Theories and Practice of Translation

84

/ Thories and Practice of Translation

“Ama seni öldürürler.” (Dişbudak: 87) “Başka çıkar yolu yok bunun,” dedi. “Ama seni öldürürler.” (Ortaç: 88) 

Kino and his family have one chance to get rid of the men following them. Kino makes a plan and tells his

wife “there is a way” he is optimistic. He thinks that if he gets the man with a rifle first they will be all right. This phrase is translated as “başka çıkar yolu yok bunun” by the two translators but it is not as optimistic as in the original. The optimism in the original phrase could be

reflected better if it is translated as “bir yolu var”. 8) Their legs moved a little jerkily , like well-made wooden dolls, and… (Steinbeck: 80)

Bacakları kesik kesikti yürürken. İyi yapılmış tahtadan bebekler gibiydi. (Dişbudak: 93) İyi yapılmış tahtadan bebekler gibi kesik kesik yürüyorlardı. (Ortaç: 94) 



In this section, they are coming back to the town, tired and hopeless. They lost their son. Kino and Juana walk side by side into La Paz, with Juana carrying Coyotito's corpse in a sack slung over her shoulder. In

this scene, the phrase “their legs moved…” is deliberately used by Steinbeck to reflect their physical conditions and their feelings. He wants to reflect that they are not walking but their legs are moving. The intention of the

writer is not reflected by Ortaç whereas it is adequately translated by Dişbudak. 9) We will go into the mountains. Maybe we can lose them in the mountains. (Steinbeck: 69)

Dağlara gidiyoruz. Belki dağlara vurursak onlardan kurtulabiliriz. (Dişbudak: 80) Dağlara gidiyoruz. Belki dağlara çıkarsak onlardan kurtulabiliriz. (Ortaç: 81) 



A Comparatıve Analysıs Of The Two Translatıons Of “The Pearl” /

85

Kino and his family are escaping from the trackers. They want to cover their tracks. It is easy to cover the

tracks in the mountains. The image “trace” has an important role in the text. The verb “lose” in the original sentence is translated as “kurtulmak” in both of the translations. They are acceptable but it would be better to

translate it as “…izimizi kaybettirebiliriz”. 10) The doctor never came to the cluster of brush houses. Why should he, when he had more than he could do take care of the rich people who lived in the stone and plaster houses of the town. (Steinbeck: 9)

Doktor saz evlere hiç gelmemişti çünkü. Kasabanın taş evlerinde oturan zenginlere bakmak tüm vaktini alıyorken, ne diye kalkıp buralara gelsindi? (Dişbudak: 15) Bu saz kulübelere doktor hiç gelmemişti. Neden gelsin ki. Kasabada sıvalı taş evlerde oturan zengin ailelere bakmak varken buraya ne diye gelsindi? (Ortaç: 15) The rhetoric question in the original sentence “why should he” is translated by keeping the or iginal structure by Dişbudak and Ortaç. They reflect the exact meaning. But the rhetoric question, “why should he” is translated repeatedly as “neden gelsin ki”, “ne diye gelsindi?” by Ortaç. This causes loss of meaning. 



In the original text, the doctor is a definite one but in

Ortaç’s translation, because of the syntax error, the doctor is reflected as an indefinite one.

Additions (Over-translation) Addition is inserting a word or a phrase into a translated sentence when the meaning is not clearly expressed in the original text or when it is not adequate to reflect the meaning of the source language to the target language. But sometimes unnecessary additions would

86


either not fit into the story (message) meaningfully, or would alter the story to a greater or lesser degree. The

following sentences are taken from “The Pearl” to examplify Additions. 1) Kino awakened in the near dark. (Steinbeck: 3) Kino, daha ortalık ışımadan, alacakaranlıkta uyan-



dı. (Dişbudak: 9) Kino uyandığında henüz şafak sökmemişti. (Ortaç: 

9)

The word “near dark” is translated as “daha ortalık ışımadan, alacakaranlıkta” by Dişbudak, however, it is translated as “henüz şafak sökmemişti” by Ortaç. Both of the translations reflect the meaning, they are acceptable.

As there is the verb “awaken” in the original phrase, it is clear that it is about to be morning. This definition is strengthened and clearly expressed with the addision of “daha ortalık ışımadan” by Dişbudak. 2) And his face grew crafty. (Steinbeck: 53) 

Yüzüne işini bilen, kurnaz bir anlam çökmüştü.

(Dişbudak: 62) 

Yüzünde kurnazca bir ifade vardı. (Ortaç: 63)

In the passage that the above sentence takes place, Juana wants to get rid of the pearl because she believes that it will give harm to them, and will bring unhappiness. But Kino does not accept her thoughts and wants her to trust him as he knows what needs to be done. The

adjective “crafty” is translated as “kurnazca” by Ortaç, which is acceptable. The addition of the adjective “işini bilen” in the translation of Dişbudak reflects the intention of the writer better, more clearly. 3) Beneath it in the hanging box Coyotito laughed and reached up his hand toward it. (Steinbeck:6)


87

Aşağıda, asılı salıncağın içinde Coyotito gülücüklerle “agu! agu!” diye sesler çıkararak minik ellerini akrebe uzatıyordu. (Dişbudak: 13) 

Coyotito spots the scorpion on the rope, laughs, and

reaches up to grab it. The verb “laughed” is translated as “gülücüklerle agu! agu!” by Dişbudak. The verb “agu! agu!” is added and the word “his hands” is translated as “minik elleri”, the adjective “minik” is added, where there is no need for exaggration. 4) …like a sheep before the butcher. (Steinbeck: 55)

Kasabın bıçağı önünde üç ayağı bağlanmış bir koyun gibi. (Dişbudak: 64) Not translated at all (Ortaç:64) 



Juana wants to throw the pearl to the sea, as she believes that it would bring bad luck. Kino catches her before she throws it. Kino grabs the pearl from her; he punches her in the face and kicks her in the side when she falls down. The weakness of Juana and the hatret of Kino are emphasized here. The noun “bıçağı” and the adverb “üç ayağı bağlanmış” are added by Dişbudak that leads exaggeration but this sentence is not translated at all by Or taç thus the writer’s intention is not reflected.

Omissions (Under-translation) Omission is to leave out of a word or a phrase from the original text. According to Newmark (1982:7) the

tendency to insert ‘clarifying’ material should generally be resisted. It is permissible to shorten the ponderous modes of expression that are common in some source texts, so long as the meaning does not suffer. But sometimes omissions cause to alter the story to lesser degree. The

88


translator should provide the balance carefully during the process of addition and omission. 1) Beneath it in the hanging box Coyotito laughed and reached up his hand toward it. (Steinbeck:6)

Aşağıda, asılı salıncağın içinde Coyotito gülücüklerle “agu! agu!” diye sesler çıkararak minik ellerini akrebe uzatıyordu. (Dişbudak: 13) Beşikte Coyotito gülücükler dağıtarak ellerini akr ebe doğru uzatıyordu. (Ortaç: 13) 



The scorpion is moving on the rope and beneath it there is the box where Coyotito is in. The adverb of place

“beneath”; “aşağıda, aşağısında” is omitted by Ortaç. This adverb of place achieves the unity in the description. 2) After a moment the big gate opened a few inches. (Steinbeck:11) 

Az sonra büyük kapı birazcık açıldı. (Dişbudak: 17)

Biraz sonra kapı aralandı. (Ortaç: 18)



The gate in the doctor’s house is described in the above extract. His house is bigger and more luxurious than the houses of the Indians. Steinbeck especially uses

the adjective “big” to reflect the wealthiness of the doctor but Or taç omits it thus, the huge house of the doctor is not reflected in his translation. 3) The glaring sun threw the bunched shadows of the people blackly on the white wall. (Steinbeck:11)

Yakıcı güneş, insanların kara gölgesini beyaz duvarın üzerine düşürüyordu. (Dişbudak: 17) Kızgın güneş, kalabalığın gölgesini beyaz duvarın üzerine düşürüyordu. (Ortaç: 18) 



Near the center of town, more people follow them, curious to see the outcome of Kino's plea to a rich doctor. When they arrive at the doctor's house, Kino knocks at


89

the gate and the sun throws the bunched shadows of the Indian people blackly on the white wall. The adverb

“blackly” in the original text is converted into an adjective phr ase as “kara gölge” in Dişbudak’s translation. In such conditions adverbs are generally used as adjectives in Turkish so there is neither shift in meaning nor loss of

meaning. But in Ortaç’s translation the adverb “blackly” is omitted. It is necessary to translate it because the adverb

“blackly” gives the contrast between the Indian people and the modern town (white wall). 4) The pictures were religious, even the large tinted photograph of his deadwife, who, if Masses willed and paid for out of her own estate could do it, was in Heaven. (Steinbeck:12) Duvardaki resimler hep dinseldi. Ölmüş karısının



kocaman, renkli fotoğrafıda asılıydı…Eğer vasiyet etti diye

kendi özel servetinden para ayrılıp düzenlenen ayinlerin gerçekten yararı olduysa, şu sıra cennette olmalıydı karısı. (Dişbudak: 18) Duvarlar dini resimler ve ölmüş karısının kocaman bir fotoğrafı asılıydı…(Ortaç:19) The doctor’s house is described in the original 

extract. The religious side of the doctor is given. The irony about the Masses and his wife is given with the relative clause ‘..his deadwife who, if Masses willed and paid for out of her own estate could do it, was in Heaven’. But

with the omission of the relative clause in Ortaç’s translation the original meaning is lost. 5) The water was oily smooth. (Steinbeck:17)

