An analysis of translation strategies employed in the translation of COVID-19-related medical texts from English into Tshivenḓa: A corpus-based approach

Abstract

This research investigated the strategies used in translating COVID-19-related medical texts from English into Tshivenḓa, a South African indigenous language. Effective communication is critical in public health, and translating medical materials into various languages ensures accessibility for diverse populations, particularly in non-English speaking regions. However, translating medical texts from English to Tshivenḓa presents significant challenges due to limited terminology and the language’s limited use in technical fields, such as health. This study sought to identify and analyse the strategies employed in translating medical texts from English to Tshivenda to bridge linguistic and conceptual gaps and evaluate their effectiveness. It employed a corpus-based approach to examine these strategies. Corpus-based tools such as ParaConc have been used to explore linguistic and cultural strategies to provide solutions for non-equivalence in translation. Through this analysis, the study provided an analysis of strategies for translating medical texts from English into Tshivenḓa, enhancing public health communication in indigenous languages and contributing to translation studies.