Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.17234/Hieronymus.10.4
Unlocking the secrets: Exploring translation strategies for similes and metaphors in the Croatian translation of Donna Tartt’s A Secret History
Romana Čačija
orcid.org/0000-0002-6275-8592
; Sveučilište J. J. Strossmayera u Osijeku
*
Lea Maras
; Ciklopea Translation and Localization
* Corresponding author.
Supplements: H_10_04_Cacija_Maras_appendix.pdf
Abstract
This article examines translation strategies on a sample of 54 similes and 40 metaphors in Donna Tartt’s A Secret History and its Croatian translation Tajna povijest by Tina Antonini. Applying Patrizia Pierini’s and Mildred L. Larson’s classifications of strategies, the analysis reveals that literal translation is a predominant strategy, accounting for over 60% of similes and nearly 90% of metaphors. This reflects a deliberate effort to preserve Tartt’s unique imagery, maintain the source text’s stylistic and semantic integrity, and ensure cultural compatibility in the target language. The article also highlights the translator’s creative use of other strategies, such as image replacement, explicitation, and glosses, to address cultural and linguistic disparities. By demonstrating the practical application of these classifications, the article explores the balance between fidelity and creativity in figurative language translation, offering insights that could contribute to refining translation strategies and furthering practical studies in cross-linguistic literary contexts.
Keywords
figurative language; similes and metaphors; translation strategies
Hrčak ID:
333151
URI
Publication date:
6.7.2025.
Visits: 379 *