Not translated at all (Dişbudak: 24) Deniz çarşaf gibiydi. (Ortaç: 24)





Kino makes a dive to collect oysters, while Juana stays in the canoe, praying for luck. He stays under water

90


for over two minutes, gathering the largest shells. Steinbeck draws a serene atmosphere and the adjective “oily smooth” strengthens the meaning that there is nothing abnormal. With the omission of this sentence in

Dişbudak’s translation the atmosphere is not reflected. The use of a Turkish idiom which emphasizes the tranquility of the sea as “Deniz çarşaf g ibiydi” perfectly reflects the atmosphere in Ortaç’s translation. 6) The men in the other canoes looked up, startled, and then they dug their paddless into the sea and raced toward Kino’s canoe. (Steinbeck:21)

Başka kanolardaki adamlar şaşırarak başlarını kaldırıp Kino’nun kanosuna doğru yarışa girdiler. (Dişbu

dak: 27)

Diğer kanolardaki adamlar şaşkınlık içinde etrafa bakındılar, sonra küreklerini suya daldırdılar ve Kino’nun kanosuna doğru büyük bir hızla ilerlemeye koyuldular. (Ortaç: 27) In this scene, the men’s racing toward Kino’s canoe 

is described. When Kino finds the pearl, he gets excited and screams, thus the men are confused about his

screaming and they race toward Kino’s canoe. The phrase “they dug their paddles into the sea” is omitted by Dişbudak but this omission cause no loss of meaning. 7) And Coyotito was dressed in a jacket, and he had a white collar and a broad silken tie. Moreover, Coyotito was writing on a big piece of paper. (Steinbeck:25)

Coyotito beyaz ceket giymişti. Beyaz yakası, geniş ipek kr avatı vardı. Bunlar yetmiyormuş gibi Coyotito büyük, beyaz bir kağıdın üzerine yazı yazıyordu. (Dişbu

dak: 33)


91

Ceket ve beyaz, büyük bir kağıda yazı yazıyordu. (Ortaç: 32) This sentence is about Kino’s dream. Kino is 

dreaming that his son, Coyotito, goes to school. The clothes of Coyotito in his dream is described in this sentence. With this desciption Steinbeck wants to show that, he would be a literate person and would know how to write. The intention of Steinbeck is adequately translated by Dişbudak. Some parts of the sentence are not

translated by Ortaç and this omission causes defect in the unity of the paragraph. 8) …when Kino went to sell the great pearl. (Steinbeck: 40) Kino incisini satmaya gittiğinde,… (Dişbudak: 49)



Kino o büyük incisini satmaya gittiğinde… (Ortaç:



48)

In the original sentence, the adjective “great” is used by Steinbeck to emphasize that the pearl is the biggest and the magnificent one. This adjective is not used by Dişbudak and “the pearl” is translated as if it is an ordinary one. The omission here causes the loss of effect. 9) They got out of papers so that they could be at work when Kino appeared, and they put their pearls in the desks, for it is not good to let an inferior pearl seen beside a beauty. (Steinbeck: 44)

Önlerine bir takım kağıtlar çıkardılar. Kino kapıda belirdiği zaman çalışır durumda görünmek havasındaydılar. Çünkü güzel bir incinin yanında kötü bir incinin gözükmesi iyi olmazdı. (Dişbudak: 52) Masalarının üzerine kağıtlar koydular böylece Kino kapıda belirdiğinde meşgul görünmek istiyorlardı. Ellerindeki incileri de masalarının çekmecesine koydular çünkü 



92


böyle muhteşem bir güzelliğin yanında öyle kalitesiz incilerin dur ması iyi olmazdı. (Ortaç: 53) The pearl buyers desperately long to cheat Kino out of his pearl. The sentence in the original paragraph

“…they put their pearls in the desks,…” is omitted or forgotten to be translated by Dişbudak. It should be translated because it is key sentence that pearl buyers do

not want to show the difference between Kino’s great pearl and the other’s apparently. 10) They sat silently all day in the darkness of the house… (Steinbeck: 61) 

Bütün gün evin karanlığında oturdular. (Dişbudak:



Bütün gün evin karanlığında oturdular. (Ortaç: 71)

70) In the paragraph the sentence above takes place,

Kino’s house is burning and Juan Tomâs hide Kino and his family in his house. In both of the translations the

adverb “silently” is omitted. The adverb “silently” here strengthens the meaning that they are hiding and they are speechless. 11) The wind blew fierce and strong, and it pelted them with bits of sticks, sand, and little rocks. (Steinbeck: 63)

Rüzgâr öfkeli ve güçlü esiyor, dalı değneği, tozu toprağı havalarda savuruyor, onları kum ve taş yağmur una tutuyordu. (Dişbudak: 73) Rüzgâr öfkeli ve güçlü esiyordu. Dal parçacıklarını, kumu ve taşı havada savuruyordu. (Ortaç: 73) 



Kino and Juana are escaping from their enemies who want to steal their pearl. They want to go to the town

to sell it for a higher price. The pronoun “them” in “it pelted them with bits of sticks” is referred to Juana and Kino. Steinbeck wants to emphasize that the nature is also


93

acting against them but it is omitted by Ortaç thus the intention of the writer is not reflected. 12) The music of the pearl was triumphant in Kino’s head and the quiet melody of the family underlay it, and… (Steinbeck: 64)

İncinin türküsü baskındı Kino’nun kafasında. Onun altında ailenin hafif türküsü yatıyordu. (Dişbudak: 

74)

Kino’nun kafasında incinin türküsü çınlıyordu. Oradan sonra ailenin türküsü hafif hafif bir mırıltı halindeydi. (Ortaç: 75) Kino’s psychology is given in the above quotation. The adverb “triumphant” has an important role here. 

According to Kino the pearl is more important than his family. Steinbeck strengthens his psychological condition

by the adverb “triumphant”. This word is omitted by Ortaç where as translated successfully by Dişbudak. 13) …when she gave him a corncake from her store he paused in his chewing to listen. (Steinbeck:66) Juana bohçasından bir mısır ekmeği alıp ona uzat-



tığı zaman… (Dişbudak: 77) Juana ona mısır ekmeği uzattığında… (Ortaç: 77) The adverb of phrase “from her store” is successfully translated as “bohçasından” by Dişbudak. In 

that paragraph where she has taken the corncake is important as their food is limited. The omission of this

adverb in Ortaç’s translation causes a loss of this meaning. 14) That was his only chance in the world. (Steinbeck: 67)  

Dünyadaki tek şansı buydu. (Dişbudak: 78) Tek şansı buydu. (Ortaç: 79)

94


In this scene, Kino is planning to attack the trackers and the horseman, and take the rifle of the horseman. He has no other chance. In order to emphasize this chance,

the adverb of place “in the world” is crucial. This word is successfully translated by Dişbudak where as omitted by Or taç. It could be better to translate it to keep the original stress. 15) When the trackers came near, Kino could see only their legs and only the legs of the horse from the fallen branch. (Steinbeck: 68)

İz sürücüler yaklaştığı zaman onların yalnızca bacaklarını görebildi. İz sürücüler yaklaştığı zaman onların yalnızca bacaklarını görebildi. 



Kino dalın altından (Dişbudak: 78) Kino dalın altından (Ortaç: 79)

Kino is escaping from the trackers and observes them from the fallen branch. In this scene he sees only the legs of the trackers and the horse but not the legs of the horseman. The horseman is the leader of the trackers therefore; he is riding on the horse. In both of the

translations “the legs of the horse” is not translated. This omission causes a mistranslation. 17) Frantically he gathered the gourds and the little bags that were their property. (Steinbeck: 69)

Telaşla eşyalarını, azıklarını, küçük çıkınlarını topladı. (Dişbudak: 80) Telaşla eşyalarını, yiyeceklerini topladılar. (Ortaç: 



81)

The defining relative clause “…that were their property” is omitted by the two translators. It is especially used by Steinbeck as he wants to emphasize that they have nothing except gourds and the little bags.

Steinbeck’s intention is lost by the omission of this relative clause.


95

18) “There is no choice” he said. “ It is the only way. They will find us in the morning .” (Steinbeck: 76)

“Başka yolu yok” diye yineledi Kino. “Tek yolu bu. Sabaha nasıl olsa bizi bulacaklar.” (Dişbudak: 87) “Başka yolu yok,” diye tekrarladı Kino. (Ortaç: 89) 



The trackers and the horseman are sleeping. Kino

is going to attack them. Kino’s words “There is no choice” is successfully translated as “Başka yolu yok” into Turkish by the two translators. But Kino’s words “It is the only way. They will find us in the morning” is omitted by Ortaç. These words strengthen the meaning that Kino and Juana have no chance except attacking the men otherwise, the trackers will find them and kill them.

