Interpretation and Translation of Lithuanian Cultural Textual Implications

Abstract

This article deals with cultural meanings of Lithuanian literature and the interpretation and peculiarities of translation to the French language. The analysis of the research material, consisting of original texts and their translations to the French language published in 2000-2010, allows noticing the predominant tendencies of interpretation and transfer of cultural implications as well as problems of translation. The outcomes of the research confirm that Lithuanian cultural implication in French translations is usually conveyed explicitly applying the strategy of external textual adaptation. These examples make up a half of all the examples of the research material. The choice of explicit translation method shows attempts by translators to introduce unfamiliar Lithuanian culture, for instance, peculiarities of the life mode and customs, folklore and mythology, etc., to French readers. The examples of implication in culture transferring, adaptation and conversion were found. The research of the second largest group of examples which belongs to the adaptation enables to draw the conclusion that this cultural transposition is chosen properly in French translations. It refers to the application of cultural meanings in the target culture and does not cause the risk of ethnocentrism. From the viewpoint of translation, more problematic are the examples of transfer of cultural implication and conversion. The analysis of the latter issues gives rise to the doubts about the expedience of cultural and stylistic use of certain conversion cases, as well as creates a problem of readers’ abilities to understand Lithuanian cultural implications expressed in Russian language in French translation.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.19.944