The Role of Context in Translating Colour Metaphors: An Experiment on English into Estonian Translation

AbstractContemporary theory on metaphor states that metaphor is conceptual, conventional, and part of the ordinary system of thought and language. It has been argued that metaphors can become a translation problem, since transferring them from one language and culture to another may be restricted by linguistic and cultural differences. We investigated how colour metaphors are translated from English into Estonian. To understand how metaphors are translated, a cognitive empirical study was carried out with 21 colour metaphors. The experiment was conducted with two separate groups of volunteers. The first group participated in a context-based translation task, the second in a context-free one.The experiment indicates that colour metaphors are culture specific. It also revealed that context plays a crucial role in the comprehension and translation of colour metaphors. The more novel and original the metaphor is, the more varied are the translation strategies used by the participants (e.g. yellow-bellied person). Differences in translation choices were obvious between translators and non-translators. Qualitative differences appeared as translators were more target culture oriented and non-translators more source culture oriented, for example.

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CULTURAL FILTERING IN LANGUAGE TRANSLATION

Wiralodra English Journal ◽

10.31943/wej.v1i1.14 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 21-26

Author(s):

Atikah Wati

Keyword(s):

Cultural Differences ◽

Language Translation ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Linguistic Expression ◽

Source Text ◽

Translation Strategies ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Cultural Event ◽

Initial Stage ◽

Target Culture

The aim of this paper is to find out the important of cultural filtering that used by translator in language translation. As we know that language and culture being inextricably interwoven, the transference of the linguistic expression is precisely an attempt to integrate elements of one culture into another. Translation, thus, becomes a cross cultural event and the translator has to formulate his translation strategies to translate source culture into target culture. To deal with these cultural problems, translator is supposed to insert cultural filter in the initial stage of understanding and analyzing codification of the source text in the first stance. Here the cultural filter helps translator in obtain various elements of source culture which cannot go as they are in the target culture because of cultural differences.

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Is translating poems for children a child’s play? A linguistic analysis of the English translations of “Lokomotywa” by Julian Tuwim

Crossroads A Journal of English Studies ◽

10.15290/cr.2021.33.2.04 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 67-85

Author(s):

Laura Saks ◽

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Analysis ◽

Cultural Differences ◽

Target Language ◽

Translation Strategies ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Child's Play ◽

Translation Analysis ◽

English Translations ◽

Children’S Expectations ◽

The Impact

The aim of the present article is to demonstrate the challenges connected with the translation of children’s poetry, and to offer a qualitative analysis of different translation strategies employed in two English translations of the Polish poem for children “Lokomotywa” by Julian Tuwim. The translation analysis is based on the translation strategies proposed by Lawrence Venuti and Peter Newmark. It focuses on the linguistic and cultural differences between Polish and English, and examines the choices of the translation strategies made by the translators, and the impact they may have had on the reception of the poem in the target language. The comparison shows that although there may be some limitations in terms of the target language and culture, the translators are able to find suitable and effective solutions and simultaneously convey the source text’s form and content. The conclusions placed at the end of the paper summarise the features of both translations and emphasise those strategies employed by the translators which are effective and thanks to which the translations are likely to live up to children’s expectations.

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ARGUMENT, KNOWLEDGE AND ETHICS: UNDERSTANDING CORE CONCEPTS IN PHILOSOPHY BY AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON GREEK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

ARHE ◽

10.19090/arhe.2020.33.189-219 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (33) ◽

pp. 189-219

Author(s):

SPYRIDON STELIOS ◽

KOSTAS THEOLOGOU ◽

SIMONI ILIADI ◽

ELENI MANOLAKAKI

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

University Students ◽

Common Sense ◽

Crucial Role ◽

Theoretical Understanding ◽

Formal Definitions ◽

Core Concepts

An empirical study was conducted measuring the degree to which Greek university students’ understanding of core philosophical concepts (that is, ‘argument’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘ethics’) has been shaped by the material taught in the classroom. The extent of this transition from pre-instructional conceptions to textbook formulations has been investigated through the use of a new questionnaire. Findings indicate that generally, students retain their pre-theoretical understanding of these terms. Within this framework, some formal definitions are closer to common sense (e.g. ‘ethics’) and some others aren’t (e.g. ‘knowledge’). Furthermore, the role of intuitions in this process is been evaluated, leading to the ascertainment that previous philosophical encounters seem to play a crucial role in determining actual understanding.

