Earticle

This study reviewed the English translations of Korean food names released by the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL), in an attempt to investigate how they are accepted by prospective consumers of Korean foods. A quantitative survey of 300 respondents was conducted using a structured questionnaire in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, specifically looking into correlations between their preference of translation strategies and their age, education, and experience with Korea. The respondents were asked to rate the adequacy of the translation of Korean dishes in terms of "meaning" ("I can understand what the food is by its name") and "expression" ("The name is naturally expressed in English") after seeing the names and photos of the dishes. The respondents showed relatively high acceptance for literal and semantic translation (positive responses in the range between 65% and 80%), while their rating was very low for transliteration (meaning-19.0%, expression-21.6%) which is the NIKL’s preferred translation strategy. An in-depth survey was carried out with 9 native English speakers living in Korea to better understand underlying assumptions toward different translation strategies, and ultimately explore measures to improve current translations. With the integrated data from quantitative and qualitative research, the study revealed that translation strategies should be decided in consideration of readers’ attitudes toward and awareness of foreign culture.

We have analyzed 63 Korean noun culturemes in the historical film entitled “Forbidden Dream” (Korean title “Cheonmun”), which were classified into the three categories of job titles or ranks, concrete nouns and abstract nouns. We adopted the four translation strategies of transfer, transliteration, generalization and condensation for the analysis of those culturemes in the English subtitles, We found that the strategy of transfer, which translates culturemes literally, was employed much more than any other strategy. The strategy of transliteration was utilized as much as condensation. This fact reflects the characteristic of a Korean historical film which shows many job titles or buildings to be romanized. The generalization and condensation strategies were adopted to deliver difficult culturemes as easily as possible or as the result of the time and space constraints. Unfortunately, we found some inconsistency in translating some characters’ titles, which may confuse the story.

This study discuses the relation between translation strategy and readers, which is inseparable in the way that the former influences the other. In Translation Studies, the translation strategy has been categorized into two types: adequate translation, with full respect to the source text, and acceptable translation, which concentrates on the readability. Based on the acceptability theory described by Toury, this paper examines elements that determine the reader's response, which can also be classified as 'source text oriented' and 'target text oriented'. And it is based on the analysis of a Korean translation of Cervantes's "Don Quijote". After examining book reviews and author interviews, it is found that the translator displays both 'source text oriented' and 'target text oriented' strategies, which reflects the corresponding response of readers. The analysis concludes that translators should take into account the fact that readers react as they decide how translate a text and focus on the skopos when they fulfill their task.

Building upon previous research on punctuation, this paper aims to expand the current literature by exploring the various functions of the semicolon and by presenting useful translation strategies that can be employed in English-Korean translation. Explanation of semicolon’s functions is based on a number of widely-used style guides and grammar books, and the examples used herein are mostly taken from children’s literature; the punctuation points used in such genre are relatively clear and in conformity with the standard usage. Based on a clear understanding of the functions and usage, this paper selects and classifies effective translation strategies and discusses how such strategies can be deployed and what attention should be paid in the process of translation. Although there are a number of punctuation marks in the English language system, this paper limits its scope to semicolon, which often invites confusion and disagreement of interpretation in the process of translation, as there is no equivalent mark in the Korean language system. The author hopes the research will contribute to triggering further discussion on the translation of punctuation and to offering guidelines for those in the translation profession.

For a long time now, Korea has been trying to promote Korean literature to the whole world. Nevertheless, most Korean literary translations failed to be accepted in English. In recent years, however, the English version of Korean literature have begun to attract attention. In this trend, I compared the acceptance of works and their translation by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami with by Korean writers Park Kyung-Ri, Kim Young-Ha and Shin Kyung-Sook, and analyze the cause of the successful acceptance of Korean novelist Shin Kyung-Sook in the English-speaking world. Through this, I examine what strategies are needed for successful acceptance ofKorean literature in the West.

