A Model for Translating Poetry Based on the Lefevere's ... · Lefevere goes further step, stating...

ELT Voices- International Journal for Teachers of English Volume (5), Issue (4), 53-65 (2015)

ISSN Number: 2230-9136

(http://www.eltvoices.in)

A Model for Translating Poetry Based on the Lefevere's Theory on

Poetry Translation and Dastjerdi’s Model

1Forouzan Dehbashi Sharif,

2Ramin Yarmohamadi Khameneh

1&2Department of English Language, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Corresponding email address [email protected]

Article reference:

Yarmohamadi Khameneh, M., & Dehbashi Sharif, F. (2015). A model for translation poetry based on the Lefeveres’s theory

on poetry translation and Dastjerdi’s model. ELT Voices, 5 (4), 53-65.

Abstract: Poetry translation involves cognition, discourse, and action by and between human and textual actors in a physi-

cal and social setting. A poetry translation project usually aims to publicize a poet or poets. The issue of the translatability

of poetry has given rise to theoretical and practical debates among scholars. Purpose of this study was to propose a model

for the comparison of translations based on Lefevere’s theory and Dastjerdi’s model. The seven strategies proposed by

Lefevere attempt to tackle the problems of translating poetic text and his model aims to study translation in the poetic genre

on an empirical basis. They are founded in the belief that poetry is an item of beauty with specific poetic features.

Destjerd's model has two levels for poetry analysis: textual (linguistic) and extra-textual (cultural) levels. At the textual

level he examines forms, sound, words, images, tone and content of a piece of poetry. At the extra-textual level, coherence

and implicature are the elements to be discussed, here the main focus is the knowledge presented in the source text as well

as the TT reader’s knowledge of the world; that is to say the cultural aspects of the text. Due to the analysis based on Lefe-

vere's theory and the practical model of poetry translation by Dastjerdi, researchers have proposed a model for the analysis

of selected poems and comparing the performance of translators. In this study, the second translator’s performance was

better than the other two because he was able to get a higher score in 4 parts.

Index Terms: Dastjerdi’s Model, Lefevere's Theory, Poetry translation, Translator’s Performance.

1. INTRODUCTION

No poem, drama, novel or essay would ever be read, without translation, in countries whose language is different from

the author. Therefore, translation is a key to the other language and it is a channel through which ideas and cultures pass.

According to Catford (1965),"translation is the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual

material in another language (TL)", (Amina, 2010; Darwish, 1989; Gaikwad, 2012; Hamdalla, 1998). The translation of

culturally marked words is a problematic issue that has been explored by a number of authors (Hosseinimanesh, 2011; In-

chaurralde, 2003; Newmark, 1991; Nord, 2005, Tymoczko & Gentzler; 2002). Theme of the poetry of life reaches deep into

the essential questions of human existence. In the sense that poetry is the central core of literature, it is fundamental to the

meaning of our lives (Kimmel, 2000). Poetry translation involves cognition, discourse, and action by and between human

and textual actors in a physical and social setting. A poetry translation project usually aims to publicize a poet or poets

(Jones, 2012).

54 Yarmohamadi Khameneh & Dehbashi (2015)

The issue of the translatability of poetry has given rise to theoretical and practical debates among scholars (Dastjerdi

et al., 2008; Jamshidian & Mohammadi, 2012; Shafiei & Hatam, 2009). Some scholars believe that what is lost in transla-

tion is the poetry, while others state that all meanings are translatable and only the form of poetic discourse is lost in trans-

lation. There are still other scholars who believe that poetry translation is possible only if both the meaning and style of the

source text are kept intact in the target language (Dastjerdi et al., 2008). There is inevitably a middle ground, that believes

translation and more specifically poetry translation ‘is sometimes possible, sometimes impossible, sometimes easy, some-

times difficult, sometimes a failure, sometimes an amazing success. In the translation of poetry there will always be aspects

(if not significant ones) that will be missing, as languages do not have the same phonology, syntactic structures, vocabulary,

literary history, prosody or poetics. A poem that leans towards prose may present relatively few problems, but a poem that

has a highly complex structure encompassing imagery, intersexuality, idiom, ambiguity and complex tonalities will almost

certainly have to sacrifice some elements in translation (Attwater, 2005).

