Textual Equivalence through Pragmatics and the Semiotics of Culture

Abstract

The science of translation is all about how to transfer the meaning from one language to the target language. This thesis discusses different approaches by some linguists on achieving textual equivalence through interpreting the intended meaning in a given text to emulate the same response at the target text receptor. However, the problem lies in how successful were those approaches in obtaining equivalence in certain text types like poetic and literary texts. This thesis provides a successful methodology to achieve textual equivalence by highlighting the roles of pragmatics and the semiotics of culture in poetry and literature. In this thesis some of Nizar Al Qabbani's poems will be studied to reflect the role of pragmatics and the semiotics of culture in achieving textual equivalence in poetry and literature through the equivalence theories of Nida, Koller, Gutt and many other linguists who highlighted the importance of equivalence. More focused light will be on intertextuality, intratextuality and contratextuality as examples through which pragmatics and the semiotics of culture can be illustrated. Thus, pragmatics and the semiotics of culture are very important textual elements that should be highlighted specially when translating poetry and literary texts.