The Translation of Culture-Specific Items in Children’s Literature from English into Sepedi

Abstract

Translation of children’s literature is challenging especially when it comes to culture specific items. So far little is known about what role culture-specific items play in the translation of English into Sepedi when it comes to children’s literature. Such knowledge is critical in preserving the original meaning of a text that is to be translated.   This study aimed to explore the translation strategies that are applied by Sepedi translators when translating culture-specific items found in children’s literature from English into Sepedi. The study followed a qualitative research approach, where a case study research design was adopted. The study selected 10 cultural items from the story book, Charlie, and the chocolate factory,through a purpose sampling strategy.  Data was collected through two methods; semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study used the Skopos Theory to frame the analysis and interpretation of the data. The study found that the translators were faced with the difficulty of finding translation equivalents or using the correct strategy, in order to preserve the meaning of the text. Additionally, the results showed that Baker’s (2018) translation by cultural substitution and translation using a loan word or loan word plus explanation are used by the translators. Again, the study found that translation challenges encountered with culture-specific items inclined that there is a great need for a wider knowledge of the source language culture.  The study concludes by advising translators to apply effective translation strategies when translating culture-specific items.