김훈의 『칼의 노래』 일본어 번역본 고찰

Abstract

This study compared and contrasted “칼의 노래The Song of the Sword” published by Hoon Kim in 2001 and its Japanese translated version “孤将Kosho” to focus on the dislocation and connection of the different languages and cultures. The analysis result could be summarized into the following. First, the Korean and the Japanese versions are different in paragraph structure and the use of conjunction words. While the Korean version changes paragraphs according to the ‘imagery’ of the main character, the Japanese version focuses on the transition of storyline and logical development and increased legibility through the logicality and causality of narration by constantly using conjunction words. Second, in the Korean version, the pronoun ‘I’ occurs frequently since the first󰠏person narrator ‘I’ leads the narration, while the Japanese version omits it in many parts and adds more situational explanations surrounding the ‘I.’ The Japanese version also did not translate onomatopoeias, the keywords in the Korean version, and it did not show only am ambiguous part of the onomatopoeias even if it did translate them, and gave the regular object descriptions for any personifications. Third, to translate culture, a translator’s footnotes, additional explanations, and deletions were employed. By adding Korean cultural aspects that did not exist in the Japanese culture, the Japanese version attempted at a cultural communication, but some of the cultural elements were misunderstood due to partial deletion. A translation of any language does not end as the modification of language. Translation meets with the translator’s intention during its journey from the source language to the target language and it also meets with the language, culture and the climate of the target language. A translated literary work is unique and original in its own way because it is born into a portmanteau from the source language.