THE ROLE OF EXTRALINGUISTIC CONTEXT IN TRANSLATION

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to clarify the role of the extralinguistic context in the translation process. Solving this task involves considering translation as an interaction of linguistic and extralinguistic factors to identify the content of the message in different languages, despite the lack of full understanding of the pragmatic level of literary text by the translator. To analyze the extralinguistic context in the translation process, the author used the functional method that involves the study of language in action. Pragmatic analysis was conducted to identify the communicative-pragmatic effect of translated texts on the recipient, the transference of emotions in the process of translation, cultural and mental differences of communicators. Cognitive-onomasiological analysis was conducted in the study of cognitive-gender factors, namely: cognitive abilities of the translator, the interaction of translator and reader, the peculiarities of the translation of any communicative act. Literature review confirmed the scholars’ broad interpretation of the concepts of “extralinguistic context” and “extralinguistic factors” in the translation process. In scientific literature, researchers of extralinguistic factors do not only describe their impact on the overall development of language and its functioning in the society, but also distinguish their communicative significance (as with situation of silence or nonverbal transmission of emotions), and describe their impact on successful translation in situational and linguisticcultural context of communication. We’ve suspected the idea of the ambiguity and multicomponent structure of the extralinguistic context in modern translation science and its important role in the process of reproducing the pragmatic potential of the original text. To provide an adequate translation, it is necessary to take into account the extralinguistic context of the original text, which includes many differences, including the difference between the world pictures of the original author, the reader and the translator; the difference in their background knowledge; differences in linguistic and communicative competencies; cultural and mental differences of communicators, their gender, emotional state, level of culture and value system. We have also identified subjective and objective extralinguistic factors that expand and clarify the concept of extralinguistic context.