Techniques used in translation and cultural gaps found in meaning: A case of novel ‘Muglan’

Abstract

The present study entitled Techniques Used in Translation and Cultural Gaps Found in Meaning : A case of Novel Muglan is an attempt to analyze techniques used in translation and cultural gaps found in meaning in the translation of Nepali Cultural terms and observe the gaps in the process of translation. The objective of this study was to find out the techniques and gaps while translating Nepali cultural terms into target language. The data for this study were collected from the Nepali version of novel 'Muglan' and the corresponding words from the English version of the same novel. For this research work, hundred and fifty Cultural Terms were identified and those terms were categorized into five categories namely; Ecological, Material Cultural, Social Cultural, Religious Cultural and Conceptual Cultural. Observation checklist was used as the research tool in this study. On the basis of checklist, the word level gaps and techniques were studied. From the study, it was found that more than 150 words level Cultural Terms were used in Nepali version of novel 'Muglan' and they were translated into correspondent text by using near equivalent terms for translating them. Eleven different techniques such as; Literal translation, substitution translation, Borrowing translation, Deletion Translation, Couplet translation , Paraphrasing translation, Back translation, Claque translation, Blending translation, Naturalization translation and Addition translation were employed in translating the Cultural Terms of novel. Among them, Literal was the most frequent technique which occupied (26.67%), Borrowing occupied (32%), Deletion occupied (10%), Couplet occupied (8%), Paraphrasing occupied (7.33%), Substitution occupied (4%), Back translation and Naturalization occupied (3.33%), Claque and Addition occupied (2%) and Blending was the least one which occupied (1.3%) only. This study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one introduces the study in terms of background /context of the study, objectives of the study, research questions, rationale of the study, significance of the study, delimitations of the study and operational definition of key terms. Chapter two deals with the review of related literature. Chapter three depicts the methods and procedures of the study. It contains the research design, population, sample and sampling procedures, tools of data collection, process of data collection, and data analysis and interpretation procedures. Chapter four discusses the analysis and interpretation of the study and summary/discussion of the findings of the study. Chapter five presents the conclusion and recommendations of the study to be applicable in pedagogical and further research related area. The references and appendices are the conclusing parts of the study.