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19SJIF 2023 = 6.131 / ASI Factor = 1.7
3(6), June, 2023
TRANSLATION: LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES
Nodirahon Turgunova
Master student of UWED, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Corresoponding the author: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
This article aims to address the challenges that translators face when translating into a target language that belongs to a vastly different culture than the source language. Each society has its unique religious, cultural, economic, political, military, and scientific parameters, making translations and translators essential in intercultural communication. Language is often regarded as a guide to understanding a particular culture, state, country, or region. During intercultural translation, various cross-language interactions occur, providing insights into different customs, traditions, celebrations, and conversations among people in societies and cultures unfamiliar to the translator. The study of intercultural translation offers potential solutions to the challenges that translators encounter, enabling them to produce translations that are not only acceptable but competent.
Key words: translation, linguistic challenges, cultural challenges, Arabic language, specific content.
Цель этой статьи - рассмотреть проблемы, с которыми сталкиваются переводчики при переводе на целевой язык, принадлежащий к культуре, сильно отличающейся от языка оригинала. Каждое общество имеет свои уникальные религиозные, культурные, экономические, политические, военные и научные параметры, что делает переводы незаменимыми в межкультурной коммуникации. Язык часто рассматривается как руководство к пониманию конкретной культуры, штата, страны или региона. Во время межкультурного перевода происходят различные межъязыковые взаимодействия, позволяющие получить представление о различных обычаях, традициях, праздниках и разговорах между людьми в обществах и культурах, незнакомых переводчику. Изучение межкультурного перевода предлагает потенциальные решения проблем, с которыми сталкиваются переводчики, позволяя им создавать переводы, которые являются не только приемлемыми, но и компетентными.
Ключевые слова: перевод, лингвистические вызовы, культурные вызовы, арабский язык, специфическое содержание.
Ushbu maqolaning maqsadi tarjimonlar bir tildan juda farq qiladigan madaniyatga mansub boshqa tilga tarjima qilishda duch keladigan muammolarni
АННОТАЦИЯ
ANNOTATSIYA
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ko'rib chiqishdir. Har bir jamiyatning o'ziga xos diniy, madaniy, iqtisodiy, siyosiy, harbiy va ilmiy parametrlari bor bo'lib, bu tarjimalarni madaniyatlararo aloqada ajralmas qiladi. Tilga ko'pincha ma'lum bir madaniyat, davlat, mamlakat yoki mintaqani tushunish uchun qo'llanma sifatida qaraladi. Madaniyatlararo tarjima paytida turli xil tillararo o'zaro aloqalar mavjud bo'lib, ular tarjimonga notanish bo'lgan jamiyatlar va madaniyatlardagi odamlar o'rtasidagi turli urf-odatlar, an'analar, bayramlar va suhbatlar haqida tasavvurga ega bo'lishga imkon beradi. Madaniyatlararo tarjimani o'rganish tarjimonlar duch keladigan muammolarga potensial yechimlarni taklif qiladi, bu tarjimonlar uchun nafaqat foydali, balki zarur hamdir.
Kalit so'zlar: tarjima, lingvistik muammolar, madaniy muammolar, arab tili, o'ziga xos mazmun.
INTRODUCTION
Language is generally considered a vital tool for expressing the ethnic culture of a particular group, including their beliefs, customs, rituals, and behaviors that contribute to their identity. This highlights the close relationship between language and human essence, which is often specific to particular cultural groups. This relationship is also a social phenomenon that establishes a set of norms, rules, socio-cultural values, and conventions that guide interactions and cooperation among individuals in a society, and are transmitted across generations. According to Mu'in [1], language is an essential aspect of culture and can be used to express it in certain situations.
Language and culture are two things that cannot be separated because culture affects language and language affects culture. This makes the language in one area different from another. The difference in the cultural background of each language is a unique phenomenon that occurs in society and is a difference that must be respected, not to be disputed. Moreover, it affects many things, including the literary works in each part of the region.
Linguistic challenges
There are currently around 7000 living languages in the world, each with its own unique origins, roots, and structure, not to mention the numerous dialects within them. Translating humor can be particularly challenging as a joke that is funny in one language can lose its meaning when translated into another language. Incorrect translation of humor can result in the loss of the subject's entire essence. Another challenge in translation is the correct interpretation of idioms and proverbs. For
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instance, the English idiom "to climb on the bandwagon" means to gain benefits by supporting another person's idea, but a literal translation of the expression would be out of context in another language. The existence of dialects further complicates the understanding of languages. Arabic, the fifth most spoken language globally, is an official language in 22 countries.