Translation of Idioms and Phrases

The word ‘idiom’ is used to describe the special phrases that are an essential part of a language.

For

example, the expression ‘kick the bucket’ seems to follow the normal rules of grammar, although we cannot say

‘kick a bucket’ or ‘kick the buckets’, but it is impossible to guess that it means ‘to die’. Phrases like all right, on second thoughts, and same here, which are used in everyday English, and especially in spoken English, are

‘special’ because they are fixed units of language that clearly do not follow the normal rules of grammar. In the translation process the meaning of an idiom cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up. The translator should divert the idiom in the source language into the nearest meaning in the target language that the readers could get the same impression from the

translated text as the readers of the author’s work experience while reading the original in the source

96


language. The following idioms and phrases taken from

“The Pearl” are successfully translated into Turkish. 1) ... they wondered how such luck could come to any man. (Steinbeck: 24)

….bir insanın nasıl bu kadar şanslı olabileceğini düşündüler. (Dişbudak: 31) … “bir insan nasıl bu kadar şanslı olabilir?” diye düşündüler. (Ortaç: 30) 



The original sentence is translated using different

grammatical structures by Dişbudak and Ortaç. The meaning of the original sentence is reflected in both of the translations. This sentence is converted into a rhetoric

question by Ortaç and this perfectly gives the original meaning. 2) And he could not take the chance of putting his certain ignorance against this man’s possible knowledge. (Steinbeck: 30)

Kendi kesin cahilliğini bu adamın var olan bilgisine karşı ortaya koyamaz, göze alamazdı bunu. (Dişbudak: 

38)

Doktorun bilgisi karşısında kendi bilgisizliğini açıkça ortaya koymayı göze alamıyordu. (Ortaç: 37) 

The doctor rejects to cure Coyotito when they take

the baby to his house. But now he comes to Kino’s brush house, to cure Coyotito, when he hears that Kino found the pearl of the world. Kino is suspicious about him, he is not sure that the doctor is going to cure his son but he knows that the doctor is a literate person and he is not.

The idiom “He could not take the chance of loosing his son” in this paragraph is successfully adapted into Turkish and translated as an idiom “göze alamamak” by the two translators.


97

3) Only a pencil of water fell int o the pool,… (Steinbeck: 73) 

Ne varki buraya parmak kalınlığında bir su

akıyor du ama,… (Dişbudak: 84) Buraya parmak kalınlığında bir su akıyordu ama…. (Ortaç: 85) The idiom “pencil of water” is adapted into Turkish and successfully translated as an idiom “parmak kalınlığında” by the two translators. 

4) Kino has cut off his own head and destroyed himself. (Steinbeck: 49) Kino kendi gırtlağını kendi eliyle kesti, kendi defte-



rini dürdü. (Dişbudak: 58) Kino kendi elleriyle kendi kafasını kesti, kendini mahvetti. (Ortaç: 58) The idiom “cut off his own head” is translated in 

different forms by the two translators. The meaning in the original text is reflected by two of the translators. But the

phrase in the original text “cut off his own head” is exaggerated and translated as “kendi gırtlağını kendi eliyle kesti” by Dişbudak. And the phrase “and destroyed himself” is translated as “kendi defterini dürdü” which is slang in Turkish. The translation of Ortaç is acceptable. “Kino kendi ipini çekti, kendini bitirdi” could be an alternative translation. 5) …Juana watched him with haunted eyes. (Steinbeck: 33) Juana doktora hayalet görüyormuş gibi bakmaktaydı. (Dişbudak: 42) 

Juana doktora şaşkın gözlerle bakıyordu. (Ortaç:



41)

98


The doctor is curing the baby and pouring ammonia

in the baby’s mouth but Juana is suspicious about the doctor. Juana is not sure that the doctor is curing the baby or not. The baby is crying. Her distrustfulness to

the doctor is reflected with the adverb of manner “with haunted eyes”. It is translated as “hayalet görüyormuş gibi” by Dişbudak and “şaşkın gözlerle” by Ortaç. Although different words are used for the description, the two reflect the meaning well. 6) Scorpion. The baby has been stung. (Steinbeck: 8)

Akrep! Bebeği akrep sokmuş. (Dişbudak: 14) Akrep! Bebeği akrep sokmuş. (Ortaç: 14) The grammatical structure of the sentence “The baby has been stung” in the original text is passive. In the 



translated texts the structures of the sentences are converted into active and they successfully reflect the meaning. 7) “ You have a pearl! ” the dealer said. (Steinbeck: 45)  

“Demek bir incin var ” dedi alıcı. (Dişbudak: 54) “İncin var öyle mi?” dedi alıcı. (Ortaç: 54)

Different

grammatical

structures

are

used

to

translate “You have a pearl”. The original phrase is successfully translated to give the original exclamation effect. This sentence is converted into a rhetoric question

by Ortaç to give the same effect. 8) Everyone in La Paz remembers the return of the family;… (Steinbeck: 79)

Ailenin dönüşünü La Paz’da hatırlamayan yoktur.



(Dişbudak: 91)


99

Ailenin dönüşünü La Paz’da hatırlamayan yoktur . (Ortaç: 93) The phrase “everyone remembers” is translated as “hatırlamayan yoktur” by the two translators. Although the 

meaning in the original is given by using a positive structure, the translators choose to use a negative structure which gives a positive meaning. This helps to strengthen the stress.

Inconsistency (Same Term Translated Differently) The term that is used consistently in the source text should be translated consistently into the target language to achieve the consistency and the coherence of the text otherwise translation of the same term differently causes inconsistency in the unity of the translated text. The following terms from “The Pearl” are taken as examples of inconsistency. 1) Outside the brush house in the tuna clump, a covey of little birds chittered and flurried with their wings. (Steinbeck: 3)

Kıyıda saz kulübenin dışında, bir kuş sürüsü cıvıldaşıp duruyor, ton balıklarının durduğu yerde kanat çırpıyorlar dı. (Dişbudak: 9) Kıyıda, saz kulübenin dışında, bir kuş sürüsü ton balıklarının yığılı durduğu yerde cıvıldaşıp kanat çırpıyordu. (Ortaç: 9) 



Across the brush houses,...(Steinbeck:5) 

fence

were

other

brush

Saz çitin ötesinde başka saz damlarda var dı. (Diş-

budak: 11)

Sazdan yapılmış çitin ötesinde de başka saz kulübeler vardı. (Ortaç: 12) 

100


The doctor never came to the cluster of brush houses. (Steinbeck:9) Doktor (Dişbudak:15) 

saz

evlere

hiç

gelmemişti

çünkü.

Bu saz kulübelere doktor hiç gelmemişti. (Ortaç:



15) The house of Juan Tomâs was almost exactly like Kino’s house. (Steinbeck: 59)

Juan Tomâs’ın saz damı tıpkı Kino’nun evi gibiydi. (Çorakçı: 68) Juan Tomâs’ın saz kulübesi tıpkı Kino’nun kulübesi gibiydi. (Ortaç: 69) The dictionary meaning of “brush” is “çalı” and the word “house” is “ev” in Turkish. The noun phrase “brush house” is succesfuly adapted into Turkish as “saz kulübe” 



by the two translators. This phrase is generally used as “saz kulübe” not “çalı ev” in Turkish culture. But this

phrase is translated with different words as “saz kulübe, saz dam, saz ev, ev” by Dişbudak. That causes shifts in meaning and inconsistency in the the translation. For example, in the text a poor village near the seaside is being described and it is suitable to use “saz kulübe”

instead of “saz dam” because it is the description of a village by the sea. The noun phrase “saz dam” in Turkish culture is generally used for the houses in the villages of Anatolian region, not those by the sea. 2) It is a little Indian with a baby. (Steinbeck:12) 

Bir garip yerli bebeğini getirmiş. (Dişbudak: 18)



Zavallı bir yerli bebeğini getirmiş. (Ortaç: 19)

Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ‘little Indians’ ? I am a doctor, not a veterinary. (Steinbeck: 12)

A Comparatıve Analysıs Of The Two Translatıons Of “The Pearl” Pearl” /

101

Böcek sokmuş garip kızılderilileri iyileştirmekten başka yapacak yapacak işim işim yok yok mu benim? Doktorum ben, baytar değilim ki! (Dişbudak: 18) Böcek sokmuş küçük yerlileri iyileştirmekten daha iyi bir işim yok mu? Ben doktorum, veteriner değilim. (O rtaç: 19) The adjective “little” is especially used by Steinbeck 



to stress that in the eye of the doctor, Indians are

worthless, unimportant and ignorant. As in Ortaç’s first sentence “zavallı” is an efficient translation. The same phrase “little Indian” is translated using different adjective phrases such as “garip yerli, garip kızılderili” by Dişbudak and “zavallı yerli, küçük yerli” by Ortaç. 3) Kino had (Steinbeck:22)

found

the

Pearl

of

the

World.

