Translation Criticism on Google Translation of Proper Names in Tourism Texts
Translation criticism on Google translation of proper names in tourism texts
Rahele Eyvallah and Zohre Hadi
Fars Science and Research University
2011
Rahele_eyvallah@yahoo.com & zohrehadi@gmail.com
Abstract
The translation of proper names seems to be an effortless task. This study aims at determining the translation of proper names. First, the article presents the theoretical consideration that deals with different aspects of proper names translation in tourism texts and the issue of their translation. Second, the translation strategies provided by the translation theorist, Vermes (2003) used for this research are explained. Then the discussion proceeds to the quantitative analysis of the translated proper names.
The research has been carried out on tourist brochures translated from Persian into English by Google translate. After analyzing the strategies of transference, translation, substitution and modification, the strategy of transference has proved to be the most frequent one in all proper names translation which were applied in this study.
Key words: proper name, translation procedures, transference, translation, substitution, modification
Introduction:
The translation of proper names is one of the most difficult areas any translator usually faces. Simply, proper names are not like other words translation of which can be easily found in dictionaries. Most of us may simply think that proper names are usually not translatable. The process of translating proper names sometimes turns out to be problematic. Imagine the names خشایار شاه from tourism text being translated as Xerus, lacking the correct Persian pronunciation and the negative and positive cultural connotation of these names in the Persian culture. Translation will not be able to transfer the exact or at least approximately exact local color and nationality of source text into target text.
However after we compare the translations with the source text, we can observe that
Rahele Eyvallah and Zohre Hadi
Fars Science and Research University
2011
Rahele_eyvallah@yahoo.com & zohrehadi@gmail.com
Abstract
The translation of proper names seems to be an effortless task. This study aims at determining the translation of proper names. First, the article presents the theoretical consideration that deals with different aspects of proper names translation in tourism texts and the issue of their translation. Second, the translation strategies provided by the translation theorist, Vermes (2003) used for this research are explained. Then the discussion proceeds to the quantitative analysis of the translated proper names.
The research has been carried out on tourist brochures translated from Persian into English by Google translate. After analyzing the strategies of transference, translation, substitution and modification, the strategy of transference has proved to be the most frequent one in all proper names translation which were applied in this study.
Key words: proper name, translation procedures, transference, translation, substitution, modification
Introduction:
The translation of proper names is one of the most difficult areas any translator usually faces. Simply, proper names are not like other words translation of which can be easily found in dictionaries. Most of us may simply think that proper names are usually not translatable. The process of translating proper names sometimes turns out to be problematic. Imagine the names خشایار شاه from tourism text being translated as Xerus, lacking the correct Persian pronunciation and the negative and positive cultural connotation of these names in the Persian culture. Translation will not be able to transfer the exact or at least approximately exact local color and nationality of source text into target text.
However after we compare the translations with the source text, we can observe that