Idioms in Translation: Translation Strategies in Two Slovene Translations of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Lampreht, Maruša (author), Vrbinc, Marjeta (mentor)

The MA thesis focuses on translation strategies used when transferring source language idioms into any target language. The objective of the thesis is to observe and compare the approaches of idiom translation based on J. K. Rowling’s novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), originally published in English, and its two official translations into the Slovene language, Polkrvni princ by Branko Gradišnik (2006) and Princ mešane krvi by Jakob J. Kenda (2011). The theoretical part covers the defining characteristics of idioms, the challenges of idiom translation, and an overview of six translation strategies, which are also the foundation for the research part of the thesis. The analysis in the second part of the paper discusses the reference idioms and their target language equivalents by providing an overview of the similarities and differences of idiom translation approaches in the two Slovene translations, a discussion about the challenges during the translation process, and further commentary on selected examples from the gathered list of idioms. The comparison is based on stylistic, lexical, and grammatical observations about the idiomatic and non-idiomatic equivalents provided for the figurative multi-word lexical units in the reference text. The examples chosen for the analysis provide an overview of all translation strategies and include idiomatic expressions that might be unsuitable for the primary target audience, as well as missed opportunities for providing a better target language equivalent.

• Language: English
• Keywords: idioms, idiom translation, translation strategies, translation, cross-linguistic equivalence, phraseology
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2022
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-140324
• COBISS.SI-ID: 123656963
• Publication date in RUL: 14.09.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Idiomi v prevodu: Strategije prevajanja v dveh slovenskih prevodih romana Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pisateljice J. K. Rowling

Abstract

Magistrsko delo se osredotoča na strategije prevajanja, ki se uporabljajo pri prenosu idiomov iz izvornega jezika v katerikoli ciljni jezik. Namen dela je opazovati in primerjati pristope k prevajanju idiomov na podlagi angleškega romana Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) pisateljice J. K. Rowling in njegovih dveh uradnih prevodov v slovenski jezik, Polkrvni princ Branka Gradišnika (2006) in Princ mešane krvi Jakoba J. Kende (2011). Teoretični del zajema opredelitev značilnosti idiomov, izzive pri prevajanju idiomov in pregled šestih prevajalskih strategij, ki so tudi podlaga za raziskovalni del magistrske naloge. V drugem delu naloge v analizi obravnavamo referenčne idiome in njihove ustreznice v ciljnem jeziku s pomočjo pregleda podobnosti in raznolikosti prevajalskih pristopov v obeh slovenskih prevodih, poleg tega pa komentiramo tudi prevajalske izzive ter vključujemo pregled določenih primerov, ki so bili izbrani iz celotnega seznama najdenih frazemov. Primerjava temelji na slogovnih, leksikalnih in slovničnih opazkah o idiomatskih in neidiomatskih prevodnih ustreznicah figurativnih večbesednih leksikalnih enot iz izbrane knjige. Primeri, izbrani za analizo, omogočajo pregled vseh prevajalskih strategij in vključujejo idiomatske izraze, ki za primarno ciljno bralstvo niso najustreznejši ter izpuščene priložnosti za prevod z boljšo ustreznico v ciljnem jeziku.

• Keywords: frazemi, prevajanje frazemov, strategije prevajanja, prevajanje, medjezikovno ujemanje, frazeologija