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Shifting Language Paradigm: An Integration of Five Dimensions of Culture in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Pakistan

International Journal of English Linguistics ◽

10.5539/ijel.v8n5p53 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Hassan Bin Zubair ◽

Abrar Qureshi ◽

Adnan Tahir ◽

Athar Munir

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Learning Process ◽

Role Playing ◽

Authentic Materials ◽

Five Dimensions ◽

Teaching Culture ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Efl Classrooms ◽

Target Culture

This study explores the inseparable entities of language and culture. Mastering the cultural element is crucial in the EFL/ESL language learning process. Furthermore, the study investigates the role of culture in the EFL/ESL curriculum since the 1980s. The paper examines the integration of culture into the ESL/ EFL classrooms in Pakistan. Most Pakistani EFL classrooms continue to simply focus on the grammar-translation approach, where students have to memorize significant and non-significant grammar points and then do dozens of exercises drilling the newly learned grammatical form(s). The foundation for teaching culture language learning include the 5 Cs, the Five Dimensions of Culture, language learning authentic materials, and the Cultural Experiential Learning Cycle. Through experiencing role-playing situations and distinguishing similarities and differences between cultures, students are culturally prepared with appropriate behaviors and responses when they encounter a similar situation in the target culture. The recommendations provided should enable Pakistani educators and administrators to effectively integrate culture into EFL curricula. This Paper explores the incorporation of culture in the context of Pakistani language learning environments. It also investigates strategies and techniques that make the language learning process productive, so that Pakistani educators can incorporate them within their classrooms.

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CONTROVERSY IN THE CLASSROOM: THE CASE OF TRAINSPOTTING

Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes ◽

10.22190/jtesap1801043k ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 043

Author(s):

Milena M. Kalicanin

Keyword(s):

Cultural Context ◽

Cultural Awareness ◽

Cultural Analysis ◽

Target Language ◽

Practical Case ◽

Classroom Communication ◽

Language And Culture ◽

Classroom Experiment ◽

Target Culture

Since learning a language naturally entails the understanding of a cultural context in which it is used (Kramsch, 1993), it goes without saying that cultural awareness will be best acquired when students immerse themselves in the country of the target culture (Istanto, 2008). The role of the teacher in nurturing cultural understanding is to “take on the role of culture educator and deliberately assist students with their process of cultural analysis.” (Istanto, 2009: 280) One of the ways to teach culture has definitely been to ask students to watch films of the target culture. This paper deals with the classroom experiment of teaching “Trainspotting”. The students were divided into two groups with the task of presenting and interpreting different aspects of the film for the sake of enhancing classroom communication, as well as introducing prevalent concerns of contemporary Scottish society. The first (linguistic) group had to report on the usage of the authentic Scots in the film with a special attention to its title – to investigate the root and meaning of the word “trainspotting”, and the second (cultural) group had quite a demanding task to discuss the issues of urban Scottish youth culture. Though dealing with rather controversial themes, the practical case of teaching Trainspotting, based primarily on the interactive and communicative way of learning, verily illustrates “how film can be used in an innovative way for teaching the target language and culture” (Istanto, 2008:290).

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Russian word-formation in contrast with Czech and Norwegian

Oslo Studies in Language ◽

10.5617/osla.72 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Laura A Janda

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

Cultural Differences ◽

Word Formation ◽

Russian Word

Although some scholarship on metonymy has mentioned examples of word-formation and some scholarship on word-formation has mentioned the presence of metonymy, to date there has been no attempt to examine the systematic role of metonymy in the domain of word-formation. This article presents an empirical study of the metonymies signalled by derivational suffixes in Russian, Czech and Norwegian. This approach facilitates cross-linguistic comparison that reveals significant differences among languages, and these differences appear relevant to cultural differences.

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