Torah, Na. An analysis of Myanmar proverbs and their English translation. Master's Degree(English for Professional Development). Mae Fah Luang University. The Learning Resources and Education Media Center. : Mae Fah Luang University , 2016.
An analysis of Myanmar proverbs and their English translation
Analysis of Myanmar proverbs and their English translation
Abstract:
This study examined and classified Myanmar proverbs according to their literary devices and explored proper methods for translating them into English. Initially analyzed using Norricks method (1985), the Myanmar proverbs were divided into five categories, namely, synecdochic, metonymic, metaphoric, hyperbolic and paradoxical proverbs. Five proverbs from each category were translated into English using three translation methods, which were literal translation, semantic translation and idiomatic translation. These methods were selected based on Newmarks target language and source language bias theory (1981). To acquire quantitative data on translation comprehensibility, five sets of questionnaire were used for the five categories of proverbs, each comprising questions for five selected proverbs translated using the three different translation methods. The questionnaires were answered by volunteer fourth-year English majors at Myanmar Institute of Theology in Yangon, Myanmar. The survey result showed that idiomatic translation was the most comprehensible method for translating Myanmar proverbs into English, confirming that Norricks theory of proverb categorization was applicable to translating Myanmar proverbs.
Mae Fah Luang University. The Learning Resources and Education Media Center