Equivalence in the Translation of 100 Proverbs from English into Persian

Equivalence in Translation Studies means to establish equal relationships between a source text and a target text. These texts may be of any genre, including proverbs. A proverb is a short statement rooted in a language’s culture which has a figurative meaning and is typically used by speakers of that language. This paper has examined the translation of 100 proverbs from English into Persian according to the notion of equivalence. After a brief overview of equivalence conceptualizations and classifications by several translation scholars, a group of 100 English proverbs were compared against their Persian translations and concluding points were made. It was found that their translation involves attention to both form and meaning simultaneously. The researcher indicated that the translator should firstly ensure to comprehend the proverb’s meaning and then attempt to render its meaning in the target language, while trying to use its aesthetic features to make the two texts equivalent concerning formal properties.

Keywords:

equivalence , proverb , translation , English , Persian