Probing Amplification in the Urdu Translation of Barnard Shaw’s Pygmalion

Abstract

This study investigates how Urdu translation of Barnard Shaw’s Pygmalion by Qudsia Zaidi employs amplification. The linguistic naturalness and cultural expressions are obscured by old-fashioned methods of translations, which are rigidly mathematical in a systematic traditional way, presuming a one-to-one match between languages at various levels. This traditional translation approach is outdated to an extent, especially in this modern era where translation is viewed from a broader perspective. Various excerpts from the Urdu translation of Pygmalion that demonstrate amplification are selected, using a purposive sampling technique. Creating a connection between the source and target cultures and filling the perceived gaps in translation process is considered a crucial element in this study through a qualitative analysis. Eugene A. Nida’s model of functional equivalence has been used as the theoretical framework. It is recommended to utilize amplification in the Urdu literary translations to eliminate foreignness and uncover the cultural significances by retaining its essential ingredients from the source to the target text.