Culture-bound elements in the official and the Internet translation – culture and its transfer as an (un)regulated element

Abstract

Aim. There are numerous competing theories on the culture in the translation: some view culture as a systemic factor, some as an extrasystemic one. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse the translation of culture-bound elements in the official translation (hence, one created in the system regulated by the patrons, publishers, norms etc.) and in the unofficial translation (the Internet one, created voluntarily – not commissioned – and outside of the publishing system).

Methodology. The subject of the analysis is the translation of culture-bound elements in two translations into Polish of Colleen Hoover’s novel Maybe Someday (2014): one by Piotr Grzegorzewski (2016) and one by the Internet user functioni8ng under the nick marika1311. The concept of the foreignisation and domestication by Lawrence Venuti (1995; 2004) is applied in the analysis.

Results. The results of the study show that the Internet translation is significantly more foreignising that the translation functioning on the market. The translator of the unofficial version prefers the source culture, even at the cost of the target text’s correctness and clarity.

Conclusion. The results suggest that the translator’s approach to the culture in translation may in fact be an element regulated by the system in which the translator functions. Furthermore, they suggest that the system places emphasis on the target culture and target language.