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Islamic Azad University Science and Research Branch
Language and Literature Faculty
A thesis submitted to the school of Graduate Studies as a
prerequisite in partial of Master of Arts in Translation Studies (M.A.)
Naturalness in Translation
Advisor:
Dr. Hossein Vossoughi
Reader:
Dr. Ahmad Sedighi
Researcher:
Shahrzad Akbari Haddad
1389-90
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List of Figures
Figure 4.1 Percent range of shifts in Najafi‘s translation ..................................83
Figure 4.2 Percent range of shifts in Karimi‘s translation .................................83
Figure 4.3 Percent range of shifts in Ansari Yazdanjoo‘s translation ...............85
Figure 4.4 Percent range of shifts in Ansari Far‘s translation ...........................85
Figure 4.5 Correlation coefficients of shift types for various translation titles .89
Figure 4.6 Cross correlation between title 1 and title 2 .....................................92
Figure 4.7 Cross correlation between title 3 and title 4 .....................................93
Figure 4.8 Shift percentage for natural texts ......................................................94
Figure 4.9 Shift percentage for unnatural texts ..................................................94
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Table of Contents
Dedication ..................................................................................................... III
Acknowledgment .......................................................................................... IV
List of Figures ................................................................................................. V
Abstract ............................................................................................................ 1
Chapter I: Introduction ................................................................................10
1.1 Statement of the Problem and the Purpose of the Study ......................12
1.2 Significance of the Study ......................................................................13
1.3 Research Question .................................................................................13
1.4 Theoretical Framework .........................................................................14
1.5 Definition of Key Terms .......................................................................14
1.6 Limitations of Study ..............................................................................15
Chapter II: Review of the Related Literature ............................................17
2.1 Translation and Translation Studies ......................................................18
2.2 Historical View of Translation ..............................................................20
2.3 Translation Theory ................................................................................24
2.4 Norms and Strategies ............................................................................30
2.5 Naturalness ............................................................................................35
2.6 Translation shifts ...................................................................................54
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Chapter III: Methodology ............................................................................67
3.1 Corpus .......................................................................................................68
3.1.1 Size of the Corpus ..............................................................................69
3.2 Design of the Research .........................................................................69
3.3 Procedure ...............................................................................................70
3.4 Unit of Analysis ....................................................................................71
3.5 Data Recording......................................................................................73
3.6 Data Collection......................................................................................73
Chapter IV: Results and Discussions ..........................................................80
4.1 Data Processing .....................................................................................81
4.2 Findings and results ..............................................................................89
4.3 Discussion on Findings .........................................................................93
Chapter V: Conclusion and Implication .....................................................98
5.1 Restatement of the Problem ................................................................100
5.2 Conclusion...........................................................................................100
5.3 Implications .........................................................................................102
5.4 Suggestions for Further Research .......................................................103
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REFERENCES ............................................................................................104
Appendix I: Results of Subjective Test .....................................................110
Appendix II: List of Sample Sentences and Shifts ...................................111
Appendix III: Questionnaire ......................................................................132
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Abstract
Naturalness is one of the controversial concepts in translation. Translated texts
belong to different cultures, therefore they contain culture specific items which are
the difficulty of translation if they are to be understood and realized by the reader.
