Cultural Elements in Translation Essay

Different languages result in distinct world views. Different languages direct their speaker to a certain way of thinking and paying tutelage to certain aspects of the world around them. So translation is not only finding the best resembling but also finding appropriate ways of saying things in another language. The main line for a translator is to maintain the local color of source schoolbook (foreignization) or to adjust the text according to the goal of the target audience (domestication).One of the main goals of literary translation is show the sensibilities of the source-language culture to the target-language audience. Transmitting cultural elements is not an easy task. The translator should not only be a bilingual but also a bicultural. S/he should be familiar with the authors intentions and readers expectations. S/he should study the history, social structure, religion, traditional impost and norms of both source and target texts which s/he is going to translate. Some of the problems which an Indian translator (or maybe any translator) faces during translating culture-specific items are as follows* Translating proper names* Translating grammatical forms which show respect and euphemism * Translating social relationships* Translating life-style and values* Translating symbols* Translating habits* Translating national or religious ceremonies* Translating customs and traditions* Translating religious acts, myths and legends* Translating geographical and environmental phenomenaSo the translator should not stick to word-by-word translation but s/he should substitute certain elements in the work. S/he should attempt to transmit cultural shade from one language to another.