Linguistics Issues and Cultural Issues in Literary
Translation
K. S. Anuruddhika
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
International Symposium 2010
A case study of translating a short story from English
into Sinhala
<Source text > The Man Without a Temperament (Bliss and other
stories by Katherine Mansfield , Wordsworth Editions
Limited,1998)
<Target text> Tarahak Naeti Minisa (Punchi Guruwariya by K.S
Anuruddhika, Wijesurya Grantha Kendraya, 2008)
Source Text
Target Text
Identified Issues
Issues
Linguistic
Narrative Style
Syntax
Foreign words /dialects
Cultural
Onomatopoeia
Simile
Metaphors
Linguistic Issues
Narrative Style
sudden
flashbacks
Syntax and Morphology
short
incomplete
sentences
violation of
syntactic rules
fantasies
repetitions
Use of foreign
words/dialects
Cultural Issues
Onomatopoeias
Simile and
metaphors
Culture
bound
words
Cultural
issues
Linguistic Issues
1.0 Narrative Style
Fantasy 1 -:
Protagonist always wishes his wife to be healthy, live,
energetic and romantic in her real life but with her sickness it’s
impossible. This agony leads him to fantasize about his wife being
always very live and energetic when she appears in front of him.
<< Mr. Selsby goes for a walk on to the top of a nearby hill leaving his
sick wife in the garden. He begins to fantasize an incident with the
unexpected view of two villagers who were returning home.>>
“Two men passed walking towards the straggling village. Good day! Good day! Bye Jove!
He had to hurry if he was going to catch that train home. Over the gate, across a field ,
over the stile in to the lane , swinging alone in the drifting rain and dusk…just home in
time for a bath and a change before supper… In the drawing room: Jinnie is sitting
pretty nearly in the fire . Oh Robert , I didn’t hear you come in. How nice you smell?...A
present?...Oh how lovely Robert!”
(Bliss and other stories, page 104)
Fantasy 2 :- Fantasizes if Jinnie could stay healthily during
winter but in her real life it’s unlikely to happen.
Context:
Mr. Selsby is having tea with his wife in the outside when the servant
brings some letters for them . Mrs. Selsy opens one letter and reads . She says
him that it is snowing in London. When he hears the word ‘snow’ he begins
to dream.
“ Snow. Snow in London. Millie with the early morning cup of tea .There is a
terrible fall of snow in the night sir. Oh has there Mill? The curtain ring apart,
letting in the pale ,reluctant light. He raises himself in the bed: he catches a
glimpse of the solid houses opposite framed in white, of their window boxes
full of great sprays of white coral……..And then flying lightly lightly down the
stairs-Jinnie . Oh Robert isn’t is wonderful!.. Oh what a pity it has to melt.”
(Bliss and other stories, page 99)
1.1 Flashback
<< In the holiday resort at night. Protagonist Mr. Selsby goes to sleep
after smocking a cigar. His sick wife has already gone to sleep. He lies
beside her. He reminisces doctor’s prescription on his wife’s sickness
which motivated him to go for a holiday.>>
“In his study. Late summer. The Verginia creeper just on the turn….Well
my dear chap , that’s the whole story. That’s the long and short of it. If
she can’t cut away for the next two years and give a decent climate a
chance she doesn't stand a dog’s-h’m-show..”
(Bliss and other stories, page 107)
1.2 Repetitions
1)Her head tilted back, her lips open, a brush of bright color on
her cheek-bones, sipped, sipped, drank ... drank.
wef.a ysi msgqmig we,ù f;d, újrj f.dia folïuq,aj,
meyem;a njla we;sù ;snqKs' weh fifuka fifuka f;a fldamamh
f;d, .dñka mdkh l<dh'
2)He turned the ring ,turned the signet ring on his little
finger……
Tyq f;d,a W,afldg Wreyka nEug .sh kuq;a tfia fkdlr ukdj
fia¥" frdai mdg" kejqï wf;ys ;snQ uqÿj muKla w;.dñka miq
úh'
3)There is a thick, thick icing on the garden table.
tys WoHdk fïifhys >ke;s whsia ;Ügqjls'
1.2 Repetition continued.…
4)They gasped, gulped, staggered a little and then came
up laughing-laughing.
Tõyq wudrefjka yqiau .ksñka yqiau fy<ñka uola
mels<S wk;=rej iskdiqky'
5)And then flying lightly, lightly down the stairs-Jinnie
wk;=rej ieye,a¨ f,i my; ud,hg wd úg cskS
6) Back, back the way he came.
Tyq h<s udj;g msúi .uka lf<ah'
Problems of translating narrative techniques
Fantasy ,flashback and repetition
 Confusion in understanding the context relevant to the story’s theme.
 Difficult to identify fantasy and flashback distinctively.
 Hard to understand how flashback and fantasy are connected with the
present situation of the story.
 Loosing the story’s integrity.
 Translator’s inability to reproduce repetition in the target text for the
emphasis and alliteration as the writer does.
2.0 Syntax and Morphology
He pursed his lips – he might have been going
to whistle –but he didn’t whistle –only turned
the ring – turned the ring on his pink ,freshly
washed hands.
 He pursed his lips as if he might have been
going to whistle but he only turned the ring on
his freshly washed hands.
2.1 Short incomplete utterances and sentences
Context:
<<Protaganist’s wife Jinnie is reading a letter came from London.
