REALIA
Realia are words and expressions for culture-specific items.
As realia carry a very local overtone, they often represent a
challenge for translators. They cannot be confused with
terminology, as it is mainly used in scientific literature to
designate things that pertain to the scientific sphere, and usually
appears in other kinds of texts to serve a very specific stylistic
purpose.
Realia, instead, are born in popular culture, and are increasingly
found in very diverse kinds of texts. One of its main purposes is to
convey an exotic touch (fiction).
Realia are of three types:
Geography
physical geography: pampa, fjord, mistral, steppe, tornado,
tsunami
geographic objects tied to man’s activity: polder
endemic species: kiwi, koala, sequoia
Ethnography
everyday life: paprika, spaghetti, empanada, sauna, kimono,
etc.
work: carabinieri, concierge, machete, trade unions, etc.
art and culture: tarantella, banjo, gong, commedia, allegro,
Santa Claus, vampire, murals, launeddas, etc.
ethnic characterizations: cockney, gringo, yankee
measures and money: mile, kilometer, lira, peseta, talent, etc.
Politics and society
administrative divisions: region, province, county,
department, state, bidonville, arrondissement, souk,
promenade…
organs andfunctions: agora, forum, duma, senate, chancellor,
tzar, pharaoh, ayatollah, etc.
political and social life: peronist, Ku Klux Klan, partigiani,
lobbying, lord, untouchables, samurai, etc.
military: cohort, phalanx, marines
How should we translate REALIA?
To translate realia, various strategies are possible: they range
from phonetic transcription to the translation of the overall
meaning. Toury classifies them in different degrees ranging
from adequacy (closeness to the original)
to acceptability (making the word entirely consistent with the
target culture):
Transcription or transliteration of the word, letter by letter or
character by character (when the original word is written in a
different alphabet).
Transcription according to the TL pronunciation rules. For
instance, the Hindi word Kašmir becomes cachemire in French.
Creation of a new word or calque, such as the English flea
market inspired by the French marché aux puces
Creation of a new word, analogous to the original one, but
which has a more local sound & appearance, e.g. muezzin from
the Arabic mu'adhdhin
Use of a different but related word from the SL, pretending it is
the original word. For instance, the Italian word cappuccino is
often translated into English as latte, which in Italian means
“milk”.
Making the meaning explicit, such as Jewish
temple for synagogue
Replacement of the word with a similar, local one, such as the
French art nouveau (literally “new art”) for Jugendstil
Replacement of the word with one that is more generic or
international, such as red wine for Beaujolais
Addition of an adjective to help the reader identify the origin of
realia, as in the Argentine pampa
Translation of the overall meaning. For example, the English
sentence Does the National Health Service cover this drug?
could become, in an American context, Is this drug expensive?
The choice among these possibilities depends on several elements:
text
addition of exoticism: do we want it?
adequacy is preferred to acceptability when the aim is to avoid
the ambiguity that can arise from the use of more culturally
neutral translations
realia importance & familiarity
not all languages are equally open to “foreignisms”, and
speakers of that language may not be familiar with realia.
reader
References:
Toury, G. (1985). A Rationale for Descriptive Translation Studies.
In Theo Hermans (ed.) The Manipulation of Literature: Studies in
Literary Translation. London, Sydney: Croom Helm
Osimo, B. 2004. Manuale del Traduttore. Seconda Edizione.
Milano: Editore Ulrico Hoepli.
Vlakhov, S., Florin S. 1986. Neperovodimoe v perevode. Moskva:
Visshaya Shkola
