The Role of Five-Letter Words in Literature: An X-Area in New Translation Studies

Abstract

Taboo or in general term ‘forbidden words’ plays a key role in literature through times. Heretofore, Translation of taboo or forbidden words in literature is a pivotal task to do. According to Allan and Burridge (2006), “taboo refers to a proscription of behavior for a specifiable community of one or more persons, at a specifiable time, in specifiable contexts (p. 11).” Taboo words in New Translation Studies (NTS) amplifies its significant influence in source-target amalgamation. This is due to the fact that translations either source-based or target-based tend to be homogenized so as to transfer the near essence of the text. In this connection, the way of translating taboo in literary texts is of crucial importance. Most of the translators resort to the natural equivalence or one-to-one correspondence for the ease of the target reader. Translating in accordance with the source regulations or the target ones is not the absolute license dealing with taboo or forbidden words. Translators should consider the void or X-area between the source and the target language in order to decipher the underlying potential in Source-Target translation. This study seeks to clarify the meaning of this X-area in New Translation Studies in literary phrases and texts. To better understand it, this article scrutinizes four utmost important approaches. The intended approaches are (1) language persistency, (2) language sensitivity, (3) the role of the decoding ability, and (4) Equimediation paradigm which inspect equivalents either deeply or superficially so as to persuade the audience on their workability, feasibility, and practicality.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n1s1p490