Insights into translation and the original text: Thomas Mofolo's Chaka

Authors

  • Moroesi R, Nakin University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
  • Inie J. Kock University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/tvl.v.53i2.9

Keywords:

cultural specificity, non-equivalence, Thomas Mofolo, translation strategies

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the strategies applied during the translation of chosen passages from the original Sesotho text of Chaka by Thomas Mofolo into English. Insights expressed here originate from participation in the translation workshops during the conference on “Translating Mofolo”. Different stages of the translation process are identified and discussed, while the main emphasis is placed on resolving instances of non-equivalence between the source text and the target text. Non-equivalence includes among other things, culture-specific words and expressions in the source language, grammatical considerations in both the source text and the target text, and the relationship between linguistic units in context. Culture specific words and expressions relate to idiomatic expressions and fixed combinations of words in the source and target texts. Grammatical considerations refer to the translation of Sesotho-specific moods and tenses, number, person, etc., into English, while the relationship between linguistic units is discussed with regard to cohesion, reference and other related cohesive devices in context.

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Author Biographies

Moroesi R, Nakin, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Rosalia Moroesi Nakin is a senior lecturer in Sesotho at the University of South Africa, specialising in sociolinguistics.

Inie J. Kock, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Inie J. Kock is affiliated with the University of South Africa, specialising in the study of language in literature.

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Published

2016-09-01

How to Cite

Nakin, M. R., & Kock, I. J. (2016). Insights into translation and the original text: Thomas Mofolo’s Chaka. Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 53(2), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.17159/tvl.v.53i2.9

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Section

Research articles