Proper Names in Translation: Should They be Translated or Not?

Abstract

One of the most problematic elements that translators grapple with in the translation of literary works is proper names. The contention is whether or not proper names should be translated. Proper names are the raw materials the writer uses to mould credible characters and provide the reader with both overt and implied information. Proper names in literary texts are therefore central elements that a translator has to handle with prudence. For instance, proper names in a work of literature raise problems in translation from one language to another, in that a name may have a meaning in one culture but become meaningless in another. These may be further complicated by the fact that names may suggest information about gender, age, race, origin, particularised meaning, and linguistic and cultural productivity. However, quite often proper names are superficially considered in translation presumably because they are untranslatable and ought not to be translated. But, when we consider some of the proper names in translated works, this is not the case. Some scholars maintain that proper names have meaning; they therefore need to be translated, but strategically.