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A Case Study of the Korean-English Translation of Culture-Specific Terms in Who Ate Up All the Shinga?

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Bibliographic Details
Title: A Case Study of the Korean-English Translation of Culture-Specific Terms in Who Ate Up All the Shinga?
Authors: Park, Hyun Kyung1 hkpark@nsu.ac.kr
Source: Theory & Practice in Language Studies (TPLS). Feb2026, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p473-482. 10p.
Subject Terms: *Translating & interpreting, *Criticism, *Scholarly method, *Linguistic context, Korean language, Cross-cultural studies
Geographic Terms: Korea
Abstract: This study examines the translation practices used for culture-specific terms in the Korean-English translation of Who Ate Up All the Shinga?, evaluating their effectiveness in conveying Korea's historical dynamics. The autobiographical novel recounts the author's early childhood under Japanese imperial rule and her college years during the Korean War, in which personal memories are intricately interwoven with public history through the reflective perspective of an elderly narrator. Translation practices for culture-specific words are classified into seven categories: Transliteration, Transliteration with Category Word, Transliteration with Functional Addition, Literal Translation, Semantic Translation, Semantic Translation with Omission, and Historical Exonym. Drawing on Skopos theory, the concepts of foreignization and domestication, and postcolonial approaches, this study analyzes the effectiveness of these practices in delivering historical context. It further proposes compensatory methods, such as contextual paraphrases, explicatory notes, a necessary glossary, and informative appendices to promote cross-cultural understanding without compromising reader accessibility or editorial and market feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:This study examines the translation practices used for culture-specific terms in the Korean-English translation of Who Ate Up All the Shinga?, evaluating their effectiveness in conveying Korea's historical dynamics. The autobiographical novel recounts the author's early childhood under Japanese imperial rule and her college years during the Korean War, in which personal memories are intricately interwoven with public history through the reflective perspective of an elderly narrator. Translation practices for culture-specific words are classified into seven categories: Transliteration, Transliteration with Category Word, Transliteration with Functional Addition, Literal Translation, Semantic Translation, Semantic Translation with Omission, and Historical Exonym. Drawing on Skopos theory, the concepts of foreignization and domestication, and postcolonial approaches, this study analyzes the effectiveness of these practices in delivering historical context. It further proposes compensatory methods, such as contextual paraphrases, explicatory notes, a necessary glossary, and informative appendices to promote cross-cultural understanding without compromising reader accessibility or editorial and market feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:17992591
DOI:10.17507/tpls.1602.14