The portrayal of Igbo culture in Zulu: a descriptive analysis of the translation of Achebe's Things Fall Apart into Zulu

Abstract

Things Fall Apart (Achebe, 1938) is a classic in African literature written in English, and is now almost synonymous with the African Writers Series, together with the other two texts which form a trilogy. No longer at ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964) This article aims at analysing the manner in which Igbo culture as reflected in administrative and religious terms in Things Fait Apart, the source text (ST), has been transferred to Kwafa Gula Linamasi (Msimang. 1995), the target text (TT). In accomplishing this, a descriptive comparative analysis is carried out in which the translator's strategies are investigated. The analysis reveals that the translator used mainly transference and cultural substitution as strategies. The conclusion drawn following this analysis is that in translating Igbo culture the translator adopted neither a source text-oriented nor a target text-oriented approach, but a compromise.