The protoganist Mr. Selsby is sitting beside her and having a cup
of tea.>>
From Lottie, came her soft murmer.” Poor dear…such trouble…left
foot. She thought…neuritis.. Doctor Blyth..flat foot…massage. So
many robins this year…maid most satisfactory.. Indian
Colonel…every grain of rice separate…very heavy fall of snow.”
2.1 Short incomplete utterances and
sentences
Snow-heavy snow over everything.
ysu- ,kavkfha ysu
Warming his back at the dining-room fire, the paper drying over
a chair. Millie with the bacon.
Tyq lEu ldurfha .sks Wÿkska WKqiqï fjñka isà' mqj;am; mqgqj
u; úhf<ñka ;sfí' ñ,S fílka iu.'
In his study. Late summer. The virginia creeper just on the turn…
Tyq ld¾hd, ldurfha isà' ta miq.sh .%Siau R;=jhs' j¾cskshd
jef,ys u,a msfmkakg mgka .;a;d muKs'
2.1 Short incomplete utterances and
sentences
But she-with her tea cup in one hand, the sheets of thin paper
in the other, her head tilted back, her lips open, a brush of
bright color on her cheek- bones, sipped, sipped, drank,drank….
kuq;a weh tla w;l f;a fldamamhlao wfkflys ;=kS lvodis
/ilao ;ndf.k isáhdh' wef.a ysi msgqmig we,ù f;d,
újrj f.dia folïuq,aj, meyem;a njla we;sù ;snqKs' weh
fifuka fifuka f;a fldamamh f;d, .dñka mdkh l<dh'
In the bath room- overlooking the back garden.
kdk ldurfha isg n,kúg msgqmi WoHdkh oeä ysu m;kfhka
jeiS we;'
2.2 Use of foreign words/dialects
And she knoo it was there-she knoo it was looking at her just that
way…….(knows)
Just this moment ,Signora,” (Miss) grinned Antonio. I took-a them
from the postman my self. I made-a the postman give them for
me.”
“Vous desirez, Monsieur?” mocked the servant girl.
(what do you want?)
“ Vous avez voo ca!” said the American woman.
(Did you see that?)
“Tres rum!” said he.
Good day! By Jove!
Your missus (mistress) wants you.
Problems in the level of syntax and
morphology
 Difficult to imitate the written style of the source text
as it includes the stylistic variations such as short
incomplete utterances, repetitions and words with
alliteration.
 The writer has violated English syntactic rules in order
to produce a creative language.
 Writers has used many foreign words and dialect terms
which affects the understanding of the text.
 Translator is unable to produce same stylistic effects
within target language due to structural differences
between two languages.
Cultural Issues
1.0 Onomatopoeias
“Hoo-e-zip-zoo-zoo!” sounded the lift.
la?ia'' la?ia''' la?ia t,sfõgrh y`vke.Sh'
And then their “A- hak-kak-kak!” with the slap, slap, of the stone on the linen
sounded after him.
Caw! Caw! Caw! Came from the general.
Tee! Hee! Hee! Their feet were locked together under the table.
Over a bed of scarlet waxen flowers some black insects zoom-zoomed
;o r;= mdg báu,a md;a;shg by<ska nureka /ila rex rex y`v k.ñka
isáhy'
1.1 Simile and Metaphors
Their two coils of knitting, like two snakes , slumbered beside the tray.
Tjqka f.;a;ï i|yd fhdod.;a kQ,a fnda, kd.hka fofofkl= mßoafoka
nkafoaish mfilska je;sÍ ;snqKs'
A hand, like a leaf, fell on his shoulder.
fld<hla fuka jQ w;la Tyqf.a Wrysi u; jegqKs'
Her voice thinned away, faint, airy-was like freshly ground nutmegs
weUrE" kejqï lrouqx.=j, iqj| fuka wef.a y`v ÿn, f,i jd;,hg uqiq úh'
Their laughing voices charged with excitement beat against the glasses-in
veranda like birds
Tjqka iskdfik y`v ;s.eiau iu. uqiqj l=re,a,ka fuka wd,skaofha ùÿre
ì;a;sj, .egq‚'
Her voice like a sigh-like a breath
wef.a y`v iqiqï fmdola fyda uo mjkla fia úh'
1.1 Simile and Metaphors contd..
Far away lightening flutters-flutters like a wing-flutters like a broken bird that
tries to fly and sinks again and again struggles.
wE;ska úÿ,sh fldghs' th ;gqjla fuka ief,hs' b.s,Sug fjr ork ;=jd, jQ
l=re,af,l= fuka ;gq i,ñka h<s my<g jefgñka wr.,hl fhfohs'
She can’t cut away for the next two years and give a decent climate a chance
she doesn’t stand a dog’s
;j wjqreoq folla cSj;a fjkav kï wehj fyd| foaY.=Khla ;sfhka ;eklg
wrka hkak'
You’re bread and wine,Robert,bread and wine.
ug Thdj ke;=j neye frdnÜæ
Encountered cultural issues
 Difficult to translate onomatopoeias equal to the
source text.
 Some onomatopoeias are hard to reproduce even
within the target text.
 Uniqueness of simile, metaphors and specific words
since they are bound with the source culture.
 As a whole translator’s inability to preserve the
cultural essence depicted in the original hundred
percent successfully through this process of
translation.
Questions??
Thank you!