Translating Figurative Language

Denroche, C. 2024. Translating Figurative Language. Cognitive Linguistic Studies. 10 (1), pp. 173-198. https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.22011.den

TitleTranslating Figurative Language
TypeJournal article
AuthorsDenroche, C.
Abstract

This article brings together the extensive literature on figurative language and translation into a single framework to serve translators in a directly practical way in their practice/training. It encourages a view of figurativeness as the norm rather than the exception and figurative language as a flexible meaning-making resource rather than an obstacle to contend with. All language is characterized as figurative because of the indeterminacy of language and the partial nature of meaning making; all translation is viewed as non-literal because of the lack of exact correspondences between languages and the need to use near equivalents. Two approaches are recommended: 1) recreating the ‘semantic space’ of the source rather than mechanically matching its lexicogrammar; 2) viewing metonymy and metaphor as ‘master tropes’ and translating other tropes in terms of relatedness. The challenges of translating metonymy and metaphor in discourse at the level of the whole text are also explored.

Keywordstranslation
interpreting
figurative language
metaphor
metonymy
translation shift
indeterminacy
construal
semantic space
master tropes
JournalCognitive Linguistic Studies
Journal citation10 (1), pp. 173-198
ISSN2213-8722
2213-8730
Year2024
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Accepted author manuscript
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.22011.den
Publication dates
Published05 Oct 2023

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