A Comparative Study of the Characteristics of Domestication and Foreignization in the Sinhalese First Translation and the Retranslation of Chinua Achebe's 'No Longer at Ease

Abstract

'Retranslation' is a new-born concept still under the research process, which has a number of research gaps to be fulfilled. The most curious part is that the latter is still in hypothetical form, which implies that it needs to be tested furthermore until it reaches towards a theoretical concept. Presently researchers are trying hard to determine the reasons behind this hypothesis and its features globally but not yet in the Sri Lankan context. Domestication and foreignization are such features which have been addressed by researchers as determining features in retranslation within the foreign context. The present study aims at identifying the contrasting features in the two concepts, examine the situations where these two strategies have been used in texts and also the contrasting effect that the first translation and the retranslation have produced towards readership. In the methodology, the study was based on selected extracts from the Source Text (ST) and their corresponding first translation and retranslation. Samples were selected under purposive sampling technique and were qualitatively analysed with content analysis by employing descriptivecomparative analysis method. The major difference in the translated texts were marked and analysed. The data analysis has confirmed major characteristics regarding culture specific terms, vocabulary, style, sentence structure, literal translation, free translation, readability, and extent of faithfulness. The research concludes with a distinguished margin between foreignization and domestication in the selected two translations that the first translation has reduced the otherness while the retranslation has embraced the foreignness of the ST.