Exploring the Elements of Domestication, Amplification, and Untranslatability in the Urdu Translation of Shakespeare’s Play Romeo and Juliet

Abstract

This study explores the projection of domestication, amplification, and untranslatability in Aali JaaH’s Urdu translation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In order to remove the cultural gap between source text and target text these themes are very useful. The use of these all three themes leads towards a better understanding of the text in the target language and indicates silence of the translator in face of obscene expressions. The study points out domestication, amplification, and untranslatability within a broader spectrum of analysis. Employing the purposive sampling method, the researchers have adopted various examples, highlighting domestication, amplification, and untranslatability from the Urdu text of Romeo and Juliet. Based on the qualitative analysis, the study finds the proposed perspectives of great use since they reduce the gap among the source culture and target cultures. The foundation of this research paper is the functional equivalence model proposed by Eugene A. Nida. Moreover, it is accepted that untranslatability is a prevalent cultural phenomenon that often occurs itself based on morality and beliefs, specifically considering religion. The interpretation of sexuality and nudity in Muslim societies is undoubtedly not encouraged. Due to this, it is recommended to incorporate these techniques adopted in the literary translations to reduce isolation and un-similarity of the texts.