Loss of Meaning in Translation: The Case Study of aNepali Novel ‘Basain’

Abstract

The research paper titled‘Loss of Meaning in Translation: The Case Study of a Nepali Novel Basain’ was an attempt of the researcher to find out the cases of cultural meaning loss in the translation of a novel ‘Basain’. It further aimed to explore the causes of loss of meaning in translation. In addition, it aimed to analyze the ways that can be used to compensate the meaning gap in translation as well. Only the secondary sources of data were used in the study employing descriptive and analytical design along with qualitative data. 22 cases of meaning loss in the translation of the novel Basain were found. The study also explored causes of the loss of meaning to occur in translation. Some of the major causes were pointed out i.e., cultural gap, deletion, negligence of the translator, lack of functional equivalence, lack of co-cultural and socio-cultural knowledge (of the SL) of the translator, over generalization of the meaning, carelessness of the translator, incomplete linguistic knowledge (of the SL) of the translator, transliteration and so on.