Decision-Making in Literary Translation: A Descriptive Study of Swahili Literary Translations Der Fakultät für Geschichte, Kunst- und Orientwissenschaften der Universität Leipzig eingereichte D I S S E R T A T I O N zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE (Dr. phil.) vorgelegt von Chimoni, Justus Mtende geboren am 15th May 1975 in Kinango, Kenya Leipzig, den 14th December 2016 Table of Contents Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................. iv List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER I .............................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTON ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Presentation of the Problem ................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Research Focus and Central Questions ................................................................................. 3 1.4 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Research Approach .............................................................................................................. 6 1.7 Thesis Structure and Chapter Synopses ................................................................................ 6 SECTION 1 .............................................................................................................................. 8 THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES .......................................... 8 CHAPTER II ............................................................................................................................. 9 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................ 9 2.1 The Concept of Translation for this study ............................................................................. 9 2.1.1 Equivalence as a Relative Relationship ................................................................... 10 2.1.2 Translation and Communication ............................................................................. 13 2.1.3 Translation as a Purposeful Activity ........................................................................ 16 2.2 Decision-Making in Translation .......................................................................................... 18 2.3 Shifts in Translation ........................................................................................................... 20 2.4 Constraints in the Translation Process ............................................................................... 21 2.4.1 Polysystem Theory .................................................................................................. 26 2.4.2 The significance of Context in Translation .............................................................. 29 2.4.3 Relevance Theory .................................................................................................... 29 2.4.4 Transactional Reader Response Theory .................................................................. 30 2.4.5 Subjective Reader-Response Theory ...................................................................... 30 2.4.6 Social Reader-Response Theory .............................................................................. 31 2.5 The Role of Translation Agents in the Translation Process ................................................... 32 2.6 Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................................... 34 2.6.1 Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) ..................................................................... 35 2.6.2 Descriptive Theoretical Framework ........................................................................ 37 2.7 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 42 i CHAPTER III .......................................................................................................................... 44 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY- ......................................................................................... 44 METHODS, PROCESSES AND ANALYSIS .................................................................... 44 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 44 3.2 Overview of Qualitative Research Design ........................................................................... 46 3.3 Research Data and Sample Size .......................................................................................... 47 3.3.1 Extra-textual Data ................................................................................................... 48 3.3.2 Textual Data ............................................................................................................ 50 3.4 Methods of Data Sampling ................................................................................................. 52 3.5 Generating Extratextual Data- In-depth Interviews ............................................................. 54 3.6 Data Recording Methods ................................................................................................... 57 3.6.1 Recording Device .................................................................................................... 57 3.6.2 Note-Books.............................................................................................................. 58 3.7 Data Transcription ............................................................................................................. 59 3.8 Analysis of Extratextual Data ............................................................................................. 59 3.9 Analysis of Textual Data ..................................................................................................... 61 3.10 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 62 SECTION 2 ............................................................................................................................ 64 RESEARCH FINDINGS ....................................................................................................... 64 CHAPTER IV ......................................................................................................................... 65 THE PRODUCTION OF LITERARY TRANSLATIONS ................................................... 65 4.1 About Production of Literary Translations .......................................................................... 65 4.2 Choice of Literary Texts ...................................................................................................... 73 4.3 Identification of Literary Translators .................................................................................. 77 4.4 Translating Literary Texts ................................................................................................... 78 4.5 Publishing Contracts .......................................................................................................... 79 4.6. Advances and Royalties .................................................................................................... 82 4.7 Editing Manuscripts ........................................................................................................... 83 4.8 Policy Requirements in Publishing ...................................................................................... 85 4.9 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 89 CHAPTER V ........................................................................................................................... 91 TRANSLATION AS POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT ............................................................ 91 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 91 5.2 Political Ideologies ............................................................................................................. 92 5.3 The Politics in the Translation of Animal Farm .................................................................... 95 5.4 The Politics in the Translation of the Merchant of Venice .................................................. 104 ii 5.5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 108 CHAPTER VI ............................................................................................................................ 110 LITERARY TRANSLATION AS EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL MEMORY ................................... 110 6.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................