Kino dünya incisini buldu! (Dişbudak:30)



Kino’nun dünyanın en büyük incisini bulduğu haberiyle atıyordu. (Ortaç: 28) 

Kino has has found the Pearl Pearl of the World. World. (Steinbeck: 23) Kino dünyanın biricik incisini buldu. (Dişbudak: 30)



Kino dünyanın en büyük incisini bulmuştu. (Ortaç: 29) “He has found the Pearl of the World ,” ,” they cried,… (Steinbeck: 34) 

“Dünyanın biricik incisini buldu o!” diye bağırdılar.

(Dişbudak: 42) “Dünyanın en büyük incisini o buldu!” diye bağırıp… (Or taç: taç: 42) The noun phrase “the Pearl of the World” in the original text is translated firstly as “dünya incisi”, and later in the same page, “dünyanın biricik incisi” by Dişbudak 

102


where as it is consistently translated as “dünyanın en büyük incisi” by Ortaç. 4) And he could not take the chance of putting his certain ignorance against this man’s possible knowledge. (Steinbeck: 30)

Kendi kesin cahilliğini bu adamın var olan bilgisine karşı ortaya koyamaz, göze alamazdı bunu. (Dişbudak: 

38)

Doktorun bilgisi karşısında kendi bilgisizliğini açıkça ortaya koymayı göze alamıyordu. (Ortaç: 37) 

He could not take a chance- not with the life or with the straightness straightness of of Coyotito. (Steinbeck: 30)

Kumar oynayamazdı. oynayamazdı. Hele de Coyotito’nun yaşamı ya da sağlığı üzerine. (Ortaç: 38) Coyotito’nun ne hayatını ne de sağlığını tehlikeye atabilirdi. (Ortaç: 37) The idiom “could not take a chance” is translated as “kumar oynayamazdı” oynayamazdı” by Dişbudak and “ne hayatını ne de sağlığını tehlikeye atabilirdi” by Ortaç. In both both of the 



translations the intention of the writer is reflected.

However, in the previous example “could not take a chance” is translated as “göze alamamak” by both of the translators. Steinbeck used the same expression to stress the meaning. He could have used another expression but he did did not. In order to be consistent, the same expression could be used to translate it. 5) It is a curiosity only. (Steinbeck:46) 

Bu yalnızca bir hilkat garibesi. (Dişbudak:55)



Tuhaf bir şey bu. (Ortaç: 55)

It is only a curiosity. (Steinbeck: 46)  

…oysa bu anormal bir şey. (Dişbudak: 55) …ama bu yalnızca yalnızca acayip bir şey. (Ortaç: 55)

A Comparatıve Analysıs Of The Two Translatıons Of “The Pearl” Pearl” /

103

As a curiosity it has interest;... (Steinbeck:46) (Steinbeck:46) 



“Bir garabet olarak ilginç…” (Dişbudak:55) …Tuhaf bir şey olarak ilgi çeker. çeker. (Ortaç: 55)

The pearl buyers scrutinize the pearl and speak ill of it. They want want to reduce reduce the price of the pearl. All of the dealers conspire to bid low on the pearl. The word word

“curiosity” that means ‘strange, interesting, wonder’ is translated into Turkish firstly “hilkat garibesi” then in another sentence “anormal bir şey” and then “bir garabet” by Dişbudak. On the other hand, it is translated as “tuhaf bir şey” and then “acayip “acayip bir şey” şey” by Ortaç. Inconsistent translations of curiosity confuse the reader. 6) …he smiled and gurgled at her… (Steinbeck: 66)

Coyotito gülümsedi, agu agu diye sesler çıkardı. (Dişbudak: 77) Coyotito gülümseyerek sesler çıkardı. (Ortaç: 



77) When Coyotito gurgled on the ground Kino said, “Keep him quiet”. (Steinbeck: (Steinbeck: 66) 66)

Coyotito yattığı yerde gugulamaya başlayınca Kino, “Onu “Onu sustur” sustur” dedi. (Dişbudak: 77) Coyotito yattığı yerden agulamaya başlayınca, Kino Juana’ya “Onu sustur” dedi. (Ortaç: 78) 



…and …and Coyotito gurgled … (Steinbeck: 68) 

Coyotito gene gugulayıp duruyordu.

(Dişbudak:



Coyotito yeniden ağlamaya başlayınca… (Ortaç:

78) 79)

The dictionary meaning of the verb “gurgle” is ‘flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise, as of water and the other to make sounds similar to gurgling water’.

This is successfully translated as “agulamak” by Dişbudak

104


and Ortaç. But in the last two translations the verb “gugulamak” is used instead of “agulamak” by Dişbudak. There is no verb in Turkish such as “gugulamak” for ‘baby’s gurgling’. And in the last sentence the verb “ağlamak” is used instead of “agulamak” by Ortaç. Translating the same verb in different forms causes both inconsistency and oddness. 7) …and he cried softly until Juana gave him her breast and then he gurgled and clucked against her. (Steinbeck: 73) Juana memesini verinceye kadar, için için ağlamayı sürdürdü. Memeyi bulunca yine ıngalamaya başladı, hemen kucaklayıp sarıldı. (Dişbudak: 85) 



Meme eminceye kadar vızıklanmaya devam etti.

(Or taç: 86)

The verb “cried softly” is translated as “için için ağlamak” by Dişbudak, and “vızıklanmak” by Ortaç. And the verb “gurgled”; “agulamak” is translated as “ıngalamak” by Dişbudak. The use of odd words in Turkish disturbs the reader and causes lack of fluency and this, also causes inconsistency in the translation. 8) “…I am afraid only that the baby may cry. You must see that he does not cry .” (Steinbeck:74)

“Bir tek korkum bebeğin mırıldanması, ağlatma onu.” (Dişbudak: 86) “Tek korkum bebeğin ağlaması aman ağlatma.” (Or taç: 87) The verb “cry” is firstly translated as “mırıldanmak” then “ağlamak” in the same sentence by Dişbudak and that causes inconsistency and also, the verb “mırılda nmak” in Turkish is used for the humans who can speak 



but not for the babies. This inconsistency causes mistranslation here.


105

Obscure Terms Translators are expected to use the appropriate reference materials, to determine meaning from context, and to recognize irregular verb forms, root-word derivations, compound words, proper names, and close cognates. Obscure terms cause difficulty for the readers to understand the text. Translations should be modified to avoid obscure terms. 1) He requires the skill of the healer. (Steinbeck: 11)

Bir sağaltıcının bakması gerek. (Dişbudak: 17) Ona iyi edebilecek birisinin bakması gerek. (Ortaç: 18) The noun “healer” is translated as in the dictionary meaning “iyi eden, iyileştiren kimse” by Ortaç. It is translated as “sağaltıcı” by Dişbudak. The verb “sağalmak” that is “tedavi olmak, iyileşmek” is converted into a noun and given as “sağaltıcı”. This word is successfully 



adapted into Turkish. This word is not widely used in Turkish, and this makes it difficult for the reader to understand what it means. 2) The coyotes cried and laughed in the brush… (Steinbeck: 64)

Çalılarda çakallar uluyor, pavkırırken sanki gülüyordu. (Dişbudak: 74) Çalılarda çakallar ulurken, sanki gülüyordu. (Ortaç: 74) The verb “cried” is repeatedly used in different forms as “ulumak” and “pavkırmak” by Dişbudak. The verb “pavkırmak” is very rarely used or is not used at all in Turkish. The translation of Ortaç is understandable and adequate. 



106


3) But let one man step out of the regular thought or the known and trusted pattern, and the nerves of the towns-people ring with the nervousness and communication travels over the nerve lines of the town. (Steinbeck: 39)

Ama bir tek adam, sıradan düşüncelerden yada bilinen, güvenilen kalıplardan sıyrıldı mı, ora halkının duyargaları hemen harekete geçer, iletişim bu sinirler aracılığıyla her yere taşınır. (Dişbudak: 47) …, ama bir kişi, alışılmış düşüncelerin ya da bilinen , güvenilen kalıpların dışına bir adım attığında kasaba halkının antenleri sinirli bir şekilde hareket etmeye başlar ve bu sinirler sayesinde kasabada iletişim sağlanır . (Ortaç: 47) 



In this paragraph the town is likened to a colonial animal, a living body. The phrase in the original paragraph “the nerves of the towns-people…”; “kasaba halkının sinir sistemi…” is translated as “ora halkının duyargaları…” by

Dişbudak. First of all, the word “ora” is used to mean “town”, but it is not appearent. The word “duyarga” is used to reflect “nerve system” but the word “duyarga” is not widely used in Turkish, therefore, it is difficult to

understand what it really means. In Ortaç’s translation the word “nerves” is translated as “antenleri”. The word “anten” creates a mechanical effect in the readers mind but in the original sentence the town is likened to a living body. Like voracious creatures, all of the town's inhabitants want a piece of Kino's good fortune. Thus, the

translation of Ortaç does not clearly reflect the living body as in the original.


