Translation and Sociolinguistics

Can language translate society?

• Language is differently used by its speakers
according to the situation they are in.

• However, there are certain rules that the

speakers of a given language can not
transgress.
• Language is unseperately linked
to its users in a way that society is
a basic factor.
• According to Peter Trudgill, there are two
important aspects of language behaviour seen
from a social point of view:

• 1- the establishment of social relationships

• 2- conveying information about the speaker

• as Language is related to society, this language
is going to reflect the values of a given
community.

• Therefore, many relationships are going to be

established between language and society.
• Wardhaugh suggests four possible relationships:

• 1- social stucture influences linguistic behaviour.

• 2- linguistic structure determines social sructure.
• 3-Language and society may influence one another.
• 4- no relationship at all between language and
society.
• Sociolinguistics is a reletively modern sub-
discipline whithin linguistics that analyses
language as part of a given society in certain
social contexts.

• One of this discipline’s concerns is translation

theory.
• Register, uses of language in different
contexts, can cause problems for translators.

• Registers carry social connotations expressed

in the source text.hence, the concept of context
becomes crucial for translation theory.
• Therefore, when embarking on translation, the
two important points on which register should
be focused are:
• 1- the language user

• 2- the language use

• These 2 parameters consist of certain sub-
parameters:

• 1- Time
• 2- Space
• 3- society
- These parameters define language users only.
• Time:
- relates to the period in which the source text was written.

the translator is confronted by a dilemma.

1- whether to use in the target text a form of language

historically in parallel with the language of the source text.
2- or, opt for the modern one.
-Translators ususally opt for the second option.
• Space:
- The translator is faced with an ST written in a regional language
variant.

- 3 facors are to be considered if the translator wants to reflect it in

the TT:

1- a translator should be knowledgeable on both regional variants

of the target and source text.
• 2- the translator has to determine how impotant the
role of the regional language is, and then consider
the options of either using a standard language, or
simply show the reader that the text contains
regional features.
• 3- if the translator makes up his mind on rendering
the regional features, the question is which regional
variant should be used.
• Society:
- There are certain cases when the TL does not allow some
social markers or a specific kind of language.

- gender specifc titles like « chairman, policeman,

postman » are an example.
- the translator should recognize this and be careful in
dealing with it in a way that does not offend the feelings
of the tatget audience. This fact is known as political
correctness.