How to Tackle Translation Problems in a Text on Rugby : Translating culture and style in “Football, Identity, Place: The Emergence of Rugby Football in Brisbane” by Peter Horton

Abstract: Abstract This is a study of translation problems encountered during the translation of the article “Football, Identity, Place: The Emergence of Rugby Football in Brisbane” by Peter Horton. Focus is directed at two different types of translation problems. One of them concerns the cultural differences between the readers of Horton’s text and the translated text. Swedish readers are rather unacquainted both with the sport of rugby and with Australian geography. As a consequence, it may be problematic to translate rugby terms or geographical names. These kinds of problems were often solved by transferring the cultural word and/or adding explanations to the translated text. The second type of translation problem concerned the stylistic level of the text. The translated text is aimed at a broad readership and therefore the stylistic level had to be lowered. Four different techniques were used to make the translation less formal than the source text. One of them was to avoid nominalizations by using a corresponding verb form instead. A second technique was to reduce the number of parenthetical insertions. Thirdly, it could be done by using fewer words before the finite verb to make sentences less left-heavy. And the forth technique involved choosing common everyday words rather than uncommon or formal words.