Literary Translation from a Stylistic Perspective

Abstract

This paper is intended to lay some grounds for aspects of literary translation both in theory and in practice. It provides definitions for basic terms and concepts of the major topics and issues pertaining to literary translation. Among the terms and concepts essential to the readers/students’ background knowledge in this connection are: Literature, literary language vs. non-literary language; the literariness of literature, literary translation vs. non-literary translation, the literary translator and methods of literary translation. The paper ends with setting forth a creative literary stylistic method of translating literature. These points are scrupulously elaborated and updated to reflect the latest in the field.

The ultimate objective of this paper is to provide a view of a number of means and requirements of a good literary translation today, and finally set forth a relatively creative approach to literary translation based on a literary stylistic method.