Literary translation: implantation vs transference

Abstract

The figurative language employed by authors, which reflects their styles of writing, is one main reason behind the challenges that most literary translators encounter when dealing with literary works. Usually employed for aesthetic and poetic purposes, figures of speech imply connotative meanings. In literary works, words are used only assigns to settle down the flying spirits of meanings and ideas so that the audience can have a thread that could lead them to intended meanings. I believe that literary translators should face the challenges of translating literary works through two main approaches. First, transferring the work of art as it is without trying to find any equivalent in the target language for any piece of text in the source language. The aim of such type of translation would be familiarizing the audience in the target language with the literature and culture of the source language. Second, translating the SL work of art creatively, i.e. using all possible strategies and procedures to find natural equivalents in the TL for any stylistic features in the SLT. This type of translation should aim at pleasing and entertaining the TL audience.