문화소와 그로 인한 문화적 부등성은 번역학적 연구와 실천에 있어 핵심적인 요소로, 이를 극복하기 위한 다양한 전략과 이론적 접근이 지속적으로 모색되고 있다. 본 연구는 중국 현대 문학의 대표작인 루쉰의 소설 ｢공을기(孔乙己)｣의 6개 한역본을 대상으로 수행되었다. 번역 과정에서 발생하는 문화적 부등성을 스톨즈와 강수정의 관점에 따라 실제적 부등성, 형식적 부등성, 의미적 부등성, 그리고 한자 사용 부등성으로 분류한 후, 이를 바탕으로 각 번역본의 번역 양상을 비교 분석하고, 각기 상황에 적합한 효과적인 번역 전략을 분석 제시하는 데 초점을 맞추었다. 본 연구는 문화소 번역의 실무에 유의미한 방법론을 제시함으로써, 향후 문화적 부등성을 고려한 문학 번역의 방향성을 제시하는 데 기여하고자 한다.

Cultural elements (culturemes) and the resulting cultural incongruity are pivotal factors in translation studies and practice, which has prompted a continuous exploration of diverse strategies and theoretical approaches to address them. This study focuses on six Korean translations of the representative modern Chinese literary work, Lu Xun(鲁迅)'s novel Kong Yiji. Drawing on the taxonomy proposed by Stolze and Kang Su-jung, the cultural incongruity arising in the translation process is categorized into real incongruity, formal incongruity, semantic incongruity, and incongruity related to Chinese character usage. This framework enables a comparative analysis of the translation strategies employed in each version, with an emphasis on identifying and proposing effective approaches suited to specific contexts. By providing practical methodological insights for the practice of cultureme translation, this study aims to contribute to shaping the future direction of literary translation that thoughtfully addresses cultural incongruity.

This study examines whether, when using the generative AI ChatGPT for literary translation, training it in specific habitus and strategies to construct a translator persona enables the model to move beyond its tendency toward literal translation and instead produce creative renderings aligned with that persona. To explore this, the paper focuses on Deborah Smith’s controversial translation of The Vegetarian, which sparked debate for employing a distinct habitus and feminist translation strategies that produced a work differing noticeably fromthe original. Before the habitus and strategy training, ChatGPT adhered closely to the source text in its translations; after the training, however, it generated outputs that diverged fromthe original according to the specific strategies, and these results were found not to differ significantly fromSmith’s translation. In addition, by investigating and applying prompt-design techniques, this study explores ways to employ AI as an IA tool for literary translation.

With the global spread of K-culture, original Korean musicals (K-musicals) are increasingly exported and supertitled for foreign audiences in Korea. As Chinese nationals form the largest group of foreign residents, and exports to China grow, the translation of Chinese supertitles is gaining importance. Yet research on this topic remains limited. This study examines the characteristics of Chinese lyrics and the challenges of translating Korean lyrics directly into Chinese. Focusing on the musical After Life, it proposes strategies that accommodate the unique demands of Chinese lyrics, which prioritize implicit and concise expression (xiěyìxìng), parallel structure (duìjù), rhyme, and repetition—elements often lost in direct translation. As specific strategeis, the translator proposes using sentence-final nouns, idioms, four-character expressions (chéngyǔ), and substitution and omission to achieve syllable alignment and structural cohesion. These techniques enhance rhythm and rhyme through restructured imagery and nominalization, while reinforcing poetic effects through repetition. Collectively, these strategies clarify and condense meaning while enriching lyrical subtlety. Though limited to one production and not easily generalizable to oral translation, this study offers concrete, experience-based subtitling strategies.

This study investigates the translation strategies applied to the vehicles within John Bunyan's 17th-century English literary classic, The Pilgrim's Progress, renowned as much for its allegorical narrative as for its literary merit. The study contrasts the translation approaches between Korean and Chinese versions. Upon review, it was found that both translations employed a literal strategy, transferring the vehicles from the source text to the target text, owing to the cultural universalities and similar thinking patterns of the East and the West. Interestingly, the translator intentionally localized the text even in the absence of cultural gaps, aiming to align with the linguistic norms and preferences of the target readers. This localization was done to enhance comprehension and acceptability, while still preserving the source text's cultural essence within the context. The findings of this study offer insights into metaphor translation strategies and the interplay between metaphor and culture. Furthermore, they shed light on the cultural universalities shared between Eastern and Western cultures, contributing to a broader understanding of translation practices and cross cultural exchange.

