مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - “TRANSLATION LOSS” IN POETRY TRANSLATION AND PROBLEMS OF EQUIVALENCE

Abstract :

Faithful translation of poetry to other languages is a moot point which has been approached by different poets and theoreticians up to the present. There have been various comments on this and some of these have put up the argument that poetry could be written in only one language. Nevertheless all these views couldn’t impede the poetry being translated from source language into target language. Translation is an activity as old as human history and will maintain its presence as long as there are different languages spoken on earth. In this case, translator is an envoy that mediates the international richness of word power. Translator has to know well both languages, needs to be patient and responsible. In this paper we’ll try to find the answers to following questions about translation: How can we achieve the equivalent meaning and impression of the source language in the target language while translating? What are the requirements that can provide equivalence between the two texts written in different languages? Can be provided the mentioned equivalence? Although the conditions of faithfulness are fulfilled, there can be observed some misrendering in meaning or in style waiting for translator. But it’s also in translator’s hands to minimize these kinds of mistakes. Still, as it’s observed in the receptor-based communicative translation, the cultural and personal characteristics of receptor can play a crucial role in the perception process of poetry. The translation of poetry, such as Cervantes’ Don Quixote said about it, can be considered as “the reverse side of a carpet”, one side of it can be thought as the reflection of the other side.