In accordance with the poetry translation problems are mentioned in the background of study and because the poetry

understanding is more difficult than the other literally contexts, this critical issue will harden the poetry translation; so,

studying the poetry translations based on a useful model is necessary to improve and enrich of the translated contexts in this

field. Accordingly, this research studies one of the popular poets, Sohrab Sepehri, among the people because of the modern

poetries position in the literature and culture of the country in order to modern model of poetry reflects properly in its

translations for introducing to the people of the world. The researchers found some translation of Sohrab’s poems that are

too personalized. Most of the translators have chosen word for word rendering and they have not paid enough attention to

the abstract mood of Sohrab’s poems. They also have not been able to transfer Sohrab’s imaginative language (Kolahi &

Emamian 2012). Due to the items mentioned, purpose of this study is to propose a model for the comparison of translations

based on Lefevere’s theory and Dastjerdi’s model. Also, Sepehri’s poems have been selected as a case study of this research

that reasons for selection of it was stated previously.

2. REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Lefevere's theory on poetry translation methods

Translating a poetic text is perhaps more difficult than translating other types of text because poetic works have imag-

inative powers of expression and specific values called aesthetic and expressive values. The seven strategies proposed by

Lefevere attempt to tackle the problems of translating poetic text and his model aim to study translation in the poetic genre

on an empirical basis. They are founded in the belief that poetry is an item of beauty with specific poetic features (Lefevere,

1975).

2.1.1 Phonemic translation

This method aims to imitate the ST sound. That is to say, it attempts to reproduce the SL sound in the TL while at the

same time producing an acceptable paraphrase of the sense. Results such as these are, however, rarely obtained. The sounds

of source and target texts usually diverge too widely. In the wider context of the evolution and interpretation of literature,

phonemic translation on the whole rarely achieves an acceptable rendering of the source-language sound in the target text,

so that it is positively harmful to concentrate on sound alone. In addition, phonemic translation distorts all the other aspects

of the source text, and reduces it to a curiosity.

2.1.2 Literal translation

Literal translation is always undesirable: the emphasis is on translating each word of the ST rather than giving the

meaning of each expression or sentence using words that sound natural. Lefevere’s view agrees with that of Nida: he sees

no absolute correspondence between languages. Lefevere goes further step, stating that literal translation is a myth and very

often leads to fruitless results since it usually disregard the communicative value of a certain word of ST. However, he de-

fends the literal translation method as one major strategy that tends to serve translators in comprehending the text at hand

ELT Voices-Volume (5), Issue (4), (2015) 55

(Lefevere, 1975).

2.1.3 Metrical translation

The metrical translation strategy proposed by Lefevere (1975) emphasizes the reproduction of the original metre into

the TL. This offers an easy way to remain as faithful as possible to the original where the dominant criterion is the repro-

duction of the SL metre. Such a strategy, therefore, may not be appropriate since each language has its own specific stress

patterns and unique linguistic-phonetic systems. Consequently, this method will result in an inappropriate translation in

terms of meaning and structure. Lefevere concludes that, like literal translation, this method concentrates on one aspect of

the SL text at the expense of the text as a whole.

2.1.4 Poetry into prose

Prose translation is meant to reproduce the ST poem in another literary genre different in form, ignoring the rhyme

scheme and the metre of the ST & TT. This method will result in the loss of some of the sense, communicative value and

syntax of the ST. the translator attempts to render in TT some of the poetic qualities of the original (shuttleworth & cowie,

2014). Lefevere sees translating poetry into prose as exhibition of different organizations of words in the target texts: be-

cause of its form, prose is unable to direct the reader's attention towards certain words in the way poetry can (Lefever,

1975).

2.1.5 Rhymed translation

The rhyming translation method emphasizes the transfer of the rhyme of the original poem into the translation in the

TL. This implies that such a translator has to rhyme the translation according to the schemes of the target language. This

type of translation requires not only a deep understanding of ST poetic material, but also an emphasis on the realization of

the author's process of his artistic creation, a grasp of the spirit of the original, and the search for the most appropriate con-

firmation in his own thought to create a poetic effect and flavor on the part of its reader in the target culture (Bassnett,

2014).

2.1.6 Blank verse translation

Blank verse is another type of translation strategy discussed by Lefevere in his analysis of the translations of poems

by Catullus. Lefevere sees the translator choosing blank verse in attempting to produce a translation with the stylistic quali-

ties of the TL culture. This implies that blank verse translators will therefore attempt to strike an even balance between ad-

hering to a scheme and getting away from it, between the rule and the exception (Lefever, 1975).

