METONYMY IN THE TALE OF GENJI: AN ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

The process of translation affects the representation of cultural content in a text depending on the method used. Lawrence Venuti (1995) discusses two translation strategies: domestication and foreignization. While the former alters the text so that cultural and linguistic references of the translated text match the audience’s target language culture, the latter keeps alterations to a minimum. Linguistic expressions could provide the micro-analysis needed to explore the results of using these strategies in a more rigorous and systematic way. An investigation of the treatment and use of metonymy as a linguistic expression in relation to the translation strategies being employed is reported here. Four translations of Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji) by Murasaki Shikibu were analyzed for use of metonymy. The analysis shows that distinct patterns of metonymy use do reflect which translation strategy is used, and this could lead to a better understanding of the implications of translating cultural meanings.