A Form-focused Translation Criticism: A Case Study of the Persian Translation of As I Lay Dying by Dara Bandari

Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation

Leila Alinouri ^{1 *} , Hamed Badpa ²

1 - Assistant Professor, English Department, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Ph.D. Candidate in TEFL, Department of English Language and Literature, Arak University, Arak, Iran

Received: 2024-08-30 Accepted : 2025-02-03 Published : 2025-02-03

Keywords: Translation criticism, Linguistic elements, Extra-linguistic determinants, Form-focused text, Literary translation,

Abstract :

Translation criticism is a crucial area of study that assesses the quality of translated texts. The present study evaluated Najaf Darya Bandari’s Persian translation of the novel As I Lay Dying (1930) based on criteria set by Manafi Anari (2005), which builds on Reiss's work (2000). The study aimed to explore a form-focused approach to translation criticism, emphasizing text type analysis and addressing a gap in the field by utilizing a comprehensive analytical framework that integrates linguistic and extralinguistic factors. This context-aware and critically engaged model evaluates literary translations effectively. First, the evaluation focused on linguistic components, such as semantic equivalence, lexical adequacy, grammatical correctness, and stylistic correspondence in the translated novel. Next, it assessed extra-linguistic factors, including the subject matter, temporal and spatial context, audience, speaker, affective implications, and the translator's subjective elements, such as socio-cultural, moral, religious, ideological beliefs, and personal biases. The findings showed that Darya Bandari significantly recreated a form-focused translation, successfully adhering to the stylistic and aesthetic qualities of the original. Overall, he predominantly succeeded in conveying both linguistic and extra-linguistic elements into Persian. Additionally, the study affirmed Manafi Anari's model as an effective framework for analyzing literary translations, showcasing its relevance across multiple texts and contexts.

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