역사적 관점에서 보았을 때, 원잡극(元雜劇, Yuan Zaju)은 중국 고전 희곡 문학의 발전 과정에서 매우 중요한 단계를 차지한다. 희곡 문학의 복잡성과 독특성은 문학 작품 번역에서 많은 어려운 문제를 야기시킨다. 이 연구는 원잡극의 대표 작품인 <조씨고아(趙氏孤兒)>를 대상으로 한국어 번역문 2편을 비교ž분석하였다. 대부분의 번역 연구는 도착 텍스트에서의 수사법 재현에 집중하나, 이 과정에서 원문 텍스트의 특성이 손상될 수 있다. 따라서 이 연구 는 텍스트 유형학적 관점에서 원문 텍스트의 특성을 먼저 조명하고 나서, 중국 고전 희곡의 문학성, 음악성, 무대성의 세 가지 특성을 밝혔다. 희곡 텍스트에서 음악성과 무대성은 문학 성보다 더 중요한 역할을 하는데, 곡문(曲文)과 빈백(賓白, 대사)의 두 가지 구성 형식을 통해 표현된다. 이 두 가지 부분은 수사법을 통해 음악성, 무대성의 특성을 드러낸다. 그러므로 이 연구는 중국 고전 희곡의 창작 과정에서 널리 사용된 수사법(修辞法)에 주목하였다. 곡문(曲 文)은 형식적 특징이 강한 첩어(疊語), 대우(對偶), 배비(排比)에 주목하고, 빈백(賓白, 대사) 은 담화 효과를 높인 비유(比喻), 대우(對偶)를 대상으로 분석하였다. 도착 텍스트에서 이러 한 특성이 이루어져야 도착 문화권의 독자들에게 원문 텍스트의 면모를 보일 수 있다. 이를 기반으로 희곡 텍스트의 형식적 구성으로서의 곡문(曲文)과 빈백(賓白, 대사)에 초점을 두고 희곡 특성을 충실히 반영하는 수사법의 예들을 중심으로 번역 전략을 검토하였다. 그 분석 결과, 비유(比喻)는 비슷한 관용어 바꿔 쓰기, 배비(排比)는 간결한 문장으로 표현하기, 첩어 (疊語)는 의성어와 의태어를 사용하기, 대우(對偶)는 형식적 대칭뿐만 아니라 전후 문장의 내 재적 결속성과 응집성을 고려해야한다.

From a historical perspective, Yuan Zaju represents a very important stage in the development of classical Chinese dramatic literature. The complexity and uniqueness of dramatic literature raises many difficult problems in the translation of literary works. This paper compared and analyzed two Korean translations of The Orphan of Zhao, a representative work of Yuan Zaju. Most translation studies focus on the reproduction of rhetoric in the target text, but in the process, the characteristics of the source text may be compromised. Therefore, this paper will first examine the characteristics of the source text from a text typology perspective, and then identify three characteristics of literariness, musicality, and stagecraft in classical Chinese drama. Musicality and stagecraft play a more important role than literariness in the text of a drama, which is expressed through two compositional forms: Gokmun(lyrics) and Binbaek(dialogue). These two parts reveal the characteristics of musicality and stagecraft through rhetoric. Therefore, this paper focuses on the rhetorical theory widely used in the creative process of Chinese classical drama. Gokmun(lyrics) focuses on reduplication, antitheses, and parallelism, while Binbaek(dialogue) focuses on metaphor and antitheses. As a result of the analysis, metaphor should be translated by replacing similar idioms, parallelism should be expressed in concise sentences, reduplication should use onomatopoeia and mimetic words, and antitheses should consider not only formal symmetry but also the inherent cohesion and cohesion of the preceding and following sentences.

