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Popovic points out that the process of translation may involve shifts
in the semantic
properties of the text. Shifts do not occur because the translator wishes to ‘change’ a
work, but because he strives to reproduce it as faithfully as possible. Here, Popovic
emphasizes the necessity of shifts and justifies that the reason behind shifts is the
intention of the translator to reproduce the most faithful source text. Popovic explains:
He resorts to shifts precisely because he is endeavouring to convey the semantic
substance of the original in spite of the difference repeating the system of the
original from that of the translation, in spite of the differences between the two
languages and between the two methods of presenting the subject matter (Shift,
79).
The significance and uniqueness of Popovic’s theory lies in the fact that he not only
justifies the translator but also underlines the necessity of shifts. A translator, in the
opinion
of Popovic, resorts to shifts as “he strives to preserve the ‘norm’ of the
original, in spite of the differences in the two languages” (Shift, 80, emphasis in the
original). Thus, the shifts are a result of the translator’s efforts to create the same
‘semantic substance’ in the target language. Moreover, he comments that a translator
has a right to differ with the original:
It is not the translator’s only business to ‘identify’ himself with the original:
that would merely result in a transparent translation. The translator also has the
right
to differ organically, to be independent, as long as that independence is
pursued for the sake of the original, a technique applied in order to reproduce it
as a living work (Shift, 80, emphasis in original).
Remarkably, Popovic observes the ‘shifts’ as a technique used by a translator, for the
sake of the original. The shifts are thus essential and manipulated so as to produce “a
living work”. He goes forward and offers the translator “the right to differ”. An
empirical study of translations shows that the ‘principle manifestation’ of translation
is found in “the shifts of expression, the
choice of the aesthetic means, and the
semantic aspects of the work” (Shift, 81). These shifts are clearly reflected in the
concepts labeled as ‘deviation’, ‘gain’, and ‘creativity’. The researcher has repeatedly
used these labels in his discussions in the succeeding chapters.
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The methods of translation in different periods indicate the aesthetic character of
translation
practice in that period, claims Popovic. He observes an “interpolar
tension” between two types of norms: one type derives from the original and the other
from the translation ideal. When the first kind of norm is emphasized, the faithfulness
to the original is desired. The second kind of norm demands faithfulness to the
original on the overall level. However, the demand of faithfulness concerns the
specific character of the recipient language and culture. So the translator, says
Popovic, “will not strive to preserve all the singularities, but will try to find suitable
equivalents in the
milieu
of his time and his society” (Shift, 82, emphasis in original).
Popovic views the existence of two stylistic norms in the translator’s work: the norm
of the original and the norm of the translation. The norm of the original is a constant
factor and its ‘transubstantiation’ into the norm of the
translation depends on the
“subjective view and creative initiative of the translator”. He adds:
The incorporation of the ‘linguistic impression’ of the original (that is, its style
as a homogenous expression) into the translation cannot be accomplished
directly, but only by means of an equivalent function, namely by appropriate
shifts (Shift, 83, emphasis in original).
The expressive values
change in different languages, because of the difference in
languages. The stylistic shifts are the shifts in “expressive values of the linguistic
means”. These differences arise in the target language due to a particular situation and
in a particular sequence. Popovic remarks:
The shift of expression indicates directions from which and in which the values
of expression move in the translation. The interpretation of such shifts amounts
to the differentiation of qualities in the literary style in conformity with their
arrangement in the text. The identification of the shifts of expression and their
semantico-stylistic interpretation should be considered
as the most important
aspects of translation analysis (Shift, 85).
In Popovic’s opinion, the ‘shifts’ in translation are not just gaps or changes but a part
of the techniques adopted by the translator. Further, they are the indicators of the
changes in the direction of ‘values of expression’ in translation. The shift of
expression is the basic principle governing the changes in the process.
