An Analysis of Cultural Losses in the English Translation of “Endless Field” by Nguyen Ngoc Tu Concerning Translator’s (In)visibility

Abstract

This study analyzed the relationship between cultural losses in translating cultural-specific items in the English translation of “Endless Field” by Nguyen Ngoc Tu, and the translator’s (in)visibility alongside the translation strategies. Data were collected and analyzed by using a qualitative research design and the research instrument of content analysis. The findings indicated a predominance of foreignizing strategies for translating cultural-specific items related to proper nouns, ecology, material culture, social culture, social organization, gestures and habits, and measurement systems. Conversely, domesticating strategies were preferred and effective in retaining source cultural nuances in the translation when translating dialect. The discussion concluded that a moderate visibility of the translator and foreignizing strategies are beneficial for preserving the original culture in the translation. Translators should flexibly intertwine foreignizing and domesticating strategies to achieve the best translation outcomes. The study also prompted a reexamination of Venuti’s (1995) concepts of foreignization and domestication in Vietnamese-English literary translation. Furthermore, this research contributed insights into Vietnamese-English literary translation and called for translation students and practitioners to pay more attention to this field.