In the context of bilingual books, one language may assume a more prominent position. This study examines the translation of nonce names in two bilingual editions of Dr. Seuss nursery rhymes published in China. It considers the language privilege of each edition and proceeds to explore the correlation of language privilege and translation strategies. Additionally, the study establishes criteria for assessing the readability of translated nonce names across various dimensions and examines the differences between the two editions. The findings indicate that language privilege, discernible through formatting and dictated by the purpose of translated texts, influences the choice of foreignization/ domestication strategy in both editions. The readability analysis reveals variations between the two editions, suggesting a connection to the language privilege. Notably, despite its primary focus on the English language, the English-privileged edition offers a higher level of readability.

We analyzed 213 Korean taboo words in the film “Drug King,” and categorized them into six groups: Saeggi (65), Ssi/Ssibal (35), Ssibal+Noun (21), Jasik (19), Michida/Dolda (9), and Miscellaneous (64). Four translation strategies were observed: maintenance, omission, toning up, and toning down. The most prevalent strategy was maintenance (116, 54%), which involved literal translation to preserve the essence and cultural vibe of the original language. Toning down (63, 30%) was used more frequently than toning up (7, 3%) due to the presence of emotionally intense taboo language. Toning up was specifically applied to 'Ssi/Ssibal' and 'miscellaneous expressions.' Omission (27, 13%) was employed when it was impractical to translate Korean taboo language into English due to time, space, and subtitling constraints. Translating taboo language in the film “Drug King” is challenging because it requires a translator to find culturally appropriate equivalents that convey accurate meanings.

The purpose of this study is to examine strategies in Chinese to Korean metaphor translation, centered on conceptual metaphors in political literature. This seeks to determine whether the translation helps readers to reach optimal relevance. 362 metaphors were collected from political news articles published by Xinhuanet.com and People's Daily Online between January and May 2023 with the use of the MIP metaphor recognition algorithm. Based on these collected metaphors, this study conducts a quantitative analysis of the different types of metaphors and metaphor translation techniques, as well as a relevance theory-based evaluation on the efficiency of these techniques. The findings of the study are outlined as follows: Six translation techniques, including "retaining metaphor", "explaining metaphor," "retaining metaphor + explanation," "substituting metaphor," "omitting metaphor," and "adding metaphor," are employed when translating metaphors in political news in China and South Korea. This study examines the efficiency of metaphor translation techniques based on relevance theory and concludes that "maintenance" is the best metaphor translation technique to attain the optimal level of relevance when the original readers and the target readers have similar backgrounds and cultural experiences. The perfect equivalence between the original readers and the targ et readers is challenging to attain from the context effect standpoi nt, making it impossible for "metaphorical interpretation" to achieve optimal relevance. Translation tactic for domestication texts include the two translation techniques of "replacement" and "addition." This procedure, while efficient, also allows the target readers to quickly understand meaning and visual representation in metaphor. "Omission" drops the original metaphor, which may overlook or alter the meaning, image and information contained in metaphor, hence, we should pay more attention to it.

Among the numerous points of cultural tension between Korea and China, controversies over Korea’s traditional festival Dano and traditional food Kimchi have been notably salient. On the topic of this controversy, this study found that while the two nation’s shared used of Chinese characters and history of Confucian culture have resulted in some useful linguistic and cultural similarities and analogues, they may in fact be a cause of disadvantage in translating cultural terminologies. That is, these similarities may cause misunderstanding when translators fall into the trap of pseudo-equivalent words (faux amis) or when they are unaware of cultural differences. Against the theoretical background of B. Brecht’s epic theater and alienation effect, this study suggests perspectives and strategies for the translation of cultural terminologies that objectively perceives and respects cultural differences between the two countries. This study also proposes specific translation strategies according to the type of cultural terminology, giving more weight to the adequacy of source texts than the acceptability of target texts; to the fidelity to ST than to the readability of TT in translating Korean-Chinese cultural terminologies. Above all, this study emphasizes the vital importance of translators’ sensitivities to cultural differences and deep understanding of the two cultures.

