatability also depends on the orientation of the author to a particular subject area and associated specialized knowledge. Modern translation theory suggests the idea of fundamental translatability of any text due to the fact that there can be untranslatable language, thematic and stylistic phenomena, but untranslatability is eliminated at the level of the text. Translatability and untranslatablity of cultural references and cultural codes is related to specific lacunar concepts. The article discusses how to reproduce and recreate cultural specification of a literary text in the process of translation.https://concept.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/150texttranslationinterpretationunderstandingmeaningtranslatabilityuntranslatabilitycultural specification textbackground knowledgetranslation competence
spellingShingle E. M. Maslennikova
TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION
Концепт: философия, религия, культура
text
translation
interpretation
understanding
meaning
translatability
untranslatability
cultural specification text
background knowledge
translation competence
title TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION
title_full TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION
title_fullStr TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION
title_full_unstemmed TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION
title_short TEXT CULTURAL SPECIFICITY: TRANSLATABILITY AND ELIMINATION
title_sort text cultural specificity translatability and elimination
topic text
translation
interpretation
understanding
meaning
translatability
untranslatability
cultural specification text
background knowledge
translation competence
url https://concept.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/150
work_keys_str_mv AT emmaslennikova textculturalspecificitytranslatabilityandelimination