To give an example, Arabic is spoken by approximately 250 million individuals in Middle Eastern and North African countries. However, despite having a large number of speakers, there is no single "standard" Arabic language. Each of the 22 countries where Arabic is an official language has its own dialect, with further variations within each country. For example, a person from Saudi Arabia may have difficulty communicating with someone from Morocco if they both use their respective dialects of Arabic. Therefore, to accurately convey the intended message, translators must have a thorough understanding of the dialects used in the source language text, along with extensive knowledge and interpreting skills. The translation of expressions, metaphors, jargon, and slang from different dialects requires a high level of linguistic expertise to ensure the essence of the original text is not lost in translation.
The following challenges are:
- Language extinction: It is estimated that around half of the world's languages are at risk of extinction due to the increasing use of dominant languages and the loss of cultural identity. Every two weeks, a language is estimated to disappear, taking with it a unique cultural and linguistic heritage.
- Multilingualism: Many individuals in the world are multilingual, meaning they can speak more than one language fluently. Multilingualism can provide cognitive, social, and economic benefits, such as improved problem-solving skills, better communication with people from different cultures, and increased job opportunities.
- Translation as a profession: Translation is a profession that requires specialized knowledge and skills, such as proficiency in multiple languages, cultural sensitivity, and subject area expertise. Professional translators work in various fields, including literature, journalism, business, law, and healthcare.
- Translation challenges: In addition to the challenges mentioned earlier, such as idioms, dialects, and humor, translation can also present difficulties in conveying cultural nuances, maintaining consistency across a document, and adhering to tight deadlines while ensuring accuracy and quality.
SJIF 2023 = 6.131 / ASI Factor = 1.7
3(6), June, 2023
Cultural challenges
Every population has its unique way of communicating and conveying messages, using language, symbols, shorthand, and other elements that comprise their own code. These factors create a significant potential for misunderstanding, making cultural context another essential challenge that translators face on a daily basis. Translators must take into account the cultural context of the country whose language they are translating. In some cultures, people communicate implicitly, requiring the reader to read between the lines, while in others, people are more direct and explicit. This can also lead to misunderstandings. In other words, translators must possess advanced proficiency in both the source language and the target language to ensure accurate and effective communication.
Translating folk songs, mythological dramas, and folk tales presents several cultural challenges for translators. For instance, in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India, dramas and artists are well-supported, and mythological dramas are frequently performed in villages. Folk theatre, dance, and songs are an essential part of village life, and the Maramma festival is observed with great enthusiasm and gaiety for a period of fifteen days during September-October. This festival has been celebrated since the days of the Harappan Civilization, where people were called Meluhas or Malavas by themselves and the Sumerians. The word "Mara" has evolved into "Mahara" by the insertion of 'ha' by the Indo-Europeans, and according to Oppert [2], "Mara" has become "Mala," "Maalav," "Malaya," "Maala," "Malwa," "Malva," and finally "Maalava" with harsh "l". To translate these intricate folk tales, folk songs, plays, customs, and traditions of the people of Mandya who celebrate the Maramma festival, translators must have a thorough understanding of the local language spoken in the Mandya region of Karnataka.
Translating specific content
Translating specific content, such as fiction, requires translators to transcribe the entire story, context, world, and environment into another language. This process involves creativity to transfer cultural values and traditions while remaining true to the original piece. When translating cinema, it is essential to choose the right words and expressions to fit the mood depicted in each scene while maintaining coherence and continuity from one scene to the next. Knowledge of the local culture, language, genre, situation, and geographical location plays a crucial role in translating films accurately. For books and literary texts, translations aim to transmit feelings, emotions, and interpretations of words with multiple meanings accurately. [3]
SJIF 2023 = 6.131 / ASI Factor = 1.7
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In some languages, words like "accha" in Hindi have multiple meanings depending on the speaker's tone and context. Translators must correctly interpret the implied meaning in the source language to avoid losing the entire conversation's essence in translation. If there is implied humor in the source language, it should also be transferred to the reader in the target language. Maintaining the writing style and beauty of the piece is another challenge translators face while translating fiction and poetry. Therefore, translating fiction is a subtle and complex task that requires professionals to pay attention to all cultural factors involved and the original piece's purpose.
REFERENCES
1. F. Mu'in, Sociolinguistics A Language Study in Sociocultural Perspectives, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni. Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, 2019.
2. Oppert, G. 1998. On The Original Inhabitants of Bharatavarsa or India.
3. A. Ece, The Trajectory of Literary Translation: From Interpretation to (Re)writing and a New Life, Synergies Turquie no. 8, 2015, pp. 145-155.
