Words Without End: Translatability VS Untranslatability in T. S. Eliot's Poem “Ash Wednesday”

Abstract

Translation used to be considered an inter-language transfer of meaning, which is the point of departure for research and study. Methodology: Many earlier definitions demonstrate this, using source language and target language as their technical terms. Moreover, translation theories strictly confined themselves within the sphere of linguistics. For many years the popular trend in the translation circles had been perfect faithfulness to the original both in content and in form and it had been regarded as the iron criterion as if from the holy Bible for translators to observe. Results: The godly status and the impossible idealistic belief were not altered until new thoughts arose with the respect of consideration of target readers, the unavoidable translator subjectivity and the purpose and function of translations. This thesis, starting to look from new angles such as the accommodation to target cultural conventions, the translator's consciousness of linguistic and cultural adaptations to make it easy for readers to understand translated works without too much pain and effort, and translation as a purposeful endeavour. Conclusion: Translation is then understood as a much more complicated activity with a much broader scope.