What to do with should : A Translation Study of the Modal Verb Should

Abstract: Due to vague boundaries, a diversity of meanings and variations of modal strength, the translation of modals might be challenging. This paper investigates the translation of the modal should in a text with recommendations on horse feeding. The translations of deontic and epistemic meanings of should expressing an obligation or necessity are analysed using a framework based on grammatical definitions and linguistic theory. The translation strategies are based on Reiss’ text typology and strategies recommended for informative and operative texts (2000), and Newmark’s communicative translation (1988). Also, procedures of Vinay & Darbelnet (1995) are used to describe some of the translations. The study reveals that majority of the examples are used in the deontic sense and that should is mostly translated as bör and ska. The high frequency of ska might be related to its flexibility and multifunctional properties. Possible translation problems involve differences in the interpretation, where a modal might come across as too strong or too weak to target readers. Another translation problem may arise if the chosen modal can be perceived as less moralising than intended. There are also ambiguous cases that could be said to have both deontic and epistemic meanings. The analysis shows how deontic and epistemic meanings can be determined by context. However, even though a deeper understanding of the topic and an evaluation of the context might support the translation choices, some ambiguity can still be said to remain. The paper concludes that the translation of modals requires thoughtful consideration. A thorough interpretation of meaning related to context and profound knowledge on the topic are equally important in the translation of should.