Translation of cultural features

The translation of cultural characteristics is a concept that should also be studied in the framework of cultural anthropology , the field of anthropology dedicated to the culture of mankind. This discipline considers translation through the prism of cultural differences. Indeed, translation studies are based not only on language issues, but also on the cultural contexts of various peoples. From the position of anthropology , the translator must take into account the problems of the interaction of cultures of the source and target language, that is, he must respect both the point of view of the cultural source and the target culture. Wilhelm von Humboldt expressed this view of the translation in a letter addressed to A. V. Schlegel of July 23, 1796: “Any translation seems to me, of course, as an attempt to solve an impossible task. For each translator must inevitably break into one of the two pitfalls, too faithfully adhering to either his original script due to the taste and language of his people, or the originality of his own people due to his script. Something between the one and the other is not only difficult to achieve, but simply impossible. ”

Some anthropologists object to the transfer of cultural specificity in translation . According to these researchers, culture strives for a certain coherence that can be found in the thinking and practice of people. In this case, the translator should have much wider knowledge than the text provides. In addition, the transfer of cultural specificity in translation cannot be equivalent, since some cultures and societies are dominant in comparison with others, and thus this influence limits the transfer of cultural specificity in translation. Indeed, in conveying cultural specifics in translation , the target language can dominate the original culture in order to make the text culturally understandable to readers. The essence of culture is quite difficult to understand, therefore, the transfer of cultural specifics in translation is certainly limited, especially since there are boundaries between cultures that must be distinguished. This limit of cultural specificity in translation was also explained in the theory of Eduard Sepir , an American linguist and anthropologist : “The worlds in which different societies live are different worlds, but not the same world with different labels on it.” “Each linguistic community has its own perception of the world, which is different from the perception of other linguistic communities, and implies the existence of different worlds defined by language.” Some linguists suggest that untranslability comes not only from language restrictions, but also from cultural barriers to translation. According to some linguists, such as C. L. Rennes , differences in views between peoples conditionally impose restrictions on the translatability of cultures. Thus, the theory of universal translatability is not approved by some researchers, such as Andre Martine , who is convinced that human experience cannot be well transmitted because it is unique. Catford substantiated this theory in his book “Linguistic Theory of Translation”: “Cultural untranslability occurs when a situational attribute, functionally significant for the text of the source language, is completely absent in the culture of which the target language is a part.” For example, the names of some institutions, clothing, food and abstract concepts, among other things. " ^[1]

Anton Popovich also suggests that there is a difference between linguistic and cultural intolerance ; he advocates this idea in the Dictionary of the Analysis of Literary Translation: “A situation in which the linguistic elements of the original cannot be adequately replaced structurally, linearly, functionally or semantically due to insufficient subject attribution (denotation) or concomitant (connotative) meaning. " The dominance of some cultures is clearly visible in world history, for example, at a time when colonialism was the main ideology in many countries. Indeed, some cultures were presented as pure and as the basis of world order. Thus, the transfer of cultural specificity in translation may reflect inequalities between cultures and peoples. In addition, the transfer of cultural specifics in translation also affects other issues, such as conflicts between cultures and historical changes.

Obviously, translation can be associated with exchanges, migration, and mobility - terms that are the essence of globalization . Thus, this discipline is a two-way process, that is, international (overcoming borders) and translation (exchange of translations) concepts . This two-way process eliminates the distinction between source and target language and allows cultural differences to be overcome. These global “overcoming differences” ^{[2] are} especially important in postcolonial conditions and can be interpreted as “performative overcoming of cultural differences in the process of de - and recontextualization” ^[3] .

The translation of cultural features obviously implies the concept of culture, which must be defined in order to correctly understand the term translation of cultural features. Culture has two different meanings: the first defines culture as a civilized society in a developed country, while the second considers culture as a combination of people's behavior and lifestyle. As indicated earlier, culture takes on an important role and significance in translation . According to Katan, culture is a general model of the world, a hierarchical model of beliefs, values ​​and strategies that can guide the actions and relationships of people. Culture can be acquired in various ways, for example, through education. The term civilization is defined as a developed human society that has managed to create its own culture thanks to people. According to this concept, the translator can translate the text, solving the issue of cultural development. In this case, Newmark is convinced that translation has cultural value, that is, translation contributes to the development of cultures around the world. While civilization leads to the creation of obvious ways of communication, such as the alphabet, dictionaries and the tremendous development of languages ​​and literature, this process raises new questions in the field of translation of cultural features. Culture has a huge impact on the society and politics of the country, in terms of ideology. According to some translation scholars, such as Even Zohar , and Trivedi, culture is also associated with a thirst for power and how people claim this power. In this sense, translation deals with the adaptation of ideological systems for readers. Thus, the transfer of cultural specificity in translation is associated with ethics and explains a new way of thinking. Such a translation should show the context and personal way of thinking through the translated texts.

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• Even-Zohar, Itamar 1979. “ Polysystem Theory .” Poetics Today 1 (1-2, Autumn) pp. 287-310.