Finnish Translations of Proper Names in A Song of Ice and Fire
Keskinen, Onni (2023)
Keskinen, Onni
2023
Kielten kandidaattiohjelma - Bachelor's Programme in Languages
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2023-04-17
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202303293324
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202303293324
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this study is to examine the Finnish translation of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin by looking at the ways in which the proper names present in the books have been translated. It is almost inevitable that some functions of names are lost in translation. There are names that have implicit connotations that readers have speculated on for years, and semantically loaded names that very simply and clearly describe and characterize their referents. This thesis examines what strategies were used in the translation of these names and how these strategies affect the narrative and emotive functions of the names. Is critical information lost in translation?
The research data used for a quantitative study of the translation strategies consists of three chapters from one of the books, Korppien Kestit (A Feast for Crows). All proper names found in the three chapters were categorized by the type of name and by the translation strategy used in the Finnish text. In addition to these names, other interesting names of characters and places and their name functions were examined more closely in a qualitative study.
The quantitative study of translation strategies and the analysis of name functions was based on the work of Ainiala, Saarelma and Sjöblom (2016). Further qualitative analysis made use of translation studies texts by Peter Newmark (1988) and Jeremy Munday (2012), where the concept of foreignizing and domesticating translation strategies is described.
Proper names in the translation are mostly unchanged. This could be largely because of the method George R.R. Martin uses in creating fictive names, that is, using partly real names with a cultural function. This causes domesticating methods to lose the function of mirroring medieval Britain. This is the case mostly among first names of characters. Semantically loaded names, however, many of which are family names, nicknames, and place names, were largely translated using domesticating strategies. The use of these strategies is not entirely consistent, as some semantically loaded names were loaned from the source text. This general method of translation seems to emphasize functions that affect mood and the flow of the text over informative functions. Therefore, some information is lost, but the emotive functions of names are similar, and the mood of the Finnish text is close to the original.
The research data used for a quantitative study of the translation strategies consists of three chapters from one of the books, Korppien Kestit (A Feast for Crows). All proper names found in the three chapters were categorized by the type of name and by the translation strategy used in the Finnish text. In addition to these names, other interesting names of characters and places and their name functions were examined more closely in a qualitative study.
The quantitative study of translation strategies and the analysis of name functions was based on the work of Ainiala, Saarelma and Sjöblom (2016). Further qualitative analysis made use of translation studies texts by Peter Newmark (1988) and Jeremy Munday (2012), where the concept of foreignizing and domesticating translation strategies is described.
Proper names in the translation are mostly unchanged. This could be largely because of the method George R.R. Martin uses in creating fictive names, that is, using partly real names with a cultural function. This causes domesticating methods to lose the function of mirroring medieval Britain. This is the case mostly among first names of characters. Semantically loaded names, however, many of which are family names, nicknames, and place names, were largely translated using domesticating strategies. The use of these strategies is not entirely consistent, as some semantically loaded names were loaned from the source text. This general method of translation seems to emphasize functions that affect mood and the flow of the text over informative functions. Therefore, some information is lost, but the emotive functions of names are similar, and the mood of the Finnish text is close to the original.
Kokoelmat
- Kandidaatintutkielmat [8709]