Reformulating Semantic Relations in Translation : With Reference to the Translation of Marlo Morgan’s Mutant Message Down Under

Translating can be defined as an act of reformulating the semantic relations of the original using the language and the knowledge frame and value system of the recipient community. When seen from this perspective, therefore, a successful translation should be the one that both reflects the author s intent and meet the expectations of the recipient community. The present study is designed to investigate translation situations where modifications to the original semantic relations result in a translation that is either inconsistent with the author s intent or problematic in the recipient community. Translation samples cited in the present study have been extracted from American author Marlo Morgan s book Mutant Message Down Under and its Korean version. These examples are classified into three categories labeled: (1) cultural words and expressions; (2) recasting and restructuring strategies; (3) and erroneous interpretation of the source text. The rendering style of the translator is often referred to specifically as a cause of a problematic modification to the semantic relations.