Sikter/Via/Piantala: Comparative Analysis of Traditional (Im)Politeness Strategies in the Original and in the Italian Translations of the Novel the Bridge on the Drina

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on pragmatic aspects of translation, specifically the possibility of transferring politeness norms from one language and culture to another. For the research corpus, we have chosen Andrić’s novel Na Drini ćuprija (eng. The Bridge on the Drina) and translations in the Italian language by Bruno Meriggi (1960) and Dunja Badnjević (2001). Using this selected corpus, we aim to investigate he translation strategies employed for politeness. The process itself is complex, as politeness, politeness norms, and strategies for the modulation of speech acts differ from one culture to another, meaning that a linguistic phenomenon considered (im)polite in the source text may not have the same effect in the target language. Therefore, if a translator does not want to lose the essence of the text, they must take
into account the cultural and social norms of the language. To determine the translation strategies used, we analyzed a convenience sample of passages from the original and the two translations containing speech acts of orders, insults, and threats. The modulation of these acts is analyzed within the framework of traditional politeness theory (Brown & Levinson 1987). The research shows that politeness norms are most often translated literally, and rarely adapted. Such procedures lead to a loss of intensity in the  illocutionary force of speech acts in cases where culturally marked strategies of (im)politeness are used.