EXPLORING DISTINCTIVENESS IN THE TRANSLATION OF KOREAN ALLUSIONS

Abstract

Given the understanding that allusions, by definition, pose special challenges to translators, this study explores translation strategies for Korean allusions in literature. The goal of the study is to identify what strategies are employed to translate Korean allusions and to discuss how strategies found in practice might differ or add to strategies mentioned in previous studies, with the additional hope of discovering and delineating distinctiveness in the translation strategies of Korean allusions. Allusions in 110 Korean literary pieces and their English translations are analyzed according to the translation strategies proposed by Leppihalme (1997), the most extensive study of the subject to date. The analysis finds that the translation strategies for Korean allusion differ from what Leppihalme proposed, displaying more active utilization of modifying strategies. Particularly, differences are noticeable in the provision of additional information and the use of replacement. The value of this study can be found in that it reveals the diversity in translation strategies utilized to deliver Korean allusions in a second language, identifies strategies specific to the translation of Korean allusions, and discusses areas requiring further contemplation in applying certain strategies. Translating all aspects of allusions is a substantial challenge particularly when the distance between the two languages and cultures involved are wide as in the case of Korean and English. Yet, as observed in this study, various efforts are being made to preserve allusions.