2016, Vol.17, No.1

The Journal of Translation Studies 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 1.49

pISSN : 1229-795X
https://journal.kci.go.kr/kats

This research focuses on investigating the interdependencies of translation universals; simplification, explicitation and convergence by the method using a small size of corpus which contains roughly fifty thousand words of two English-Korean translation texts, non-translated text (original Korean text) and original English text. In order to examine their interdependencies from these texts, the hypotheses proposed in this research are as follows: Hypothesis 1: Translated texts show simplification trend, compared with non-translated text in aspect of explicitation. Hypothesis 2: Translated texts show convergence trend with similar kinds of lexical morphemes in terms of simplification. Hypothesis 3: Explicitation and convergence are proportional in aspect of parameter of simplification. Comparing distributions of Korean morphemes expressing cause or reason in the translated texts with that in the non-translated text, the translated texts include the restricted lexical items showing simplification trend. And investigating the lexical items in the Korean translation texts from the original English text, selective explicitation is observed in the translated text. The selective explicitation frequently occurs in high frequency lexicon, and this shows that Hypothesis 1 must be true. Lastly, looking into distributions to each other's relevant lexicon between the two texts translated into Korean, the translated texts show the similar distribution phenomena and are different from the non-translated text. It indicates that Hypothesis 2 is true. Through these investigations and analyses, we can infer that Hypothesis 3 is true if Hypothesis 1 and 2 are true.

The purpose of explicitation is to make TR understand ST’s message (including any hidden message) easily and clearly. According to this study, in many case the intention of the translator’s explicitation is not accomplished and may even raise serious problems. There are several important reasons why translators fail in accomplishing their purpose of explicitation. They can be lacking the understanding of TT and target culture, knowledge of translation theories, comprehension of the characteristics of ST’s genre, and the expressivity of TL. Improper explicitation by a translator can lead to redundant details. This may cause serious problems as the ST is changed due to the redundancy. It could decrease TR’s readability and lead to the loss of ST literary elements. Translation is a kind of mediation to make TR understand the text written in a different language with the inherent cultural background. So translators need to successfully employ explicitation. Explicitation can change the ST; it is a self-evident truth. However, the translator must not change the ST. This is the basic principle of translation. We should find reasonable solutions to overcome these opposing conditions in translating for good translation and translation evaluation. In this regard, we can say further research in explicitation is sorely needed.

In picturebooks, words and pictures work together to construct narrative. Sometimes they tell the same story, but other times they fill each other's gap. They can also give alternative information or contradict each other. This paper observes translation of 'enhancing' picturebooks, where images support words for the reader to construct narrative. Readers employ both words and images to make sense of the story. Explicitation in translation of words in picturebooks can thus hamper the reader by explaining what is found in pictures. Yet, explicitation is often said to be prevalent in children's translations. In this regard, this paper aims to examine translations of enhancing picturebooks based on Systemic Functional Linguistics for analysis of shifts between the words in the STs and the TTs, to see if the shifts have any influence on the narrative construction of words and images, including explicitation in particular. The translations showed shifts in transitivity system which resulted in changes in the experiential meaning between the words in the STs and the TTs. The translations also revealed shifts in appraisals, with the characters' behaviors and thoughts, not mentioned in the STs, verbally expressed. Intensifiers were often added to those expressions. Finally the translations had clearer textual flow, with textual additions and changes. Such shifts led to the following results. First, the words in the TTs explicates the pictures compared to the STs, explaining what the reader can already see from the pictures. Second, the translations showed more appraisals than in the STs, rendering the thoughts of the characters more explicit in the translations. Given the interaction between words and images in picturebooks, explicitation in the words may deny the reader the delight of constructing stories with words and images together.