2.1.7 Interpretation approach

Interpretation is the last strategy proposed by Lefevere, which aims to make a complete change of form. In this ap-

proach the translator tries to retain the substance of the original poem and makes changes in the form only. This is tanta-

mount to saying that the translator produces a new poem of his own, except for the content which is of the original. Fur-

thermore, a translator who chooses to interpret the ST may resort to paraphrasing the original lines of the poem creating a

new poem depending entirely on the content of the ST. Here, the translator must be a master of both languages, and must

understand both the characteristics and spirit of the original author, besides conforming to the aesthetic canons of his own

age (Bassnett, 2013).

2.2 Dastjerdiʾs Model

This model consists of two levels for poetry analysis: textual (linguistic) and extra-textual (cultural) levels.

2.2.1 First Level: Textual Analysis

At the textual level he examines forms, sound, words, images, tone and content of a piece of poetry (Figure 2. 1)

(Dastjerdi et al., 2008).


Figure 2.1 A tentative model of poetic translation analysis and assessment: textual level (Dastjerdi et al., 2008)

2.2.2 Second Level: extra textual level analysis

At this level, coherence and implicature are the elements to be discussed. Here the main focus is the knowledge

presented in the ST as well as the TT reader's knowledge of the world; that is to say, the cultural aspects of the text.

Translation of a text inevitably involves at least two cultures. According to Javaherian (1992), if it is accepted that

one of the purposes of literary translation is to make the reader acquainted with other nations' cultures in other parts

of the world, then translation of cultural values and concepts of a literary work becomes inevitable. This is because,

he adds, culture and language are essentially so much interwoven and indivisible that meaning transference is impos-

sible without transference of cultural concepts (Figure 2.2) (Dastjerdi et al., 2008).

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Corpus

In order to meet the objectives of the present study, the researcher chose Sepehri′s poems.

Table 3.1 List of Translated Three Books of Sepehri′s Poems

Translator Name of the English collection Year Publisher

Nastaran NosratZadegan I am Muslim First Edition, 2012 Works Society and Cultural Figures

Saeed SaeedPoor Selected Poems of Sohrab Sepehri First Edition, 2011 Iranian′s Poets Society

Karim Emami The Lover is always alone Fourth Edition, 2009 Sokhan

The table 3.1 represents the specification of the corpus.


Figure 2.2 Tentative model of poetic translation analysis and assessment: extra-textual level (Dastjerdi et al., 2008)

3.2 Design

The present research is a corpus-based descriptive - analytic comparative study involving the original Persian version

of Sepehri poems and its three English translations. Qualitatively the content of the original and the three translations were

analyzed and compared, based on the poetic elements presented in Lefevere's theory and Dastjerdi′s Model and quantita-

tively by applying an ordinal scale measurement using 5 point Likert-type scale.

3.3 Procedure

In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher followed a step by step procedure as follows: (1) The

original poems with its corresponding translation were carefully studied. (2) The two texts were examined in terms of

words, images, stanza and structural patterns, literary devices, and type of the poem. (3) The linguistic differences

and similarities between the ST and TT were elaborated. (4) At the extra-textual level, the ST and TT are discussed

and scrutinized in their cultural framework. Here, culture-specific terms were explained and the covert corners of

individual words and phrases in the ST are demystified with an eye on the existence or nonexistence of their equiva-

lents in the TT. (5) The gathered data was transferred into Lefevere's theory and the practical model of poetry transla-

tion by Dastjerdi. (6) Propose a model according to the preliminary analysis based on Lefevere's theory and the prac-

tical model of poetry translation by Dastjerdi. (7) The researcher designed an ordinal scale system based on 5 point

Likert-type scale to be able to compare and evaluate different translations of the selected poems at the textual level.

The analysis of the extra textual level was measured just qualitatively in this research. (8) Since it was necessary to

validate his findings, the researcher asked ten university instructors who are very experienced and knowledgeable in


the field of poetry and literature prove the authenticity of 30% of his analysis. (9) After applying their suggestions the

researcher could modify his findings and based on designed Model, compare and analyze the three translations of

Sepehri selected poems.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

To achieve the research goal the data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. For the qualitative analysis,

the researcher applied content analysis method based on Lefevere's theory and Dastjerdi′s Model and for the quantitative

analysis; he prepared different comparative tables and graphs for the poetic elements that had been mostly used in each of

the three translations. To start with, the researchers had to choose common poems of among three collections: Water, In

Gulestaneh, The Address, An Oasis in the Moment, Beyond Seas, The Night of Pleasant Solitude, The Primeval Call, To the

Garden of Companions and then were analyzed these poems with respect to the original poem. The next step in analysis

was studying the common poems of among three collections based on Lefevere's theory table and Dastjerdi′s model.

