Page 17 - Translation Journal July 2015
P. 17
ghtly from the dialect of its neigbours. If an Igbo writer introduces his local dialect into his writing, the translation of such a work will pose
some difficulties to the translator. Here are some examples:
Source Language (Igbo) Target Language (English)
Éè (Standard Igbo)
óolò (Owerri dialect)
Wàwà (Enugu dialect) No
Mbà (Onitsha dialect)
Ije ọma (Standard Igbo)
Deèje! (Nsukka dialect)
Gaànu! (Otampa dialect) Safe journey
Keemesia! (Onitsha dialect) She is a baby-sitter.
Ọ na-eku nwa. (Standard Igbo)
Ọ na-ere nwa. (Nteje dialect) She sells a baby.
Ọ na-ehe nwa. (Otampa dialect) She flies a baby.
Ọ na-eghe nwa. (Amaeke dialect) She fries a baby.
Comments:
Presumably, someone who is only familiar with the standard form of the Igbo language will find it difficult to decode such words
as óolò, deèje, etc. Also, the literal translation of the various dialects in respect of Ọ na-eku nwa (Standard Igbo ), gives somewhat
embarrassing results because baby-sitting , which is the message being conveyed by the utterance, has nothing to do with baby selling/
flying/frying.
4.6 Lexical Ambiguity
Wikipedia, free encylopaedia explains to us that certain words present meanings depending on the contexts in which they are used. This
condition poses translation problems to the translator, thereby results in fidelity erosion in translating. Below are a few examples :
(i) strike
Source Language (English) Target Language (French)
The teachers strike the pupils with a Les enseignants donnent des coups de bâton aux élèves.
cane. Les enseignants sont en grèves.
The teachers are on strike. On a trouve du pétrole dans notre village.
They strike oil in our village.
Comments:
In the table above, the word strike means a different thing in each of the three contexts in which it has been used. A quack
translator, who does not have mastery of the English language, runs the risk of translating mistranslating them contextually.
4.5 Structural Ambiguity
Below is a typical example of an Igbo utterance presenting structural ambiguities due to the absence of tone-marking. Such structural
ambiguities can lead to considerable fidelity erosion in translations.
(i) akwa Target Language (English)
Source Language (Igbo)
i. Ị kwara ákwà. You made a cloth.
ii. Ị kwara ákwá. You wept.
Translation Journal - July 2015 | 17
some difficulties to the translator. Here are some examples:
Source Language (Igbo) Target Language (English)
Éè (Standard Igbo)
óolò (Owerri dialect)
Wàwà (Enugu dialect) No
Mbà (Onitsha dialect)
Ije ọma (Standard Igbo)
Deèje! (Nsukka dialect)
Gaànu! (Otampa dialect) Safe journey
Keemesia! (Onitsha dialect) She is a baby-sitter.
Ọ na-eku nwa. (Standard Igbo)
Ọ na-ere nwa. (Nteje dialect) She sells a baby.
Ọ na-ehe nwa. (Otampa dialect) She flies a baby.
Ọ na-eghe nwa. (Amaeke dialect) She fries a baby.
Comments:
Presumably, someone who is only familiar with the standard form of the Igbo language will find it difficult to decode such words
as óolò, deèje, etc. Also, the literal translation of the various dialects in respect of Ọ na-eku nwa (Standard Igbo ), gives somewhat
embarrassing results because baby-sitting , which is the message being conveyed by the utterance, has nothing to do with baby selling/
flying/frying.
4.6 Lexical Ambiguity
Wikipedia, free encylopaedia explains to us that certain words present meanings depending on the contexts in which they are used. This
condition poses translation problems to the translator, thereby results in fidelity erosion in translating. Below are a few examples :
(i) strike
Source Language (English) Target Language (French)
The teachers strike the pupils with a Les enseignants donnent des coups de bâton aux élèves.
cane. Les enseignants sont en grèves.
The teachers are on strike. On a trouve du pétrole dans notre village.
They strike oil in our village.
Comments:
In the table above, the word strike means a different thing in each of the three contexts in which it has been used. A quack
translator, who does not have mastery of the English language, runs the risk of translating mistranslating them contextually.
4.5 Structural Ambiguity
Below is a typical example of an Igbo utterance presenting structural ambiguities due to the absence of tone-marking. Such structural
ambiguities can lead to considerable fidelity erosion in translations.
(i) akwa Target Language (English)
Source Language (Igbo)
i. Ị kwara ákwà. You made a cloth.
ii. Ị kwara ákwá. You wept.
Translation Journal - July 2015 | 17
