¹Daniele Duscovich, ²Maria Rosaria Nava

¹Alma Mater Europaea

²Università Europea di Roma

DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2025.v4i11n03

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

Translation Studies are increasingly dealing with the importance of focusing on cultural aspects during the translation process (Bassnett, Lefevre, 1990). From a cultural perspective, it is therefore interesting to analyse the divergent approaches of translators in translating diverse expressive ways in literature (diatopic, distratic, diaphasic and diamesic variations) (Lefevre, 2017), and moreover it is relevant to recall the concept of intercultural competence (Katan, 2009). Being culturally sensitive and careful is a paramount for a translator. The concept of intercultural competence in translation involves a wide range of dimensions such as awareness, flexibility, empathy, respect, curiosity (Deardorff, 2006). It is not enough to have a rough and plain knowledge of culture, but the translator needs to act emotionally, accurately and authentically when approaching a “different perspective” of the world. Their “cultural awareness” is vital and a priority in preserving the intercultural dimension of a translation. The objective of this study is to shed light into the concept of intercultural competence in the field of translation, highlighting some of the challenges and main issues involving the use of AI. Qualitative research will be conducted to: a) analyse the role of the intercultural competences in the activity of the translator in order to understand if recurring to AI does not prejudice cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, or emotional dimensions; b) provide a proposal for a new translation with AI tools to highlight possible issues in detecting the cultural dimension of a literary work, generating misunderstandings or misinterpretations; c) elaborate a translation approach which considers the cultural aspects of characters with a different social and cultural background. This study will focus on four chapters of Dracula by Bram Stoker (chapter 5, 6, 9 and 10), in order to explore the ways in which the characters of Mr Quincey P. Morris, Mr Swales and Dr Abraham Van Helsing express themselves in the English original version of the work, considering micro and macro linguistic elements. Afterwards, the investigation will be moved towards the translating process and the translations into Italian of the same chapters will be inspected, to examine if the translator and the AI software (Google Translator) were able to convey the cultural variations of the three characters above mentioned. In this regard, considerations about the advantages or disadvantages of AI will be discussed. Nevertheless, more empirical research is necessary to generalize this study’s findings and to map out both challenges and advantages in the activity of a translator, especially related to the intercultural dimension.

KEYWORDS:

idiolects, translation, AI, intercultural competence, cultural turn

REFERENCES

1) Agorni, M. 2018. Cultural Representation Through Translation: an Insider-Outsider Perspective on the Translation of Tourism Promotional Discourse. Fuori verbale/Entre mamparas/Hors de propos/Off the Record, 20(11), 253-275.

2) Amos, F. R. 1973. Early Theories of Translation. Octagon.

3) Baker, M. 2001. In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation. Routledge.

4) Bassnett, S. and Trivedi, Ha. 1999. Post-Colonial Translation: Theory and Practice. Routledge.

5) Bassnett, S. 1980. Translation Studies. Methuen. (Rev. edition: Routledge, 1988).

6) Bassnett, S. and Lefevere, A. (eds) 1990. Translation, History, and Culture. Pinter.

7) Bastin, G. L. 2009, Adaptation. Baker, M. and Saldanha, G. (eds.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, (pp. 3-6). Routledge.

8) Benlidayi, I. C. and Gupta, L. 2024. Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation: A Critical Step in Multi-National Survey Studies. J Korean Med Sci, 39(49), 1-8.

9) Bhabha, H. 1994. The Location of Culture. Routledge.

10) Burkhanov, I. 2003. Translation: Theoretical Prerequisites. Rzeszów University Press.

11) Catford, J. C. 2000. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. Oxford University Press.

12) Chomsky, N. 1957. Syntactic Structures. Mouton.

13) Deardorff, D. K. 2006. The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States. Journal of studies in international education, 10 (3), 241-266.

14) Duscovich, D. and Nava, M. R. 2024. Translating Idiolects with a Cultural Approach in Literature. Translation Studies: Retrospective and Prospective Views. Year XVII. Volume 27/ 2024, Casa Cărții de Știință Cluj-Napoca.

15) Ivić, P., Crystal, D. 2024. Dialects. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available on:https://www.britannica.com/topic/dialect#ref1046707

16) Lefevre, A. 2017. Translation, Rewriting, and the Manipulation of Literary Fame. Routledge Translation Classics. Routledge, 2017.

17) Somers, H. 2003. Translation memory systems. Computers and Translation. A translator’s guide. John Benjamins Publishing Company.

18) Stoker, B. 2016. Dracula. Traduzione di Francesco Saba Sardi. Mondadori.

19) Stoker, B. 2004. Dracula. Introduzione e traduzione di Rossella Bernascone. La Biblioteca di Repubblica.

20) Stoker, B. 2025 Dracula. Traduzione di Duscovich Daniele. Independently published.

21) Stoker, B. 2011. Dracula. Penguin Books Ltd.

22) Susam-Sarajeva, Ş. 2003. Multiple-entry visa to travelling theory: Re translations of literary and cultural theories. University College of London.

VOlUME 04 ISSUE 11 November 2025