Translating Style: Qualitative Parameters and Textual Factors

Författare

• Ljuba Tarvi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.130621

Abstract

The situation with the concept of literary style is complex to the extent that it is not only variously misunderstood but also viewed as sufficiently intractable of definition. Translation studies, however, have to do with the concepts of style and stylistics at
various levels on a regular basis. Can style be translated? If style is preferably a qualitative notion, what quantitative factors can be singled out to be retained in translation? To answer these questions, the concept of style is considered at the level of
its etymology, definition, and complex nature. As is shown, in some types of texts style can only be interpreted but subjectively and, hence, only rendered in translation partially to the extent allowed by a given pair of languages. Finally, a text typology
based on the notion of style and represented by a continuum between literary and nonliterary texts is suggested.