Translation: An integration of cultures

The article discusses translational activity from an Indian point of view. In India, it is the Indian version of English which functions as the ‘lingua franca’ in cultural contexts. The author posits that translation involves cultural transfer in addition to linguistic meaning, and discusses the models of Diller & Kornelius, Eugene Nida. and Otto Kade. He shows that they can all be made to comprise cultural co‐ordinates. This is then exemplified in two translations of Orissan poetry where man‐woman is an important cultural co‐ordinate, leading to the conclusion that the translator is a creative agent in the integration of cultures.