CULTURAL LOSS AND TRANSLATIONAL STRATEGIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF URDU-ENGLISH IDIOMATIC TRANSLATION IN LITERARY TEXTS

Abstract

Translating culturally-loaded idioms from Urdu into English presents significant challenges due to deep-rooted cultural, religious, and metaphorical meanings embedded in the source language. This study investigates how such idioms are rendered in English literary translations, focusing on selected works by prominent Urdu authors including Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Saadat Hasan Manto, and Ismat Chughtai. Using a qualitative comparative analysis, the study draws on Skopos Theory, Nida’s Dynamic Equivalence, and Mona Baker’s strategies for idiom translation to examine ten culturally rich idioms and their English equivalents. Findings reveal that paraphrasing is the most commonly used strategy, but often leads to cultural loss and flattened tone, while equivalent idioms retain meaning but replace culturally specific imagery. Literal translation is rarely employed due to lack of clarity in the target language. The study highlights how Sufi, rural, and religious idioms often lose their symbolic richness in translation, impacting narrative depth and character portrayal. The research underscores the importance of cultural awareness and contextual sensitivity in literary translation and suggests that translators must balance fidelity to cultural nuance with the communicative needs of the target audience.