Translation of proverbs: A case of Nepali, English and Limbu

Abstract

This thesis entitled ‘Translation of Proverbs: A Case of Nepali, English and Limbu’ has been carried out to find out the techniques employed in translating the proverbs from Nepali to the English and the Limbu language. The main aim of the study is to identify the effective techniques that are used while translating the proverbs from the Nepali to the English and compare with the Limbu language. The data were collected from 40 native Limbu speakers of different dialect of the Limbu language. The informants were selected using purposive nonrandom sampling procedure from Kathmandu Valley and eastern part of Nepal. The data were collected with the help of questionnaire and interview. The sources of data were collected from different books, dictionaries and articles. The researcher found that the Limbu native speakers were able to translate the Nepali proverbs into the English proverbs due to the different secondary sources but feel difficult into the Limbu proverbs due to the lack of sources. The study showed only six techniques of translation were used by Limbu native speakers while translating 60 Nepali proverbs into the English and the Limbu proverbs. Literal translation – 46.66%, equivalence translation – 25%, sense translation -23.33%, and anaphoric translation, metaphoric translation, rhetorical question translation – 1.67%/1.67% respectively were employed by the translators while translating Nepali proverbs into the English language. Literal translation -41.66%, sense translation – 28.33%, equivalence translation – 25%, anaphoric translation, metaphoric translation, rhetorical question translation – 1.67%/ 1.67% respectively were employed by the translators while translating Nepali proverbs into the Limbu language. Literal translation was found the most frequent and the most common techniques of translating the local proverbs. Sense translation was also found frequently used technique. Equivalence was the most effective technique of translating the proverbs having global reference of meaning and the wider coverage. But, it became comprehensible and intelligible only when the cultural meaning was not centered in the source text. In other proverbs anaphoric translation, metaphoric translation, rhetorical question translation was found less frequency. This thesis comprises five chapters. The first chapter includes background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study, delimitations of the study and operational definition of the key terms. Similarly, the second chapter deals with review of the theoretical literature, review of the related empirical literature, implication of the review for the study and conceptual framework. Likewise, the third chapter deals with the methods and procedures of the study which includes the design of the study, population and sample, sampling procedure, data collection tools, data collection procedures and data analysis and interpretation procedure. The fourth chapter consists of analysis and interpretation of results. Similarly, fifth chapter deals with conclusions and recommendations. Some implications of the study in policy level, practice level and further research are presented in this section. Finally, this chapter follows by references and appendices to make the study scientific, valid, reliable and authentic.