Analysis of Transferring Idioms from English to Sinhala

Abstract

Translation is the process of converting one language to another. Each and every language consists of its own terms and traditions. „Idioms‟ are one category of specific terms of languages. Although they are used to express the ideas in a more effective way, they are considered as the most problematic part to handle. Idioms are a kind of linguistic expressions and they are specific according to the language. Therefore translators tend to omit them. It affects negatively the source text (ST) as idioms are also connected with the exact meaning of ST. The objective of this study is to analyse about idioms translation and to examine solutions for the issues that occur during translation. The chosen sample for the research study consisted of 10 students who study Translations Studies at University of Kelaniya. They were given 10 common English idioms to translate into Sinhala. After analysing the data gathered, it could be acknowledged that the way of understanding and translating idioms differ from one student to another. They had translated those idioms understanding only words‟ meaning. Though the idioms that are mutual for both languages can be understood by getting words‟ meaning, some idioms have a periphrastic meaning. Hence the translator should have proper knowledge about those idioms. To be knowledgeable of the traditions and terms of languages is a must, before translation. The translator should examine the diversity of languages as well. Thus, a translation becomes a worth job only if the translator tends to convert the sense in which the author needed to express via his text.