Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita And The Principles Of Translation

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It is perhaps axiomatic to say that translation is as old as language, for the different language communities render translation mandatory for their interaction (As-Safi, 2011). However, throughout its long-standing history, the central controversial issue has always been whether translating should give more importance to meaning or to form, the two major components which have a very direct influence on principles of translation. On the one hand, only products of the form-based method are believed to be true translations by extreme literalists. On the other hand, many writers favored some kinds of meaning-based translation: the sense not the words; the message rather than the form; the matter not the manner (Newmark,). In a similar position, E. A. Nida defines translating as reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language, first in terms of meaning and second in term of style. Thus, priority must be given to meaning over form in translation to convey the accuracy of the initial text and give the target version the readability. This viewpoint will be trenchantly clarified with the illustration of Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” and its Vietnamese version translated by Dương Tường in the following discourse. First and foremost, for ideas are common to the understanding of all men, but words and manners of speech are particular to different nations (As-Safi), a translator must consider meaning dominant over form to conserve the accuracy of

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