Translating Foreign Words in Poe : A Study on Foreignization and Domestication in Translation

Abstract: This study aims to research the different methods used by four Swedish translators to deal with foreign words in translation, focusing on their choices in terms of foreignization [staying close to the original text] and domestication [adapting the translation to make it accessible for readers] and their effect on a Swedish readership. This study’s focus will be on foreign words in the ST. This focus was chosen because it allows for the study to research the conscious decisions of the translators. In the study, four translators’ translations of three of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories will be analysed and compared. The research questions are as follows:  ● How do the translators deal with foreign (non-English) words in the source text?  ● Are the translators more prone to domesticate or foreignize the source text when translating foreign words and to what extent?  ● What are the potential effects of the translators’ choices on a Swedish reader?