SEMANTIC REPRESENTATION AND THE TRANSLATION OF POETRY

Acknowledged as the most difficult of all types of translation the translation of poetry has provided a focal point for attempts to create a theory of translation. Until recently the focus has been on the comparison and evaluation of originals and their translations, leaving the actual process of the translation of poetry largely neglected. The reasons for this are clear: it is extremely difficult to describe objectively a process that has been universally accepted as inherently creative. It is also problematic to obtain reliable information from subjects under test conditions.! How might the science of linguistics solve the dilemma faced by translation theorists and linguists when attempting to construct a model of translation theory which will encompass "poetic " texts? It has proved extremely difficult to construct anything resembling a theory of translation as such, although various "theories " have been proposed.2 Many linguists have ignored the field of translation studies, which has largely been dominated in recent years by literary specialists, while many translation theorists have neglected to take into account recent advances in modern linguistics.3 Bell suggests that it is now possible to construct an adequate theory of translation,4 or at least a theoretical approach to the translatio