107

Conclusion

In this chapter selected excerpts from “The Pearl” and its translations were analyzed at the semantic and the syntactic levels. The variations in the presentation of the model of reality in the original text and in the translated texts were observed. In this analysis, it is our impression

that, Ortaç, when compared to Dişbudak, is not as successful as her to convey the meaning of the original

text properly into Turkish. Generally, in Ortaç’s translation mistranslation occurs because of the failure to select the appropriate word and the syntax errors. Relative clauses are not carefully adapted into Turkish in his work. Dişbudak, however, has paid special attention to select suitable words and sentence structures, so there are not notable mistranslations in her work. Under the heading of meaning-shift, shifts that caused minor mistakes in both of the translations were emphasized. In the translations of Dişbudak and Ortaç, the shifts occur when the novel is taken into consideration as a whole. As it is pointed out before, the translator has the authority to shift the style when it is needed. So, unsuitable changings of the style caused meaning-shift in both of the translations.

It is found that, Dişbudak successfully inserted words and phrases into her translation in order to clarify the meaning of the original text. Additions make her translation more clear. Ortaç, on the other hand, did not add any word or phrase in his translation. However there is no loss of meaning in his translation either. As it is mentioned before, omissions are permissible to shorten the ponderous modes of expressions that are common in some source texts, as long as the meaning does not suffer. But sometimes they cause to alter the

108


story to a lesser degree, so the essence of the novel can not be carried out. Unfortunately, Ortaç happens to omit some key words and also some phrases and sentences that have to be translated in order to reflect the original meaning of sentences or paragraphs. Our analysis showed that idioms and some phrases were successfully adapted into Turkish in both of the translations. Some passive sentence structures were converted into active and some sentences were converted into rhetoric question to give the original meaning. The same word in the original text was translated in different forms by Dişbudak. In this respect, inconsistency

was observed in her translation whereas, Ortaç achieved the consistency and the coherence in his work. It is found that the usage of the words that are hardly come accross in the dictionary caused difficulty for the readers to understand the text. Translations should be

modified to avoid obscure terms. But in Dişbudak’s translation there were some obscure terms which disturbed the reader.

CHAPTER VI

Summary and Discussion This study aimed to investigate what sorts of determinants shape the process of translation in order to make an adequate and a consistent translation. Translation is basically a change of actual words, phrases, clauses, sentences etc. which are spoken or written from source language into target language. It is the structural part of the language that is actually seen in print or heard in speech. In other words, translation involves the rendering of a source language text into the target language so as to ensure that surface meaning of the two will approximately be similar and the structures of the SL will be preserved as closely as possible but not so closely that the TL structures will be seriously distorted. The way people think is closely bound with language. Languages are one channel through which different cultures present their ideas both within their own groups and in contact with other. In this respect, in the process of translation, culture plays an important role that should not be neglected, so the translator should be aware of the customs, literature, architecture, traditional ceremonies, movies, music, art and the way people relate to one another in families, in a society and the sense of humour both in the source language and in the target language, thus he/she could prevent mistakes, misunderstandings that cause offence. Our analysis of the translation and literature review showed that literal language differs from daily language; a different approach has to be followed in translation process. Translating the literary texts such as novel, story, epic, drama and poem, attention has to be paid to their form, style, syntactic and semantic features. Words, idioms and sentences carry different and new senses in

112


general scheme of literature. Literal translation has to reflect and imitate these senses. The review of literature suggests that in order to make an efficient translation, translator firstly must fully understand the sense and meaning of the original author although he is at liberty to clarify obscurities and should have a perfect knowledge of both SL and TL. During the translation process the translator should avoid word for word or sentence for sentence renderings, that is, he should consider the work as an integral unit and translate it in sections, asking himself before each what the whole sense is he has to render.

The translator must render idiom by idiom as ‘idioms of their nature demands translation into another form from

that of original’, at the same time he should render ‘intention by intention’, bearing in mind that, ‘the intention of a phrase in one language may be less emphatic than the form of the phrase, or it may be more emphatic’ (Bassnett-McGuire, 1980:116), thus the translator has the authority to add words not in the original and to omit words in the original in order to provide the balance but he must be very careful during the process of addition and omission because sometimes unnecessary additions and omissions would either not fit into story (message) meaningfully, or would alter the story to a greater or a lesser degree. The translator should avoid embellishment. In order to achieve the consistency and the coherence in the translated text, the term that is used consistently in the source text should be translated consistently into the target language. Translators are expected to use the appropriate reference materials, to determine the meaning from context, and to recognize the irregular verb forms, rootwords derivations, compound words, proper names, and

Conclusion /

113

close cognates. Claim of words not in the dictionary causes difficulty for the readers to understand the text so translations should be modified to avoid obscure terms.

The translator is advised to ‘transmute boldly’ and as Belloc (cited in Bassnett-Mc Guire, 1980: 116) states,

the essence of translating is ‘the resurrection of an alien thing in a native body’. Writer himself is the independent creator of the achievement; however, although the translator is also the creator of the achievement, his creativeness is to be limited in the specific achievement.

Implications for Teaching This study will contribute theoretically to the field of translation. It is expected that the present study will provide rich data on the theories and the process of translation. So far, we dealt with translation as a means of communication or a process of transferring meanings from one language to another. However, in the viewpoint of language teachers, translation is not only a means of communication but also a teaching device that can help students to understand and use the target language clearly and accurately.

Since advanced students’ knowledge of a foreign language is not always comparable to that of native speakers, attempts at translating should always proceed in the direction from foreign language to native language, until the students become comfortably familiar with the grammatical, lexical, and stylistic characteristics of the variety of the foreign language in a given discipline. Translation involves careful analysis of the meaning of the source text. Various aspects of the meaning are considered, and they are re-thought in terms of the target

114


language. Students learn a great deal, as they discover that it is not always possible to attain exact equivalence and as they evaluate possible versions to see which most fully captures all the implications of the original. They will find that they need to look beyond single words, chunks of sentences, or even complete sentences to whole stretches of discourse as they make their decisions. The production of an acceptable translation into target language is for most students a means, not an enda means for developing sensitivity to the meanings expressed in stretch of discourse in their own language and to the different linguistic mechanisms used by the two languages to convey these meanings. Students should also be aware that meaning is not only conveyed by words. Hence adequate decoding and re-coding of nomenclatures, figures, tables and charts; standardized terms, acronyms, metonyms, etc. is a matter that must be properly considered. Through a comparative examination of the syntactic and semantic systems of the target and native languages and cultural contexts in which they operate, students attempt to expand their own potential for expression in the target language (Nadstoga, 1989:303).

Teaching Translation According to Salas (2003) the methodology for translation training, consisting of a step-by-step procedure workshop, (stages may sometimes be sequential and successive, sometimes, alternated) has proven quite successful in the classes in terms of students' motivation, productivity and the quality of their work. However, this methodology can be improved as: 1. The teacher makes a selection of the material to be translated. Texts must be chosen according to

Conclusion /

115

previously defined objectives for translation practice, taking into account the degree of difficulty of the texts (semantic, cultural, stylistic, etc.), the topic or the specific knowledge area (science and technology; social, institutional, economic and/or political topics; and literary or philosophical works), the translation problems to be solved, and so on. 2. After browsing through the text (scan reading and/or skim reading), the students, assisted by their teacher, should identify the source, the norm, the type of text, the register, the style and the readership of the text selected. It is a kind of game of the imagination in which the text is real but the client and her/his needs are imaginary. 3. The students should read the whole text at least twice: The first reading will be comprehensive and general, to become acquainted with the topic and to understand the original, always bearing in mind that meaning is context-determined. 4. The second reading must be a "deep" reading, placing emphasis on items where translation problems may appear. The teacher then divides the text into as many segments as students in the group. Depending on the degree of difficulty and the length of the text, these segments may be paragraphs, columns, pages or even whole chapters. Then, each student is assigned a fair portion of the text. The segment distribution order should rotate so that a different student begins a translation unit every time. 5. If the topic is already quite familiar to the students, they do a preliminary translation. As this is the first approach to the text, it will probably lack naturalness, since students tend to transfer SL units of translation to TL units of translation (one-to-one translation). This first approach can often be made orally and suggested annotations may be written in the margins.

