문화간 커뮤니케이션으로서의 번역

Translation as a Form of Inter-cultural Communication

Under a definition that translation is a form of inter-cultural communication., this paper draws on theories of culture and communication to discuss how these theories can enhance the understanding of the process of translation. As with other forms of communication, translation aims to achieve its communicative goals by conveying information in such a way that the message is reconstructed to fit the channel capacity of target text readers. In such a process, the translator assesses a wide array of factors from a macro and micro-level, and the judgement on the part of the translator and the strategies employed function as significant factors in the process of translation. The data analysis in this paper revealed that the translator, when encountered with cultural elements which (s)he judges to be unfamiliar to the TT readers, employs various mediation mechanisms such as the provision of additional information, word replacement, and the insertion of superordinates, to name a few. This observation leads us to suggest that the translator as a communicator is required to accurately assess the channel capacity of the TT readers and package/reconstruct the message in accordance with the channel capacity.