4.1 Evaluation based on Lefevere's theory

As a mentioned in the details of Lefevere’s theory, seven strategies must be carefully examined in the evaluation of

selected poems translations. To achieve this objective has been examined each strategy separately.

4.1.1 Phonemic translation

As we mentioned, phonemic translation emphasizes on sound. We have such issue in textual level of Dastjerdi’s mod-

el which is includes alliteration (assonance and consonance). In the translation of the selected poems, translators merely are

trying to imitate sound of ST to TT but they also have used the sound such as the alliteration follow into TT due to the

characteristics of the target language. It should be noted that sound is not transferable to the target language such as source

language. According to the Lefevere’s theory, the point of this strategy is the issue that phonemic translation distorts all the

other aspects of the source text and reduces it to a curiosity. Fortunately, translators’ performance has not leaded to this is-

sue.

4.1.2 Literal translation Sometimes the literal translation is inevitable. Due to the non-understandable poetic for translation, literal translation

is traceable in some parts; especially image of ambiguity when words have meaning beyond of close meaning. In the se-

lected poems translations, literal translation can be clearly seen in some poems that we will mentioned them following:

(Gulestaneh: 1. rose-garden 2. Golestaneh is small village near Kashan, located 5 km away). (The mentioned poem is ana-

lyzed in the extra textual level of Dastjerdi’s model and poet also utilized the elements of eastern mysticism to have suffi-

cient literal translation for translators. It is noted that Lefevere defends the literal translation method as one major strategy

that tends to serve translators in comprehending the text at hand.

4.1.3 Metrical translation

Modern poems appeared in the contemporary period dominance of rhymed verse after one thousand years. The collec-

tion of selected poems from Sepehri is in modern poems era. In this study, the analyzed material is a Persian piece of mod-

ern poetry or blank verse which is devoid of any meter. Therefore, rhythm is not the issue we focused upon in the analysis

of the translated text. Therefore metrical translation is not considerable in the translators’ performance.

4.1.4 Poetry into prose

In the selected poems, this strategy is overlap with metrical translation because the points are related to modern poetry

and poetry into prose is not considerable in the translators’ performance.

4.1.5 Rhymed translation

Due to the type of the selected poems, translators have not emphasized on rhymed translation.

4.1.6 Blank verse translation

The primary evaluations of the selected poems showed that translators used this strategy for translating. Perhaps, type

of selected poem adapted with blank verse translation and this lead the translators to use this strategy.

4.1.7 Interpretation approach

In the reviewed translations, we found that no translator have not used interpretation approach. They retain form of the

poems and they does not create new poem by this approach. The poem has different shape but the original meaning of the

poem.

4.2 Evaluation based on Vahid’s Model

4.2.1 Extra textual level

At this level, coherence and implicative are the elements to be discussed. Here the main focus is the knowledge pre-

sented in the ST as well as the TT reader's knowledge of the world; that is to say, the cultural aspects of the text. Sohrab

Sepehri was an ultra-religious poet which means he worshiped and praised what is beyond religion and that doesn’t mean

he wasn’t a religious person but he felt himself more close to God. As evidence to such claim we can refer to his forth Book


which is “East of Sorrow” (1961). Sohrab went through this process gradually in which he ultimately gained an ultra reli-

gious belief in religion. However, it has to be mentioned that his re-birth and consistency of thought and personality started

with his “Water's Footfall” (1965), in this period he become a sentient, deep and wise poet (Zarindast, 2013). The discus-

sion should appear below the table.

Table 4.1 The Analysis of the Selected Poems Based on Dastjerdi’s Model (Extra-Textual Level)

Point 1: In this poem we can see Emami explain completely the Golestaneh word; Golestaneh is small village near Kashan, located 5 km. east of

Qamsar. But we cannot find any extra explanation for it by Saeed Poor and in Nosat Zadegan translation is translated very well but she did not

explain any extra information. In this case if a foreigner reads this word he supposes Golestaneh is a rose garden, the same as Saeed Poor imagi-

nation.