116


6. If the topic is completely unknown to the students, they should consult complementary literature. In other words, before beginning the transfer process, they should resort to various documentation sources, especially parallel texts (those which are similar in nature and style) in the language of the original. This allows them to achieve a deeper understanding of the topic under study. 7. Once the "one-to-one" version is accomplished, the students do a second version of their own translation—this time a written draft—handling the most suitable translation strategies and procedures and being faithful in the transfer of ideas. 8. With the original text in front of her/him and being careful to follow the same correlative order of the SL text, each student reads out her/his own version of the translated text, making the necessary pauses between sentences. 9. The students and the teacher follow the reading of each text attentively. As a monitoring activity, everybody should feel free to stop the reading at the end of a given sentence and have the reading of the segment repeated, when the situation warrants comments, suggestions, questions, contributions, etc. The students have to "defend" their work against criticism. 10. During this procedure, the students and the teacher need to set up all necessary conventions with regard to the homogeneity of the terms and the coherence and cohesion of the final version. 11. Students should then be encouraged to take notes and discuss the (in) convenience of the contributions and comments arising from this analytical reading of each one of the different versions proposed. 12. As a metacognitive activity, the students, assisted by the teacher, analyse the translation strategies and procedures used, and discuss the reasons taken into

Conclusion /

117

account in the choice of each analysed criterion: The ability to discuss translations in an objective way is central to a translator's competence. 13. The students’ hand in the final version of their revised and post-edited segments, which have already been amended in the light of the whole text. 14. The teacher makes a final revision, gives formative evaluation and makes comments, emphasizes findings, solutions and creative acts, on the one hand, and analyses failures and weaknesses in the process, on the other. Throughout the translation course, therefore, students are given guidance in interpreting the source language material correctly. Before attempting to reproduce the translated text in the target language, they should be asked to consider its function, registration, and style and to make the appropriate syntactic and lexical adjustments. In English, for instance, a formal scientific text with a purely informative function calls for frequent use of passives and nominal groups, and the lexical choice is dictated by the specific scientific registration, whereas in an informal piece of popular literature with a persuasive function, collocation and connotation greatly influence the selection of the correct lexical item (Ulrych, 1989:315). As our analysis of the two translations of “The Pearl ” also showed, literal language differs from daily language; therefore, a different approach needs to be applied in the translation process. In translating the literary texts such as novel, story, epic, drama and poem, attention has to be paid to their form, style, syntax and semantic properties. Words, idioms and sentences carry different and new senses in general scheme of literature. Therefore, literary translation has to reflect and imitate these senses. The teachers therefore, should remind the students that in order to make an efficient translation, they must fully understand

118


the sense and meaning of the original author, be aware of the type of the text to be translated and should have a perfect knowledge of both SL and TL.

Further Research Implications In the work of comparing an original text and two

translations, “The Pearl” is selected for analysis because it has at least six different editions translated into Turkish in different periods and it was not studied before. The

translations of “The Pearl” by Dişbudak and Ortaç are selected among those six editions because these are the latest translated editions of the Pearl. Pearl. This present present study has certain limitations in the case of comparing only the two translations of the Pearl and the original text te xt and the process of analysis is made at semantic and syntactic levels. The comparison of the latest editions of the two translations of the Pearl and the original text can further be compared with the early edition of the translated texts, especially the translated texts of 1950s. In this respect, the exact variations between the early editions of the translated texts and the original text and also the latest editions of the translated texts can be analysed. The present study is also limited in the case that the process of analysis is made at semantic and syntactic levels. A further study can analyse the translations examining the stylistic and linguistic features. f eatures. Moreover, an identical study at phonological level can be realized at miscellaneous scopes such as poetry translation. It would also be highly interesting to compare poetry and prose translations or literary and non-literary translations. Finally, the categories used in the analysis by no means include all possible types; they could be improved and refined according to the translation types.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Aksoy, B. (1999). A Study of the Translation of The Mill on the Floss into Turkish with Respect to to George Eliot’s Style. Proceeding of the Seventh METU British Novelist Seminar. 11-12 March 1999:25-34 ------------- (2000). Some Thoughts on Literary Translation. Journal of Translation Studies. Sayı 10 Anka Ankara: Bizim Büro Ltd. Şti. Aktaş, T. (1996). (1996). lık.

eviri İ şlemine şlemine Genel Genel Bir Bakış Bakış. Ankara: Orsen MatbaacıMatbaacı-

Balcı, T. (1993). evirilebilirlikevirilebilirlik- evirilemezlik Tar Tartışm tışmas asıı zeri zerine ne . Gü ndoğan Edebiyat Dergisi, cilt 2,sayı 5,sayfa 127-133. 127-133. Bassnett-McGuire, S. (1980). Translation Studies. Studies. London: Richard Clay Ltd. Press. Bassnett, S. & Lefevere, A. (1993). Translation as Social Action. Action. London: TJ Ltd. Press. Başkan, Ö. (1994). eviri şleminde “Anlaşılabilirlik” Sorunu. Tömer Dil De r gisi, sayı 22, sayfa 47-53. 47-53. Catford, J.C. (1978). A Linguistic Theory of Translation. Translation. London: Hazell Watson and Viney Ltd. Cohen, M. (2003). Reality, Language, Translation: What Translation: What Makes Translation [On-line]. Available: Possible? http://www.enlightenment.supersaturated.com Duff, A. (1984). The Third Language. Language. London: Pergamon Press.

120


George, P.T. (1989). Semantic Notes on Translation as a Method of Language Presentation. A Forum Anthology . Selected Articles from the English Teaching Forum 1984-1988. Washington. Göktürk, A. (1994). eviri: Dillerin dili . stanbul: Ş Şefik efik Matbaası. Hatim, B.& Mason, I. (1990). Discourse and the translator . Singapore: Longman Publishers Ltd. Kuruyazıcı, N. (1984). evirmen ve Eleştirmen Sorumluluğu Açısından eviri. ağdaş Eleştiri , 3, 30-33. Larson, M. L. (1984). Meaning-based Translation: A Guide to Cross language Equivalence. United States of America: University Press Press of America Inc. Leech, G.& Short, M. (1984). Style in Fiction. Fiction. New York: Longman Group Ltd. Lefevere, A. (1992) Translation, Rewriting, and the Manipulation at Literary Fame. Fame. London: Routledge Lewis, M. (1999). How to Study Foreign Languages. Languages. Malaysia: Macmillan Press Ltd. Longman. (1985). Active Study Dictionary . Hong Kong: Kong: Sheck Sheck Wah Tony Press Ltd. Miremadi, S.A. (1991). Theories of Translation and Interpretation. Interpretation. Ghom: Mehr Press. Munkhof, W. (1995). Hollanda Edebiyatından eviriler ve Bir eviri EleştiriEleştirisi. Gü ndo ndoğan ğan Edeb Edebiya iyatt Dergisi Dergisi,, cilt 4,sayı 14, sayfa 73-81. 73-81. Nadstoga, Z. (1989). A Communicative Use of Translation in the Classroom. A Classroom. A Forum Anthology . Selected Articles from the English Teaching Forum 1984-1988. Washington.

Conclusion /

121

Newmark, P. (1981). About Translation. England: Multilingual Matters Ltd. --------------- (1984). Approaches to Translation. London: A. Wheaton Co. Ltd. Press. --------------- (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Singapore: Prentice Hall Int. Ltd. Nida, E.& Taber, C. (1982). The Theory and Practice of Translation. Netherland: E.J.Brill. Pudney, J. (2003). Displaced. ev:Nezih Onur. http://members. tripod.com

[On-line]. Available:

Pınar, N. (1991). K lt rlerarası İ letişim Aracı O larak eviri. Unpublished critical essay. Picken, C. (1989). The Tranlator’s Handbook . London: The Association for Information Management. Ping, K. (2002). Translatability vs. untranslatability. Information Science. [On-line]. http://www.dois.mimas.ac.uk

Documents in Available:

Rose, M.G. (1981). Translation Spectrum. Albany: New York Press. Salas, C.G. (2003). Teaching Translation: Problems and Solutions. [On-line]. Available: http:// accurapid.com/journal/13educ.htm Sparknotes (2003). The Pearl. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pearl

[On-line].

Available:

Steinbeck, J. (1983). The Pearl . New York: The Viking Press -------------- (1996). nci.

ev.: Bülent Ortaç. stanbul: Kibele Yayınları

-------------- (1999). nci. çılık A.Ş.

ev.: Belkıs orakçı Dişbudak. stanbul: AD Kitap-

122


Toury, G. (2003). Culture Planning and Translation. [On-line]. Available: http://www.tau.ac.il Ulyrch, M. (1989). Teaching Translation in the Advanced EFL Class. A Fo rum Anthology . Selected Articles from the English Teaching Forum 1984-1988. Washington:USA Whitaker, R. (2001). The Art of Translating . http://www.universe.com

[On-line].

Available:

Yetkiner, N. (1994). Bir Şiir ve ki Şiir evirisi zerine. Tömer Dil Dergisi , 20, 52-54.

