Translation and Interpreting Research

Postmodern literature possesses distinct characteristics that are evident in both its content and form. This research first attempts to identify the postmodern features in a corpus of English postmodern literature and examines their possible translatability across linguistic and cultural barriers. To this end, a corpus of ten English postmodern short stories by Donald Barthelme along with their corresponding translations into Persian was developed. Drawing on the integrative model of analysis developed for this study, the postmodern features in English stories were identified and their corresponding translations were analyzed at various levels. The results of the study indicate a high degree of translatability for postmodern features, as they experienced minimal transformation during the translation process. In fact, the translated stories remained remarkably postmodern, with the preservation of these features to a significant extent. However, it is important to exercise caution when interpreting this high degree of translatability. While translators may consciously strive to maintain these features, it is also possible that postmodern elements, which are predominantly manifested beyond sentence-level structures, may go unnoticed or remain untouched by translators. Additionally, the preservation of postmodern features in translation could be a result of translators' reluctance to intrude upon the creative process.

This study seeks to investigate the role and impact of translators in the (anthropological) field during research conducted by foreign anthropologists in Iran. To achieve this, a questionnaire, an apparent open-ended one with six items, was distributed to 30 anthropologists who conducted field research in Iran, aiming to identify invisible interpreters/translators, including local informants, who assisted researchers in overcoming language barriers and communicating with participants during anthropological fieldwork. Given that anthropologists are typically trained to work independently without the aid of translators, certain participants displayed hesitancy in discussing the subject matter. Anthropologists who completed the questionnaire and said they conducted the research without utilizing translators in the field cited their fluency in the local language, perceiving translators as impediments, and their accessibility as the main reasons for their approach. Nevertheless, some of these researchers emphasized the potential benefits of using translators, particularly in terms of enhancing comprehension. Conversely, there were anthropologists who found value in engaging both formal and informal translators, as they served as gateways to communication. As an interdisciplinary study, this article endeavors to shed light on a relatively unexplored aspect of anthropology, namely translation. It is crucial to acknowledge and engage in further discussion regarding the collaboration between professionals from different disciplines, including Translation Studies and anthropology, within various scientific journals and conferences.

Audiovisual translation has been the subject of substantial scholarly inquiry, with fansubbing being recognized as a unique mode within this field. Fansubbing involves translating and subtitling of foreign videos such as films into another language by fans, rather than by licensed translators. Performing a kind of play labor, fansubbers typically do not receive monetary remuneration for their efforts. Instead, they are motivated by their fandom’s satisfaction, gaining visibility and receiving likes. The concept of visibility has been subject to varying interpretations, with the first and most prominent example being Venuti's notions of visibility and invisibility. The advent of digital platforms provided translators with an opportunity to establish a digital presence and voice, which has opened up new avenues for enhancing the notion of translator's visibility. Adopting a quantitative strand of research, this study examines a corpus of 200 K-pop (Korean pop) music video subtitles translated by Iranian fansubbers, focusing on different aspects of translator's visibility across textual, paratextual, and extratextual domains. As per the study results, fansubbers exhibit a higher degree of visibility in the paratextual domain (47%), followed by the textual domain (26%) and the extratextual domain (17%). The most commonly employed strategy for enhancing visibility was mentioning social media ID before or after the subtitle content. Many other strategies were overlooked by fansubbers, either due to a lack of awareness or restrictions imposed by superiors. Different aspects of visibility identified in this study donate valuable insights for subtitlers seeking to enhance their visibility and engagement with respective communities.

Translation has played a crucial role in easing communication between human beings at all times throughout history, so without translation, the complex, interwoven social structures in human life might never have been achieved. It has also made accessing texts of high significance easy and comfortable. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the methods translators used in translating certain cultural contents from the Holy Quran, as well as the degree to which they applied the concepts of domestication and foreignization to their translations of these cultural aspects. The theoretical framework for this research is Baker's method (1992), which offers strategies that translators use when dealing with concepts that lack equivalents at the vocabulary level or higher counterparts. The majority of the Qur’an-specific cultural items have been translated using the first strategy of "translation by a more general word," with a total percentage of 48.85. The second most common strategy is "translation by paraphrase using a related word" (21. 71%).Given that the majority of strategies employed by all translators fall under the category of domestication strategies, it can be concluded that the translators adopted a target-oriented approach rather than a source-oriented approach when translating Qur’an-specific cultural items.

There are more and more neologisms to the vocabulary of human language due to the progress of globalization, development in social life, and advancement of new technology. The object of this study is to survey the applicability of the conceptual blending theory in the analysis of neologisms in the Harry Potter series and will answer the question of which type of blended networks can be used in the new translation of neologisms. The theoretical part of this study described conceptual blending theory, and its networks and described making the meaning process based on these networks. This theory is a developing area of research in cognitive linguistics. So, those who work in the field of literary or translation analysis must be familiar with its basic operations and networks. The nature of this study is descriptive and content analysis. Data analysis will involve quantitative analysis. To address the objectives of the present study, the researcher selected 83 translated neologisms in the series of the novel. The paper mainly studies the process of conceptual blending theory (CBT) when translating those English neologisms whose Persian counterparts cannot be found. In the network of this theory, English takes up one input space and Persian takes up another. From both inputs, frameworks, and elements plan out the blend, where they are dynamically integrated. Then, the planned framework and elements construct a novel structure (translation).

This paper investigates the payment's impact on the quality of translated products, an area that has been largely overlooked in translation sociology. Drawing on Actor-Network-Theory, the study analyzed recent translations by 10 Iranian freelance and agency translators with over five years of translation experience in the market. Participants provided the researchers with translations completed for low and good payments, which were evaluated using the Waddington (2001) model. Interviews were conducted to gather the participants’ opinions with regard to the Iranian translation market. Despite dissatisfaction with low payment and the unjust translation market, most translators produced high-quality translations. However, the unjust market frustrated translators and led many to leave their jobs. The findings suggest that while low payment does not necessarily negatively affect translation quality, it can significantly impact the job satisfaction and retention of translators. This study sheds light on the economic aspect of translation and has important implications for the translation industry.