A Study of Persian Translations of Literary Features in Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’: (Skopos Theory Framework)

The primary goal of the current study was to approach the translation of literary features, including metaphors and similes in the Persian translations of ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran from the Skopos theory lens. To do so, contrastive content analysis of both SL and TL versions of the Book in terms of the target features and Reiss and Vermeer’s model of Skopos theory of rules of skopos, coherence, and fidelity were followed. Data tabulation and analysis were followed by frequency analysis. The results revealed that in the Persian translation of similes and metaphors, Elahi Ghomsheie has followed both Skopos and coherent rules more than Daryabandari has; however, in terms of fidelity, Drayabandari takes priority over Elahi Ghomsheie, which ultimately proves that Elahi Ghomsheie is a more successful translator than Daryabandari in this very matter. The findings indicate that the target reader and core message is of significance in the translations process, and translation strategy selection is a function of both genre type and translator’s professionalism and background expertise.

Keywords:

Literary Features , Similes , Metaphors , Translation , Skopos