APPENDIX

Just before sunrise sometime around 1900, a Mexican-Indian pearl diver named Kino awakens to the sound of crowing roosters. He lives near the village of La Paz. He watches the day dawning through the crack of the door to his house, which is made of brush—bundles of straw fastened together to form walls and a roof. He then looks to a makeshift cradle, a kind of box hanging from the roof of the hut, where his infant son, Coyotito, sleeps. Finally, still resting on the mat, Kino turns his gaze to the open eyes of his wife, Juana. She looks back at Kino as she always does in the early morning. Hearing the waves rolling up on the nearby beach, Kino closes his eyes again to listen to the sound of an old song in his head. As the rest of the neighborhood stirs, Kino goes back inside the house and finds Juana fixing her hair. As they eat their simple breakfast, there is no speech between them beyond a contented sigh from Kino. As they sit, a ray of light shines on Coyotito's hanging box, revealing a scorpion crawling down the rope toward the child. Terrified, Juana recites a charm and a prayer to protect Coyotito, while Kino moves forward to capture the scorpion. Coyotito spots the scorpion on the rope, laughs, and reaches up to grab it. Just then, positioned in front of the hanging box, Kino freezes, slowly stretching out his hand

124


toward the scorpion. When Coyotito shakes the rope of the hanging box, the scorpion falls, lands on his shoulder, and stings him. Kino immediately seizes the creature and crushes it in his grasp, beating it to death on the floor for good measure. Kino's retribution does no good, though, and Coyotito screams with pain. Juana grabs Coyotito at once and attempts to suck the venom out of his festering wound. The child's wailing summons several neighbors to Kino's doorstep, including

Kino's brother, Juan Tomás, and Juan Tomás's wife, Apolonia. As Coyotito's cries diminish into moans, Juana asks Kino to summon the doctor. Such a request surprises the neighbors since the doctor has never visited the poor cluster of brush houses because the doctor belongs to the social class of the Spanish colonists of the region, a class far above that of poor Indians such as Kino and Juana. When Kino expresses doubt that the doctor will come to Coyotito, Juana resolves to take Coyotito to the doctor. Kino and Juana set out for the center of town, their neighbors trailing behind them. Near the center of town, more people follow, curious to see the outcome of a poor man's plea to a rich doctor. Arriving at the doctor's house, Kino knocks at the gate. He both fears and resents the doctor, a powerful man not of his own people. Presently, the gate opens to reveal one of Kino's own people, employed in the doctor's service. Kino explains the details of Coyotito's injury in his native tongue; the man ignores Kino's use of the native Indian language and responds in Spanish. He tells Kino to wait while he goes to speak with the doctor. Indoors, the doctor sits up in bed, surrounded by luxuries. He feasts on biscuits and hot chocolate and thinks nostalgically of Paris. When the servant interrupts the doctor's reverie to announce Kino's visit, the doctor

Summary of “The Pearl” /

125

bitterly demands to know if Kino has money to pay for the treatment. Kino gives the servant eight small pearls, but soon the servant returns to Kino with them, explaining that the doctor has been called out to attend to a serious case. With this dismissal, the procession breaks up, leaving Kino furious and ashamed. Standing in shock in front of the closed gate, Kino strikes out in anger, smashing his fist into the barrier and bloodying his knuckles. On the shores of the estuary, a set of blue and white canoes sits in the sand. Crabs and lobsters poke out from their holes, and algae and sea horses drift aimlessly in the nearby currents. Dogs and pigs scavenge the shoreline for sea drift in the hazy morning. Amid this scene, Kino and Juana walk down the beach to Kino's canoe. They are going to search for pearls, desperately hoping to find a pearl of sufficient value to persuade the doctor to treat the poisoned Coyotito. The canoe, an heirloom passed down to Kino from his paternal grandfather, is Kino's sole asset in the world. Kino lays his blanket in its bow. Juana rests Coyotito upon the blanket and places her shawl over him to protect him from the sun. She then wades into the water and collects some seaweed, which she applies gently to Coyotito's wound. Kino and Juana slide the canoe into the water, Juana climbs in, and Kino pushes the boat away from shore. Once Kino boards, the two begin paddling out to sea in search of pearls. In a short time, they come upon other canoes, which have clustered around the nearest oyster bed. Kino makes a dive to collect oysters, while Juana stays in the canoe, praying for luck. He stays under water for over two minutes, gathering the largest shells, including one especially enormous oyster that has a "ghostly gleam."

126


Climbing back into the canoe, Kino is reluctant to examine the largest oyster first. Kino cuts the shell open to reveal the biggest pearl that either of them has ever seen. Nearly breathless, Juana shrieks in astonishment to find that Coyotito's wound has improved in the presence of the great pearl. Kino, overcome with emotion, tenses his entire body and lets out a resounding yell. Startled by this unexpected display, the other canoes quickly race toward Kino and Juana to uncover the source of the commotion. Word of Kino's discovery travels quickly. Even before Kino returns to his brush house, everyone in town knows that he has found "the Pearl of the World." Throughout town, people of every class —from the beggar to the businessman to the priest—dream of how Kino's pearl can help them. Like everyone else, the doctor who turned Kino away desires the pearl.

Juan Tomás asks Kino what he will do with his wealth, Kino details his plans: a proper marriage in the church, new clothing for the family, a harpoon, and a rifle, among other things. Kino's new boldness amazes Juana, especially when he expresses his desire for Coyotito to be sent to school and educated. Kino himself is surprised somewhat by his own resolute statement, and all of the neighbors stare at the mighty pearl with a mixture of hope and fear at the enormous changes that lie ahead. As dusk approaches, Juana revives the fire, and the neighbors overstay their welcome. Near dark, the priest comes to deliver a benediction. Once he has blessed the household, he asks to see the pearl. Dazzled, the priest implores Kino to remember the church in his new prosperity. Juana announces their intention to be married in the church, and the priest leaves them with a kind word.


127

A sense of evil overcomes Kino in the wake of the priest's visit. Kino huddles beneath a blanket in the cold night, keeping the pearl close to his body. Plagued with continued ill feeling, Kino meditates on the former security of his family, and on the menacing uncertainty into which their newfound fortune has cast them. From the door of his brush house, Kino watches two men approach. The figures prove to be the doctor and his servant, who have come to examine Coyotito's wound. Kino brusquely dismisses the doctor's attentions, but when the doctor makes a sinister insinuation about the lingering potential for infection, Kino relents and allows him to enter. Juana is extremely suspicious of the doctor, but Kino reassures her. When the doctor examines Coyotito, he contends that he has found evidence of complications and produces a capsule of medication that he proceeds to administer. Claiming that the poison will strike within an hour and that the medicine may prove lifesaving, the doctor declares that he will return in an hour to check on Coyotito's progress. As Juana stares at Coyotito with concern, Kino realizes that he has been careless in not guarding the pearl. Without delay, he wraps the pearl in a rag, digs a hole, and buries the pearl in a corner of the brush house, concealing the hiding place from view. As Kino eats his supper, a small black puppy lingers in the doorway and shakes its tail nervously. Afterward, Juana alerts Kino that Coyotito's condition is growing worse, and she sings soothingly in an effort to comfort the baby. When Coyotito becomes demonstrably ill, an evil feeling fills Kino once again. The neighbors learn quickly of the doctor's visit and Coyotito's subsequent decline, and they reconvene at

128


Kino's house to provide support. The doctor makes his reappearance, and a swiftly administered potion sets Coyotito to rest. Having finished his duties, the doctor innocuously asks when Kino might be able to pay him. Kino explains that once he has sold his most valuable pearl he will be able to pay. Feigning ignorance about the pearl, the doctor offers to keep it in his safe, but Kino declines the offer, explaining that he intends to sell the pearl in the morning. The doctor expresses concern that the pearl might be stolen, and Kino inadvertently glances with fear at the corner where the pearl is buried. Later, when the doctor and neighbors depart and it is time to sleep, Kino paces about the house anxiously, listening vigilantly for threatening noises. In a fit of precaution, he digs up the pearl and reburies it beneath his sleeping mat. Finally, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito curl up together on the mat and attempt to sleep peacefully. At first, Kino dreams of Coyotito's future success, but the evil feeling recurs and quickly overtakes him. He stirs restlessly, waking Juana. He wakes and hears an intruder in the house, cowering and scratching in the corner, clearly in search of the pearl. Grabbing his knife, he leaps into the corner and struggles with the intruder, stabbing at him wildly. After a violent scuffle, the intruder flees, leaving Kino bloodied as Juana calls out to him in terror. Regaining her senses, she swiftly prepares a salve for Kino's bruised forehead. As she tends Kino's wounds, Juana rails against the pearl, calling it an evil plague upon them. Kino remains adamant about the pearl's virtue, insisting that it will be their road to salvation. Juana disagrees, declaring that it will destroy their entire family. As Kino hushes her, he notices a spot of blood on his knife, which he removes.


129

With dawn approaching, he settles down to look at his pearl. In its luminescence, Kino sees his family's chance for the future, and smiles. Juana smiles with him, and they meet the day with hope. Word spreads throughout the town of La Paz that Kino will be selling his great pearl. The pearl buyers are especially excited, and the pearl fishers abandon their work for the day to witness the transaction. Over breakfast that morning, the brush-house neighborhood teems with speculation and opinion. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito wear their best clothes for the occasion, and Kino dons his hat with care, anxious to give off the air of a serious, vigorous man of the world. As Kino and Juana set out from their brush house,

the neighbors fall in line behind them. Juan Tomás walks at the front with Kino and expresses his concern that Kino may be cheated, as Kino has no standard of true comparison to know what his pearl is worth. Kino acknowledges this problem but adds that they have no

way of solving it. Juan Tomás tells Kino that another system of pearl-selling used to exist before Kino was born. Pearlers would give their pearls to agents for sale in the capital, but as a result of the rampant corruption of pearl agents who stole the pearls meant for sale, the old system is no longer in place. Kino points out that according to the church, such a system must fail, as it represents a vain effort on the part of the pearlers to exceed their station in life.