넷플릭스, 디즈니, 애플, 유튜브 등 다양한 영상 플랫폼들이 세계적으로 엄청난 사용자들을 끌어모으고 있다. 한편 마이너 문화의 한 갈래로 정도 로만 인식되었던 한류가 최근 세계적으로 인기를 얻고 있다. ‘기생충’, ‘오 징어 게임’을 위시한 우리나라가 제작한 다양한 영화와 드라마가 각종 플 랫폼을 통해 세계로 확산되면서 수많은 사람들이 우리나라의 문화 콘텐츠 들을 접하게 되었다. 이러한 한류 콘텐츠들의 연이은 성공에는 다양한 요 소가 작용하고 있겠지만, 현지 문화와 정서에 맞춘 훌륭한 번역도 한류 확 산에 일익을 담당했음은 부인할 수 없는 사실이다. 번역가의 중요한 역할중 하나가 출발어와 도착어 권역의 문화 모두에 대한 지식을 갖추고 문화 간극(cultural gap)을 좁히는 중개자의 역할을 하는 것이다. 번역가는 필요 하다면 때로 문화 창조자로서의 역할도 마다해서는 안 된다. 이로 인해 번 역가는 문화적 요소를 띤 어휘 즉 문화소(cultureme)를 어떠한 시각으로 볼 것이며, 이에 맞는 번역전략을 어떻게 선택할지에 대한 고민이 필요하다. 일찍이 번역에서 문화소와 관련된 번역 문제는 학자들의 주된 관심사 중의 하나였으며, 관련한 다수의 연구가 진행되어왔다. 하지만 기존 연구들은 주로 영어, 일본어, 중국어 등 주요 국가의 언어에 국한되어 있었고, 소수언 어 특히 베트남어의 번역과 번역전략에 관한 체계적인 연구는 아직 시도된 바 없다. 이에 본 연구는 ‘홍길동전 경판본’의 베트남어 번역본을 연구대상 으로 설정하고, 해당 번역본의 텍스트에 나타난 문화소를 탐색한 후 이러 한 문화소들이 도착어 문화권으로 전달될 때 적용된 번역전략에 대한 체계 적인 분석을 시도했다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는 이근희의 문화소 분류 방 식과 번역전략을 채용하고 이에 베트남어의 언어적, 어휘적 특성을 고려한 번역전략들을 추가하여 홍길동전 베트남어본에 나타난 문화소 번역양상 을 심도 있게 분석했다.

Recently, various video platforms such as Netflix, Disney, Apple, and YouTube have been attracting a tremendous number of users worldwide. The Korean Wave, which was once considered a minor cultural phenomenon, has gained global popularity, with Korean movies and dramas like 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game' reaching countless people in countries around the world. However, the success of these Korean content can be largely attributed to excellent translations that cater to local cultures and sentiments. One of the critical roles of translators is not only to serve as mediators who bridge the cultural gap between the source and target language regions but also to act as cultural creators when required. The role of translators thus highlights the importance of their perspective on culture-specific vocabulary or culturemes and the translation strategies they choose accordingly. Translation issues related to culturemes have long been a concern for many scholars, and numerous studies have been conducted. However, most of these studies have focused primarily on English, Japanese, and Chinese translations, with systematic research on Vietnamese translations remaining unexplored. In this study, we attempt to systematically analyze the classification of culturemes found in the Vietnamese translation of 'The Tale of Hong Gildong’ and the translation strategies adopted when transferring these culturemes to the target culture. To this end, the study adopts Lee Geun-hee's classification of culturemes and translation strategies, as well as incorporating translation strategies that consider the characteristics of the Vietnamese language. This in-depth analysis of the translation patterns of culturemes in the Vietnamese version of The Tale of Hong Gildong aims to shed light on this under-researched area.

This paper explores the strategies used in translating the character voice lines of 'Overwatch 2' into Korean with the intent of maintaining fidelity to the Source Text (ST) game experience. Strategies identified include literal translation, modification, replacement, addition, and omission and contraction. Qualitative analysis reveals that the translation efforts aim to condense line lengths through modification and omission, thereby ensuring the game maintains a brisk pace for players' enjoyment. Interactions are enhanced through mood and subject changes (modification), while the gaming experience is made more engaging via the addition of interjections, buzzwords, addressing terms, and forceful meanings. This demonstrates an active intervention by the translator to provide an entertaining and engaging gaming experience for Korean players.