Point 2: poppies bloom in Iranian culture means short life, none of the translators did not mention this point. In this poem, Sohrab talks about the

chances and fortune of life, he believes that life is full of kindness and faith and we must live as long as the poppies bloom exists.

In this poem “friend” is the God’s secret. This comes back to seven steps of theosophy especially traditional theosophy. Sohrab expresses seven

idioms for this seven steps including: poplar = willing; lane greener = love; flower of solitude = being rich; metrological fountain and transparent

fear = faith; flowing intimacy of the space = monotheism; a child atop a tall pine = wonders and at last nest of light = poverty and mortality.

It is crystal clear that the content is theosophy, all in all he is purpose of friend is God and none of the translators did mention it.

The most important word in this poem is “nowhere”. This “nothing” doesn’t imply the meaning empty, but it means modern, awakening, advice,

and pantheism. Here, human reach loneliness, abstraction, and eternity. This loneliness is not the destructive loneliness of the mortal world, but

Gnostics solitude. Because of this, poet said that if we go to him; go slowly lest his loneliness break not. It’s obvious that this poem represents the

Sepehri Gnostic solitude. By referring to Eshraghi Islamic book, Sepehri tried to represent life as desirable life in pluralism world that suffered

full of secular, intolerance, lack of insight, lack of pleasure, and lack of peace.

Poet in the first stanza expresses the reason of journey to represent of a particular solitude of him. In this poem Sohrab talks about the immortal

life it means we should forget nothingness, he is full of feelings. He uses some words such as sand, rain, nature, etc. Sohrab looks for “utopia” a

place full of love he puts away all of the material things for his purpose. He mentions some topics like light, overcoming of love attention to

theosophy.

This poem pointed straight to vigil. As other Gnostics, Sohrab enjoys nights’ peace and God worship; and if there was a moonlit night, he reaches

ultimate pleasure during worship when he saw nature under the light of moon and stars’ shining. It’s obvious that it have the same contents as

poem 4.

The beginning call is the travelling motivation explanation to a vastness that words are unable to describe it (no-word vastness). It’s a place that

the mythological trees can be seen from a far distance. Previously, Sepehri expressed this Gnostic travel in his Mosafer book (a unique book).

Travelling is one of the most common words in Sepehri’s poems and the most widespread and most philosophical form of it mentioned in Mo-

safer book. These journeys usually begin in time and place and end in another time and place. This poem is the travelling motivation explanation

from dream city and normal life to the awakening, insightful, and different life.

In “to the fellow travelers garden” poem, Sepehri refuges to his soft own heaven in facing with bitter realities of the outer world. On general, it’s

his poetic behavior and Gnostic path in escaping from “the world is” to “the world must be”. In this path, ideology changed to worldview and

political commitment changed to universe commitment.

In second stanza, we realized that poet is alone in the aspects of this silent age and what a great loneliness! Because of that, he wants “he” to call

him and see him. Who is “he”? Love? Lover? Own-me? Human? I, you, he? Whoever he is, his voice is the green essence of nature and it origi-

nates from romantic sorrow and mystical nature. Poet’s loneliness is a great gap between outer world and himself.

As is mentioned in table 4.1 translators have not been able greatly preserve qualitatively Sepehri poetries at the ex-

tra-textual (cultural) level based on Vahid Dastjerdi tentative model.

4.2.2 Textual level

At the textual level he examines forms, sound, words, images, tone and content of a piece of poetry. In this level

translators’ performances have been analysis in two qualities and qualitative dimensions.


4.2.2.1 Form

Form (linguistic features) has been defined as the actual words, phrases, clauses, paragraphs, etc., which are spoken or

written. In other words, it is the structural part of language which is seen or heard. In literary criticism, form often refers to

a literary type (lyric, ode, short story, etc.) or to patterns of rhythm, rhyme, lines and stanzas. In this study, the material to

be analyzed is a Persian piece of modern poetry or blank verse which is devoid of any meter. Therefore, rhythm is not fo-

cused upon in the analysis of the translated text. So, in this section I compared the harmony translated stanza with original

lyrics. In this case, three translators had an appropriate performance, so that number of stanza and their structure was ac-

cording with the original lyrics.