Kino and Juan Tomás walk on in silence into the city, drawing stares from assembled onlookers. As Kino, Juan Tomás, and the attending crowd approach, the pearl dealers scramble to put their offices in order, hiding their little pearls and preparing to make offers. The first dealer is a short, slick man who nervously rolls a coin back and

130


forth in his hand. He explains after a careful examination that the pearl is worthless because of its abnormally large size. Declaring it more of a museum curiosity than a market commodity, the dealer makes an offhand bid of one thousand pesos. Kino reacts angrily to this lowball offer and insists that the pearl is worth fifty times that much. The dealer firmly asserts that his is an accurate appraisal and invites Kino to seek out a second opinion. Kino's neighbors stir uneasily, wondering how Kino can reject such a large sum of money and wondering whether he is being foolish and headstrong by demanding more. Presently, three new dealers arrive to examine the pearl, and the initial dealer invites them to make independent appraisals. The first two dealers reject the pearl as a mere oddity, and the third dealer makes a feeble offer of five hundred pesos. Upon hearing this news, Kino quickly removes the pearl from consideration. As he does so, the initial dealer, unfazed by the lower bid, insists that his offer of one thousand pesos still stands. Protesting that he has been cheated, Kino announces a plan to sell his pearl in the capital city. His outburst raises the bid to fifteen hundred pesos, but Kino will have none of it. He fiercely pushes his way out of the crowd and starts the long walk home as Juana trails after him. In his brush house, Kino has buried the pearl under a stone in the fire hole. He sits brooding, nervous about his upcoming journey to the faraway capital. Juana watches him while she nurses Coyotito and prepares supper. Juan Tomás then enters to try to warn Kino of the dangers involved in going to the capital, but Kino is adamant about selling his pearl to secure a better future for his son. Unable to convince Kino to heed his warning,

Juan Tomás returns home.


131

Kino sits awake to protect the pearl and continues to pore over the details of his problem. Juana keeps her own silent vigil, intending to support Kino with her company. Suddenly, Kino senses an evil presence. He rises, feeling for the knife under his shirt, and moves toward the doorway as Juana stifles a desire to restrain him. From the darkness, a man assaults Kino, and a struggle ensues. By the time Juana reaches the fray, the attacker has fled. Bloodied and cut and with his clothes torn, Kino lies sprawled on the ground, only half conscious. Without delay, Juana helps Kino inside to care for his wounds. Kino admits that in the dark he was unable to tell who attacked him. After Juana washes out his last cut, she begs him in desperation to discard the evil pearl. But, more fiercely than ever, Kino insists that they must capitalize on their good fortune. He explains that in the morning they will set out in the canoe for the capital. Juana submits to her husband's plan, and they both go to sleep. As a late moon rises outside, nearby motion rouses Kino from his sleep. In the pale light, he is barely able to discern Juana, who moves toward the fireplace, quietly gathers the pearl, and sneaks out into the night. Kino stealthily follows her as she heads toward the shore. When she hears him in pursuit, Juana breaks into a run, but Kino apprehends her just as she is preparing to hurl the pearl into the water. Grabbing the pearl from her, he punches her in the face and kicks her in the side when she falls down. He hisses menacingly above her, then turns in disgust and leaves her without a word. As Kino makes his way up the beach, a group of men assaults him. Kino struggles violently as they paw and prod at him. As Kino drives his knife into one of his attackers, the men knock the pearl from his grasp.

132


Meanwhile, some distance away from the fight, Juana gets up on her knees and begins to make her way home. Climbing through the brush, she sees the pearl lying in the path. She picks it up and considers returning to the sea to discard the pearl once and for all. At this moment, Juana spies two dark figures lying in the road and recognizes one of them as Kino. In the next instant, Juana realizes that Kino has killed the man slumped by his side. Juana drags the dead body into the brush and then helps Kino, who moans about losing his pearl. Juana silences him by showing him the pearl and explains that they must flee immediately because Kino has committed a horrible crime. Kino protests that he acted in self-defense, but Juana argues that his excuse won't matter at all to the authorities. Kino realizes that Juana is right, and they resolve to flee. While Juana runs back to the brush house to grab Coyotito, Kino returns to the beach to ready his canoe for the escape. He finds that someone has punched a large hole in the boat's bottom. Filled with sorrow and rage, he quickly scrambles back to his brush house, moments before dawn. As he arrives in the vicinity of the neighborhood, he notices flames and realizes that his house is burning. As he runs toward the fire, Juana meets him with Coyotito in her arms. She confirms that their house has been burned down completely. As the neighbors rush to control the fire and to save their own houses, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito duck between the

shadows and into Juan Tomás's house. In the darkness inside Juan Tomás's house, Kino and Juana listen as the neighbors attempt to subdue the fire and speculate that Kino and Juana have been killed in

the blaze. The couple can only listen as Juan Tomás's wife, Apolonia, wails in mourning for the loss of her


133

relatives. When Apolonia returns to her house to change head shawls, Kino whispers to her, explaining that they are taking refuge. Kino instructs Apolonia to bring Juan

Tomás to them and to keep their whereabouts a secret. She complies, and Juan Tomás arrives moments later, posting Apolonia at the door to keep watch while he talks with Kino. Kino explains that he inadvertently killed a man after

being attacked in the darkness. Juan Tomás blames this misfortune on the pearl and advises Kino to sell it without delay. Kino, however, is more focused on his losses, detailing the destruction of his canoe and his house. He

implores Juan Tomás to hide them in his house for a night, until they can gather themselves and make a second attempt to flee. Juan Tomás hesitates to bring danger upon himself but ultimately agrees to shelter them and keep silent about their plans. On a clear, windy night, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito begin their long march north, avoiding the sleeping town. Outside of town, they follow a road, carefully walking in a wheel rut to conceal their tracks. They walk all night and make camp in a roadside shelter at sunrise. When Juana rises, she asks Kino if he thinks they will be pursued. Juana then begins to doubt Kino's conviction that the pearl is worth far more than the dealers offered, but Kino points out that his attackers would not have tried to steal the pearl were it worth nothing. Kino stares at the pearl to read his future. He lies to Juana, telling her that he sees a rifle, a marriage in a church, and an education for Coyotito. In truth Kino sees a body bleeding on the ground, Juana making her way home through the night after being beaten, and Coyotito's face swollen as though he were sick.

134


The family retreats further into the shade for another rest. While Kino sleeps soundly, Juana is restless. As she plays with Coyotito, Kino wakes from a dream and demands that they keep quiet. Creeping forward, he spots a trio of trackers pursuing their trail. Kino stiffens and attempts to be still and silent until the trackers have passed. He watches them grow nearer and prepares to spring on them with his knife if necessary. Juana also hears the approaching trackers and does her best to quiet Coyotito. The trackers' horse grows excited as the trackers approach the shelter. For a moment, it appears that they are poised to apprehend Coyotito and Juana, but eventually they lose their lead on the trail and move on. Kino realizes that it is only a matter of time before they return, and he runs quickly to Juana, telling her to gather up her things so that they can leave at once. Suddenly, Kino feels their cause to be hopeless and loses his will to flee, but Juana castigates him for giving up on his family. Finally, Kino suggests that they might be able to lose the trackers up in the mountains. Kino and Juana collect their belongings and flee with Coyotito through the undergrowth, making no effort to conceal their tracks. As they climb the first rises, Kino realizes that the distance he is putting between his family and the trackers offers only a temporary fix to their problem. When Juana takes a rest with Coyotito, Kino proposes that she hide while he moves on ahead. Until the trackers have been diverted, she can take refuge in a nearby town. But, despite Kino's insistence, Juana refuses to split up, so the family moves on together. Kino deceives the trackers by creating a false trail up the cliff and descending again to take refuge with Juana and Coyotito in a nearby cave. Kino hopes that the


135

trackers will climb past them, providing a chance for them to climb down the hill and out of range. Kino instructs Juana to keep Coyotito quiet, and they lie silently in the cave as twilight settles over the land. By evening, the trackers arrive the pool, where they make camp and eat. In the cave, Coyotito grows restless, and Juana quiets him. Kino notices that two of the men have settled in to sleep, while the third keeps watch. Kino realizes that if he can manage to stifle the lookout, he, Juana, and Coyotito will have a chance to escape. Juana fears for Kino's life, but Kino explains that they have no other choice. He instructs her to run to the nearest town should he be killed, and they part reluctantly. Kino strips naked to avoid being seen by the watchman, and, after crouching at the cave entrance for a moment to survey his route, he springs forward. As Juana prays for him, Kino slowly moves down the slope toward the pool. Twenty feet from the trackers, he crouches behind a palm tree to ponder his next move. His muscles cramp and tremble, but he knows he must act quickly before the moon rises. He unsheathes his knife and prepares to attack. Just as he is poised to spring, the moon appears, and he realizes that his opportunity has been lost. Waiting for a moment when the watchman's head is turned, Kino gets ready to take a much riskier approach. Suddenly, Coyotito lets out a cry that wakes one of the sleeping trackers. At first, they wonder if it could possibly be the cry of a human, or whether it is simply the cry of a coyote. The watchman decides to silence the wailer by shooting in the direction of the cry. The bullet hits and kills Coyotito. As the watchman shoots, Kino springs upon the trackers, stabbing the watchman and seizing the rifle. Knocking one of the other men out with a

Theories and Practice of Translation

Recommend Documents