Issues in translation and translatability of texts

Abstract

This paper critically examines the problems of translation and translatability of texts, highlighting on different types of texts. It also distinguishes between the four broad areas of languages. It analyses views of scholars on translation and translatability of texts such
as Jakobson and Bassnet. It explains what translatability of text means and types of untranslatability. It discusses the linguistic and cultural untranslatability. The paper also classified the translatability of texts into four as indicated by Wiles. It concluded that not
everything in the source text can be reproduced in the target text if the translation could possibly survive.