ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTICS INVENTIVENESS FOR REPRESENTING CULTURAL IMAGINATION AND SOCIAL REALITIES IN LITERARY TRANSLATION OF THE CROOKED LINE BY TAHIRA H. NAQVI

Abstract

Translation is the basic source of transforming language and culture in literary or non-literary texts. In addition to replacing lexical and grammatical components between two languages, translation, according to Bassnett (2002), also entails transmitting the cultural context of the writings. This study compares various strategies used in the translation the Crooked Line from its primary source text i.e., Terhi Lakir by Ismat Chughtai to present cultural imagination and social realities in language. The researchers focus on the use of various literary devices, culture bound terms, idioms and proverbs of the source text in the light of Descriptive Translation Studies. The study probs the fact that to what extent, Tahira H. Naqvi is successful in realistically portraying the culture specific items, literary devices, idiom and proverbs in her translation by transforming the form and meaning of the source text. They also explore various strategies used by her to portray faithful pictures of the society in her work. The translation strategies of Tahira H. Naqvi were placed and analyzed under the strategies and translation techniques recommended by translation scholars to find out whether she is creative translator or just capture the events in her translation. The analysis of both the texts proves that she is not a creative translator and skillful master of Urdu language while translating the idioms, proverbs, and culture specific items of Terhi Lakir into The Crooked Line.  Study further concludes that She fails to capture the true spirit and form of the original text in her translation and misrepresents cultural and social realities of source text.