The translation of culture-specific items in children's literature from English into Sepedi

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore the translation strategies that are applied by Sepedi translators when translating culture-specific items found in children’s literature from English into Sepedi. The study followed a qualitative research approach, where a case study research design was adopted. Purposive sampling was found relevant to this study and was used to recruit five participants who were relevant to answer the research questions. The researcher selected 10 cultural items from the story book, Charlie and the chocolate factory at random. Data was collected through two methods, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Data from interviews and documents was processed through the following process: Firstly, data was transcribed into a transcript. Secondly, the transcripts were read repeatedly and then coded Thirdly, the data was grouped into categories. Fourthly, from the categories four themes emerged. The translators were faced with the difficulty of finding a translation equivalent or using the correct strategy, in order to preserve the meaning of the text. The results showed that Baker’s (2018) translation by cultural substitution and translation using a loan word or loan word plus explanation are used by the translators. The study found that translation challenges encountered with culture-specific items inclined that there is a great need for a wider knowledge of the source language culture. The results indicated the importance of translating culture-specific items correctly to fulfil the purpose of the intended message. The study concludes by advising translators to apply effective translation strategies when translating culture-specific items. Keywords: children’s literature, culture-specific items, translation strategies, translators, Sepedi