Leaving it out: On some justifications for the use of omission in translation
Babel: Revue internationale de la traduction/International Journal of Translation, 53 (1):
56--77 (2007)Abstract
Omission in a translation is often referred to as if it were invariably a weakness, regarded as the last resort for incompetent translators; and this paper begins by illustrating some contexts where omissions do indeed constitute serious flaws in a translation. However, it goes on to argue that there are a number of circumstances when omission may be judged a valid and useful solution to a translation problem. For instance, omission may be a justifiable way of dealing with certain elements which are found to be untranslatable, such as metalinguistic references, context-specific or culture-specific content. It may also be judged an adequate strategy for dealing with content which is perceived as unacceptable to the target audience, and whose presence in the target text will therefore have negative effects on the way it is received by this audience.Thirdly, it may be resorted to when an inclusive translation will yield effects very different from those sought after in the original, for instance producing an effect of exoticism instead of familiarity, or one of obscurity instead of banality. Finally, translators may be justified in omitting what would be perceived as unnecessary or redundant by the target audience. The paper brings examples from a variety of text types to illustrate these possibilities. However, it is emphasised that omission should always be the result of a process of reasoning and reflection rather than an escapist solution.