An X-phemism Analysis of the Strategies Used in the Persian Translation of Taboo Language in the Novel Atonement
Keywords:
dysphemism, euphemism, orthophemism, slang, tabooAbstract
Taboo language represents a linguistic variation employed by individuals to articulate their emotions, such as anger, disappointment, and dissatisfaction. This article examines the Persian translation of taboo words and expressions, particularly within the context of Iranian culture with its associated cultural prohibitions and restrictions. To achieve this, the Persian translations of taboo expressions from the novel ‘Atonement’ were collected and categorized into nine categories based on Jay’s model (2009). These categories include obscenity, profanity, vulgarity, epithets, blasphemy, cursing, slang, insults, and scatology. The analysis utilized Allan and Burridge’s (2006) triple framework for examining macro strategies, while Lovihandre et al.’s (2018) framework was applied to evaluate micro strategies. The findings indicated that the translator of ‘Atonement’ employed the macro strategy of dysphemism more dominantly, along with the micro strategies of taboo-for-taboo and substitution. This suggests that the translator did not conform to censorship practices, which is at odds with the prevailing cultural norms of the target society. Finally, a revised taxonomy of taboo translation micro strategies is proposed.
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