International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies (Jun 2018)
A Translation Quality Assessment of Two English Translations of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Based on Juliane House's Model (1997)
Abstract
Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) is a fast-growing sub-field of Translation Studies. It focuses on the relationship between the texts translated from ST into TT. This study applied House's (1997) TQA model to English Translations of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, in order to evaluate the quality of these translations. The errors were identified, classified and the frequency of their occurrences was computed. Based on House's model, the errors were categorized into covert and overt errors. Overt errors were further categorized into seven categories: 1) Not translated; 2) Slight change in meaning; 3) Significant change in meaning; 4) Distortion of meaning; 5) Breach of the source language system; 6) Creative translation; and 7) Cultural filtering. According to House's model, poetry has to be translated overtly and deviations would be considered errors. It was found out that both translators have successfully translated Khayyam's poetry. However, the first translation by Saeed Saeedpour (2012) has fewer errors (68 errors) in comparison with second translation (95 errors) by Edward Fitzgerald (1859), as a conclusion, ST native speaker could master the implications better, so He could translate better than the TT native speakers. Both translators have introduced Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam successfully to English readers, and they have overcome some cases they have encountered "Cultural- Filtering" and have found their best equivalent for each case. It was also observed that House's model of TQA is applicable and useful in the field of translation of poetry, for both translators and students of translating studies.
