ABSTRACT
This chapter tackles the intricate links between language, culture and translation. It begins with highlighting the anthropological interest in language, which has always been from the point of view of meaning and relative understanding. We see how ‘meaning’ slowly began to influence Linguistics and finally Translation Studies. One of the key terms is ‘context’, as discussed by the anthropologist Malinowski.
One crucial crossover to Linguistics was marked by the Sapir‒Whorf Hypothesis, which is discussed in detail separating the strong and the weak hypothesis and the lexical from the grammatical.
With regard to lexical labelling, we have intralingual examples of language that can offend or demean certain sections of the community and countermeasures such as the imposition of style guides, politically correct language and censorship. In translation there are further issues such as psycho-cultural gaps, where concepts have no equivalent.
The structure of language also shapes the arbitrary world, creating issues for translation. Examples are given, particularly from advertising, where literal translation has produced well-known gaffes. The chapter concludes by noting that the translator/interpreter will need to monitor their own culture-bound model of the world, as this will also affect the translation.