Sex, slang and skopos : Analysing a translation of The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance

Sammanfattning: This paper analyses the translation methods used in translating a colloquial, culture-specific text containing allusions and informal language. The analysis focuses on the difficulties arising in the translation of culture-specific phenomena and aspects such as slang and cultural references as well as allusions and language play. The theoretical framework used for structuring the analysis is supported by the theories of Newmark (1988), Nida (1964), Schröter (2005), Reiss (1989), Pym (2010) and Leppihalme (1994), among others. The results indicate that the translation of culturally and connotatively charged words require knowledge and understanding of languages and cultures alike. Further, the results indicate that concept of a word or concept being ‘untranslatable’ may originate from such lack of understanding or knowledge and that further research on the subject is needed.