This study concerns with the linguistic elements of languages that are different in
expression because of cultural gaps between nations. This research studies the role
of shifts in the process of natural translation. Subjective tests are designed for two
translations of two sample English novels. Readers‘ opinions on quality of
naturalness are collected to provide the conceptual foundation for the research. The
achieved results were analyzed according to a statistical evaluation to find a
correlation between naturalness of the translations, and quality and quantity of the
shifts. Cross correlation between two natural and unnatural texts is 66 percent
which is the highest value of all calculated correlations. It reveals that these two
natural texts use almost identical shift types. Various criteria for verification and
validation of the results are performed, and they show the value of correlation is
the least and equal to 18 percent for natural and unnatural translations. The results
also show that the most frequent shifts for natural translations are ―Transposition,‖
―Equivalence,‖ and ―Modulation.‖
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REFERENCES
A: List of English References
Baker, M. (2001), Routledge encyclopedia of translation, Newyork: Routledge
Barnstone, W. (1993), The Poetics of Translation: History, Theory, Practice, London: Yale
University Press
Barnwell, K. (1980), Introduction to Semantics and Translation, Horseleys Green, England:
Summer Institute of Linguistics
Bassnett, S. and Lefevere, A. (1988), ―The Translation Turn in Cultural Studies‖, In
Constructing Cultures: Essays on Literary Translation, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters
Beekman, J. and Callow, J. (1974), Translating the Word of God, USA: The Zondervan
Corporation
Brautigan, R. (1989), Trout Fishing in America, USA: Mariner books
Caford, J. C. (1965), “Translation Shifts‖, in Venuti L., (ed.), Translation Studies Reader,
London: Routledge
Chesterman, A. (1997) Mems of Translations, Amsterdam and Philadelphia, PA: John
Benjamins
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Crystal, D. (2008), a Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, Blackwell Publishers
Ellis, R. (2008), The Oxford History of Literary Translation in English, Volume 1, New York:
Oxford University Press Inc.
Harris, B. and Sherwood, B. (1978), ―Translating as an Innate Skill‖, in Gerver, D. and Sinaiko,
H. (Eds.), in Language, Interpretation and Communication, New York: Plenum Press
Hatim, B. and Mason, I. (1997), The Translator as Communicator, London: Routledge
Hermans, T. (1985), The Manipulation of Literature: Studies in Literary Translation, London:
Croom Helm
Herman, T. (1999), Translation in Systems: Descriptive and Systemic Approaches Explained,
London: Croom Helm
Lefevere, A. and Bassnett, S. (1990), Translation, History and Culture, London: Cassel
Lefevere, A. (1985), ―Why Waste our Time on Rewrites? The Trouble with Interpretation and
the Role of Rewriting in an Alternative Paradigm‖, in The Manipulation of Literature: Studies in
Literary Translation, Hermans, T. (ed.), London: Croom Helm
Lefevere, A. (1992), Translation/ History/ Culture, London: Routledge
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Malakoff, M. and Hakuta, K. (1991), ―Translation skill and metalinguistic awareness‖, in
Bilinguals, E. Bialystok (ed.), in Language processing and language awareness by bilingual
children, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Mollanazar, H. (2001), Naturalness in Translation of Novels from English to Persian, University
of Warwick
Munday, J. (2001), Introducing translation studies, Tehran: Yalda Ghalam.
Newmark, P. (1988), A Textbook of Translation. London: Prentice Hall International
Newmark, P. (1981), About Translation Multilingual Matters, London: Prentice Hall
International
Newmark, P. (1991),About Translation, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters
Nida, E. (1964), Toward a Science of Translating, Leiden: Brill E. J.
Nida, E. and Taber, C. R. (1969), The Theory and Practice of Translation, Leiden: Brill E. J.
Puurtinen, T. (1992), ―Dynamic Style as a Parameter of Acceptability in Translated Children‘s
Books‖, in Translation Studies: an Interdiscipline
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Popovic, A. (1976), Dictionary for the Analysis of Literary Translation, Edmonton: Department
of Comparative Literature, University of Alberta
Pym, A. (1992), Translation and Text Transfer, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang GmbH
Roger T. B. (1991), Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice, London and New york:
Longman
Salinger, J. D. (1951), The Cather in the Rye, New York: Penguin
Snell-Hornby, M. et al (eds.), Translation Studies Congress, Vienna, Austria Amsterdam: John
Benjamins
Snell-Hornby, M. (1990), “Linguistic Transcoding or Cultural Transfer? A Critique of
Translation Theory in German‖, in Bassnett, S. and Lefevere, A. (eds.), Translation, History and
Culture, London: Routledge
Snell-Hornby, M. (1988), Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach, Amsterdam: Benjamins
Toury, G. (1995), Descriptive Translation Studies and Beyond, Amesterdam: Benjamins Library
Tytler, A. F. (1962), Essay of the Principles of Translation, London: Dent J. M.
