WORLD LITERATURE AND TRANSLATION: HOW STORIES TRAVEL ACROSS LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Keywords:
literary translation, world literature, translation studies, culture, equivalence, literatureAbstract
Literary translation allows stories, poems, plays, and other forms of cultural expression to circulate beyond the language in which they were originally produced. Translation, however, involves more than replacing words between languages. Literary texts contain stylistic choices, cultural references, rhythm, metaphor, historical associations, and voices that may not have direct equivalents. This article examines translation as an interpretive and communicative practice, focusing on equivalence, cultural context, style, and the translator's role. It also considers how translated literature contributes to world literature by connecting readers across linguistic boundaries. The discussion emphasizes that every translation involves choices shaped by the target audience, literary conventions, and historical context. Understanding these choices can help students read translated literature more critically and appreciate the relationship between language and culture.
References
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Bassnett, S. (2014). Translation studies (4th ed.). Routledge.
Venuti, L. (1995). The translator's invisibility: A history of translation. Routledge.
Apter, E. (2013). Against world literature: On the politics of untranslatability. Verso.
