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Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2023, 6(25); doi: 10.25236/AJHSS.2023.062511.

Two Possibilities of Translation from the Perspective of Linguistics

Author(s)

Yu Zhou

Corresponding Author:
Yu Zhou
Affiliation(s)

School of Journalism and Communication, Xi’an International Studies University, Xi’an, Shannxi, China

Abstract

Translation, as an important carrier of cross-cultural activities, plays a significant role in cultural exchange and foreign relations, and its main purpose is to reproduce in the target language the information and ideas that the author of the original language wishes to convey. There are only two types of translation, translatable and untranslatable. The article discusses the two possibilities of translation from a linguistic point of view, analyzing and illustrating them with examples. On the premise that translation is possible, there are mainly two kinds of translation methods: semantic translation and communicative translation, while translation is considered impossible on the one hand because of the changes of the translation process and on the other hand because of the translator’s inability to restore the linguistic characteristics of the original text, which may destroy the rhythm of the original text. Despite the existence of two possibilities for translation, it is generally accepted in contemporary academic circles that the possibility and impossibility of translation coexist.

Keywords

translatability; untranslatability; linguistics

Cite This Paper

Yu Zhou. Two Possibilities of Translation from the Perspective of Linguistics. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2023) Vol. 6, Issue 25: 64-69. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2023.062511.

References

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