Lexical Choices and Cultural Nuances in Urdu Translations of “The Alchemist”: A Comparative Analysis
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17063692
Keywords:
Translation, philosophy, meanings, deconstruction, interpretation, context.Abstract
The aim of the present study is to investigate the variation in semantic interpretation in the translation of cultural terms. This research attempts to address the challenges faced by translators while translating cultural and lexical terms and the sensitivity of meanings involved in the process of translation from one language to another. An English literary work, ALchemist by Paulo Coelho, and its three Urdu translations by Syed Alauddin, Abass Somro and Umar Alghazali have been selected as the source and target texts, respectively. The study aims to compare the meanings of the Urdu translations of the English text to identify specific obstacles faced by the translators. The research further seeks to adopt suitable strategies to overcome these hindrances for attaining the most accurate meanings of cultural and lexical terms. This study is a modest contribution to understanding that translators must go beyond surface-level meanings, delving into deeper meanings to convey philosophical concepts effectively. Additionally, it provides a platform for further research on the challenges of translating philosophical content