Situations of multilingualism have pervaded in all areas, especially in film industries where this trend is reflected progressively. Recent studies within the audiovisual translation have shed some light on how multilingual dialogue is translated on screen. However, few studies have examined how multilingual dialogue is dubbed into Korean. This study analyzes three exemplifying polyglot films that started streaming on Netflix in the last decade: Eat, Pray, Love (2010), Django Unchained (2013) and Call Me By Your Name (2018). The paper aims to see how multilingual dialogue is translated or narrated in the source text. Based on the translation strategies of preservation and homogenization, further investigation is conducted to show how multilingual dialogue is dubbed into Korean. This study provides a general insight into the dubbing of polyglot films into Korean and its potential consequences that can be applied to the dubbing of other polyglot films.

This study aims to examine how structural differences between Spanish and Korean in relative clauses affect the achievement of the translation goal of communicative translation. For this purpose, relative clauses of Spanish news texts used in actual translation class for graduate students (ST) and their translations in Korean (TT) were collected. For the analysis, the clauses were divided according to cases such as subjective, objective, oblique, possessive and appositive cases, and categorized into two types: restrictive and non-restrictive clauses, given that the two languages differ in the use of relative clauses. The analysis reveals that translation learners adopt distinct strategies for different types and cases of relative clauses by using connective endings, altering parts of speech in target language or switching the position of antecedent, etc. in accordance with the principle of conciseness of news texts. On the other hand, findings show that translations taking into account the differences between Spanish and Korean turn out to be more TL reader friendly, thus more communicative. The study concludes that when translating Spanish relative clauses into Korean, learners should consider the heterogeneity between the two languages, understand the function of the text to be translated and review the translation strategy from the perspective of the TL reader.

This study aims to validate the existing research on TED translation strategies which have mainly been conducted using a content analysis method. Two surveys were conducted, one in 2014, and the other in 2019. The survey results show that TED translators also consider audiovisual information when subtitling, and consciously omit repeated information, discourse markers, and pronouns while intentionally keeping transitional words. They also answered that they prefer domestication strategies for sayings, and literal translation for currencies and measurement units. Compared to the 2014 survey, TED translators in 2019 were more actively following experts’ practice of subtitling that are found on TV or in movies: they attempt to follow professional subtitling rules on domestication, punctuation, and subtitle lengths. The respondents described that their translation strategies are mainly centered around the audience’s easy understanding of the messages and information provided by TED talks. The results of the surveys are found to support the presumptions offered in the existing studies: omissions/additions of certain information in accordance with video, differentiated translation strategies for culture-specific terms, omissions of repeated information, discourse markers, and pronouns, and retainment of transitional words were all intentionally done.

This study aims to analyze the perspectives which academic circles in translation and interpretation have had regarding cultural terms and to examine the directions they should move forward in future research. By analyzing studies posted in three domestic journals of translation and interpretation, including The Journal of Translation Studies , Journal of Interpretation and Translation Institute , and Interpretation and Translation, this study develops definitions of "cultural terms" and summaries research topics and methods. Cultural terms can be defined as "concept words related to human life or lifestyle," and each of their sub-components forms a specific terminology group. Studies on cultural terms are largely conducted in the direction of comparing source texts and target texts, analyzing translation methods, then presenting desirable translation strategies. Research topics are mostly composed of studies on literary works and on the outcomes of public sector translation. In most cases, translation strategies are proposed to make up for the asymmetry of cultural elements. The significance of the studies on cultural terms over the past two decades can be found in 1) identification of comprehensive categories of cultural terms and approach to components of cultural terms, 2) standardization of specific terminologies within macro cultural terms, 3) establishment and sharing of translation guidelines, even if partially, and 4) implementation of these guidelines in the form of online, open knowledge glossary. Future research should be conducted, first in the short term, in specific areas at the micro level focusing on impending issues. Seen from a macro perspective, however, problems of existing translation drafts will be analyzed. In this process, standards will be established and shared, which is expected to eventually bring a virtuous circle of spreading into business practice and education.