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Van Leuven-Zwart, K. M. (1988), ―Translation and Intercultural Studies: Selected Papers of
TRANSIF Seminar Savonlinna‖, in Tirkkonen-Condit, S., Translation and Translation Studies:
Discord or Unity in Empirical Research, Tübingen: Gunter N. V.
Van Leuven-Zwart, K. M. (1988), ―Translation and Translation Studies: Discord or Unity?‖ in
Empirical Research in Translation and Intercultural Studies: Selected Papers of TRANSIF
Seminar, Savonlinna, Tirkkonen-Condit, S (Eds.), Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag
Van Leuven-Zwart, K. M. (1990), Translation and original: Similarities and dissimilarities, II,
Target 2.1, Amsterdam: Rodopi
Venuti, L. (1995), The Translator’s Invisibility: a History of Translation, London: Routledge
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ب: فشست مىاتغ فاسسی
(، یؽ لك آال ؼـ آفیىب. سفا: ف ز4881یكؼاد، دیب )
(، یؽ لك آال ؼـ آفیىب. سفا: ف ی4881ابـی فف، یبـ )
(، بسـ ؼز. سفا: یال4888دفی، طؽ. )
(، بعـ ؼز. سفا: لمن4884وفیی، اضؽ، )
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طثيؼی تدن تشجم
چكيذ
فف بی اق آدبیی و ش ث عجیؼی ثؼ سفخ اـ یىی اق فبی ـؼ ثطث ؼـ سفخ ی ثبؽ.
ای ؼـن غاؽ ى ی ثبؽ.ب سؼك ؼاـؽ ضبی ػجبـار غب ففی ىشؽ و ثفای ف
ثیب شفبسی سطمیك ث ثفـوی ػبف قثببوی قثب ب ی دفؼاقؼو ث ػز خؼ ىبف ففی یب
ث ای ظـ ؼاـؽ زی ای سطمیك م سغییفار ؼـ ـؽ سفخ عجیؼی ـا ـؼ غبؼ لفاـ ی ؼؽ.
طمك ثفای ـویؽ ث ا عفاضی ؽ. فخ اق ؼ ـب ایىیآق بی ضػی ثفای ؼ س
فی سطمیك آـاء زی عجیؼی ثؼ ـا خغ آـی وفؼ. شبیح ث ؼوز آؽ ثف اوبن اـقیبثی آبـی ث
ظـ ؼوشیبثی ث جىشی عجیؼی ثؼ سفخ ب ویز ویفیز سغییفار سفخ ـؼ سدكی سطی
جىشی ؼـؽ اوز و ثیشفی مؽاـ 66عجیؼی ـ ففز. جىشی شمبث ثی ؼ ش عجیؼی غیف لفا
ؼیبـبی ػشفی ثفای سبییؽ اػشجبـ شبیح ثىبـ ثفؼ ؽ اوز بی طبوج ؽ ـا ث غؼ اغشب ی ؼؽ.
غیف عجیؼی وشفی مؽاـ یؼی ای ؼیبـب ب ی ؼؽ و مؽاـ جىشی ثفای سفخ بی عجیؼی
زی شبیح ب ی ؼؽ و ـایح سفی سغییفار ثفای سفخ بی عجیؼی ث سفسیت ؼـؽ ی ثبؽ. 48
ی ثبؽ. «ؽالوی» «ؼبؼ»، «خبثدبیی»
فقاؼ اوجفی ضؽاؼ
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المی داوشگا آصاد اس
ياحذ ػلم ي تحقيقات
(.M.Aسشت متشجمی صتان اوگليسی) پايان وام كاسشىاسی اسشذ
:مضع
طثيؼی تدن تشجم
استاد ساىما:
ؼوشف ضىی ثلی
استاد مشايس:
ؼوشف اضؽ ؽیمی
:وگاسوذ
فقاؼ اوجفی ضؽاؼ
91-4889