한국 문학의 영문 오역

Abstract

This study attempts investigate representative English mistranslations of classical, modern, and contemporary Korean literary work by translators whose primary language is English. Based on the assumption that there is no such thing as a perfect translation, the paper argues that most of the translators of Korean literature have made what Aveling calls "dumb mistakes"―so dumb, in fact, that these mistranslations have been a stumbling block to the introduction of Korean literature to the global community. This article investigates specific reasons why the translators have made such mistakes. A careful reading of translations of Korean literature reveals that mistranslations vary widely from mere oversight to culture-specific problems. This article classifies those typical mistakes and errors into roughly eight categories: mistranslations due to 1) careless reading of source texts, 2) disregard of typographical errors, 3) inattention to special uses of language, 4) a lack of understanding of proverbial expressions, 5) insensible reading of culture-laden expressions, 6) ignorance of archaic and obsolete words, 7) improper comprehension of rhetorical uses of language, and 8) superficial understanding of Chinese idiomatic expressions. Overall, this article concludes that an ideal translator should pay special attention not only to the language but also to the culture of a target text.