constructing pathways to translation - Higher Education Commission

ecurrence or permanence in the TL. In some cases, where the interest of the
proper name is purely ‘local’ and probably temporary, only the contextual sense
is translated.
� Objects: Among objects, one needs to discuss brand names which tend to
monopolize their referent, first in their own country, and then internationally.
Whether they are eponyms or recognized translation’s jargons, one must deal
with them, either by eliminating them or by slimming them down.
� Geographical Names: They are used as eponyms where they have obvious
connotations. First you should transfer where necessary. Secondly, there is a need
to note the increasing metonymic practice, mainly in the media, of referring to
governments by the name of their respective capitals or locations and institutions
or ministers by their residences or streets (the Pentagon, Fleet, Street, Whitehall).
b. Acronyms: First, the translator need not coin or recreate acronyms, since it will
waste a lot of time. Secondly, there are many ‘cultural’ reasons why the acronym
may, or may not be worth transferring depending on the ‘standard’ contextual
factors, i.e., readership, translation prospects etc, but where the function is more
important than the description.
iii. Translation of Proper Names:
Normally, people’s first and surnames are transferred, thus preserving their nationality,
and assuming that their names have no connotations in the text. In imaginative literature:
comedies and tragedies, allegories, fairytales and children’s stories, names are translated,
unless, as in folk tales, nationality is important. Where both connotations and nationality
are significant, the best method is first to translate the word that underlies the SL proper
name into the TL, and then to naturalize the translated word back into a new SL proper
name, but normally only when the character’s name is not yet current amongst an
educated TL reader ship.
Analysis and research proves that proper names of persons, places and ideological
concepts etc., are untranslatable, and should not be translated, since they change the
whole meaning and the message, as in the case of the Islami /Muslim names.
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