Translation and lexical Borrowing – Cultural and Linguistic Components

Abstract

Translation, as a complex phenomenon, includes several components which could be broadly divided into linguistic and cultural ones. Linguistic components relate to the linguistic competence of the translator (familiarity with the given language codes, ability to transfer content from one such code to another, skill to observe translational problems and to solve them etc), whereas the cultural components in general imply sensitivity to different cultural patterns as well as comprehensive general knowledge and knowledge related to specific fields. Due to the complexity of these components, the process of translation often includes both cultural and linguistic problems and dilemmas; one of such dilemmas, and a very significant one, is related to the translator’s decision to borrow a lexeme or a phrase from the source language (with or without adaptation) instead of trying to find (or create) its translation equivalent in the target language. In our contemporary environment, with English being modern lingua franca, this problem is specially pronounced, particularly in certain fields like, for example, fashion, marketing, sports etc. Having these assumptions in mind, the presentation would discuss examples related to the translation from English into Serbian, trying to point out the cases when borrowing may appear to be a correct solution and when not. Finally, the presentation would provide comments on possible cultural and linguistic components which play a part in making such choices in translation.