4.2.2.2 Sound

In this part, alliteration (assonance and consonance) and rhymes are considered in Persian poetry and its English

translation. As a conclusion in table 4.2, translators performance was same as each other in alliterations (assonance and

consonance), studying of table represented comparing to the translations; Alliterations (assonance and consonance) in the

main poems are so close based on frequency. By comparing them, we can say translator’s performance in all of the poems

was adequate with each other and the main poem.

4.2.2.3 Image

The most challenging words, phrases and sentences in a literary work are tropes or figurative features. This literary

work we are working on, a modern poetry by Sohrab Sepehri, has been decorated by such literary devices as metaphor,

simile, allusion, synesthesia, etc. on the whole, the poet has represented what he desires to through figurative language.

Translating a piece of poetry, literary translator should keep in mind various techniques and devices to translate the poet's

message with simple and fluent diction. There are not any tropes for example: simile, personification, oxymoron, synesthe-

sia, proverb, mythological allusion, etc (table 4.2).

4.2.2.4 Word

In this section, I studied 1.simple or complex 2. given or new (familiar or unfamiliar) 3. concrete or abstract 4. mean-

ing suggestions. Comparison of original poetry and translations showed word was simple and familiar.

4.2.2.5 Tone

In this section, I studied 1.light or serious 2.elegiac or paneguric 3.lyrical or admonitory 4.ironic, straightforward. As a

conclusion, Sohrab Sepehri’s poems have an especial figurative language and the meanings of words are somehow abstract.

He has not used rhyming pattern and his lines have various length. But, his language is mingled with a great power of im-

agination. With these characteristics, Sepehri’s tone is the simple one. As mentioned. Poet tone is Straightforward and light

in poems and it causes better performance for translator.

4.2.2.6 Content

In this section, I studied 1.realistic 2.mythical 3.time/place 4.descriptive 5.etc (see table 4.2).

4.3 A model for translation poetry

Due to the analysis based on Lefevere's theory and the practical model of poetry translation by Dastjerdi, researchers

have proposed a model for the analysis of selected poems and comparing the performance of translators (Figure 4.1).

At the first step, researchers have been analyzed translator’s performance based on the scores in each section. As the scores

show in figure 4.1, the translators have medium performance in content and image and have high level in stanza and tone

because number 3 is the medium level due to the Likret 5 range level.


Table 4.2 The Analysis of the Selected Poems Based on Dastjerdi’s Model (Textual Level)

sound

alliteration Sepehri NosratZadegan (T1) SaeedPoor (T2) Emami (T3)

1 Assonance )ای( (a) (a) (a)

consonance )ش( - (f) -

2 Assonance ()ی (a) - (a)

consonance )چ( )پ( (w) (s) (l) (s) (l) (sh) (l)

3 Assonance )می( (i) (e) (e) (i) (e)

consonance )ش( )س( (l) (g) (s) (p) (g) (l) (s) (h) (l) (t) (s)

4 Assonance ) ِا ( - (o) (e) -

consonance )ش( )س( (s) (l) (r) (s) (l)

5 Assonance ) ِا ( - - (i)

consonance )چ( )ش( )س( (l) (S) (l) (d) (w) (l)

6 Assonance - - - -

consonance )ش( )س( - - -

7 Assonance ( ) ِی() ا (e) (e) (e)

consonance ()س (s) (s) (m)

8 Assonance ) ا ( (e) (i) (i)

consonance )ص( )ب( (l) (t) (n) (s) (l) (s)

image

1 - - - -

2 Symmetry, kenning Symmetry, kenning Symmetry, kenning Symmetry, kenning

3 Metaphor, Simile, Personification

and Hyperbole

Simile, Personification Simile, Personification Simile, Personification

4 Kenning, Personification, Simile,

Metaphor

Kenning, Personification,

Simile, Metaphor


Simile, Metaphor


Simile, Metaphor

5 Kenning, Simile Kenning, Simile Kenning Kenning, Simile

6 Personification Personification Personification Personification

7 Kenning, Simile Kenning, Simile Kenning, Simile Kenning, Simile

8 Simile, Personification Simile, Personification Simile, Personification Simile, Personification

content

1 realistic realistic realistic realistic

2 Emotional Emotional and realistic Emotional Emotional and realistic

3 Spiritual and Emotional Emotional and realistic Emotional Emotional and realistic

4 Descriptive and Spiritual Descriptive Descriptive Descriptive

5 Idealized and Emotional Idealized and Emotional Idealized and Emotional Idealized and Emotional

6 Spiritual and Descriptive Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive Descriptive

7 Spiritual and Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive

8 Spiritual and Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive Spiritual and Descriptive


Figure 4.1 A Model For Translated Poetry Analysis and Comparing of Translator’s Performance

Figure 4.2 Comparing the Performance of Translators Based on Scores

At the next step, researchers have used statistical analysis for the compare of translator’s performance.


