On Generation And Harmonization Of Translationese By Comparing Versions Of Norwegian Wood In Japanese, Chinese, Korean And English

Multilingual approaches to translationese are taken on the basis of surveys about Norwegian Wood, a best seller by the much acclaimed novelist, Haruki Murakami. In conclusion, translationese, though mostly frowned upon, helps communication while diversifying the target languages.40 surveys were collected with emphasis on the readers'experiences, contributing to the findings in the thesis. The Japanese original showcases the influence of English on Murakami, a striking contrast to his fellow Japanese writers. The unique expressions are hailed by some as refined and attractive.The Chinese version, while embraced for the stylishness, was criticized for sacrificing consistency for formality. The rhetoric rendition displays the translator's ambition to leave a mark, leading to the controversies as for how translationese should be treated. On the other hand, the Korean version was well accepted largely due to the language's affinity to Japanese. Yet, the translator failed in identifying and differentiating where that should not be domesticated. In striking contrast, the English version entailed deverbalization because of the readership. Still, building up of adjectives was regarded unfriendly as it complicated efforts to understand what was between lines.The argumentation in this thesis is that translationese is a double-edged sword, and should be in good hands, otherwise it hurts. Hence, translators or interpreters should be good communicators, learners and readers.