Table 4.3 Test Statistics for First Translator (T1)

Test Value = 3

t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference

95% Confidence Interval of the Difference

Lower Upper

word 4.583 9 .001 .7 .35 1.04

meter -1.809 9 .104 -.4 -.9 .10

stanza 9.798 9 .000 1.6 1.23 1.96

content .000 9 1.000 .00 -.47 .47

image 2.236 9 .052 .5 -.005 1.005

tone 4.743 9 .001 1.0 .52 1.47

Table 4.3 above shows the first translator (Nosrat Zadegan) has not any significant difference with the author in the 3

sections related to word, tone, and stanza probability 95%. But in 95% probability, there is significant difference in meter,

content, and image.

Table 4.4 Test Statistics for Second Translator (T2)

Test Value = 3



Lower Upper

word 6.128 9 .000 1.1 .69 1.5

meter 2.449 9 .037 .4 .03 .76

stana 6.000 9 .000 1.2 .74 1.65

content .000 9 1.000 .00 -.33 .33

image .802 9 .443 .2 -.36 .76

tone 6.000 9 .000 1.2 .74 1.65

Table 4.4 above shows the second translator (saeed Poor) has not any significant difference with the author in

word, meter, stanza and ton probability 95%, whereas there is significant difference in content and image.

Table 4.5 Test Statistics for Third Translator (T3)

Test Value = 3



Lower Upper

word 3.674 9 .005 .6 .23 .96

meter -1.000 9 .343 -.2 -.65 .25

stanza 9.000 9 .000 1.5 1.12 1.87

content -.429 9 .678 -.1 -.62 .42

image .802 9 .443 .2 -.36 .76

tone 3.857 9 .004 .9 .37 1.42

Table 4.6 above shows the third translator (Emami) has not any significant difference with the author in the 3 sec-

tions related to word, tone, and stanza probability 95%. But in 95% probability, there is significant difference in meter,

content, and image.

5. CONCLUSION

This study has investigated Sohrab Sepehri’s translated poems by three translators. At the first step, researchers have

studied Lefevere's Theory on Poetry Translation that has seven strategies and Dastjerdi’s Model consists of textual level

and extra textual level. Then researchers have designed 6 dimensions based on Lefevere's Theory and Dastjerdi’s Model:


word, meter (Rhythmic meter and Syllable meter), stanza (verses), content (poem massages), image and tone (music). Each

of these detentions were analysis in three translations and the researchers designed an ordinal scale system based on 5 point

Likert-type scale to be able to compare and evaluate different translations of the selected poems at the textual level. The

first translator (Nosrat Zadegan) did not have any significant difference with the author in the 3 sections related to word,

tone, and stanza probability 95%. But in 95% probability, there is significant difference in meter, content, and image. The

second translator (saeed Poor) did not have any significant difference with the author in word, meter, stanza and ton proba-

bility 95%, whereas there is significant difference in content and image. The third translator (Emami) did not have any sig-

nificant difference with the author in the 3 sections related to word, tone, and stanza probability 95%. But in 95% probabil-

ity, there is significant difference in meter, content, and image.

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Author Bio

Forouzan Dehbashi Sharif is a university assistant professor and Ph.D. holder in online virtual edu-

cational planning with tendency in TEFL and translation. She has compiled some bilingual diction-

aries and published some books in the field of translation and also accompanied with other scholars

in writing some educational textbooks on the principals of online writing and distance education.

She has written some scholarly articles in different fields of language Teaching, training language

faculties and using technologies in teaching and translation.

Ramin Yarmohamadi Khameneh holds an M.A. in English translation studies from Islamic Azad

University, Central Tehran Branch. He has been teaching English language for about 10 years and

he is currently an English teacher in a number of language schools in Tehran.

A Model for Translating Poetry Based on the Lefevere's ... · Lefevere goes further step, stating...

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