Some Notes Towards Degrees of Literariness in Two Persian Translations of Nietzscheʼs Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Abstract

In recent years, linguists and stylistics experts have become aware of the significance of lexical arrangement as a means of ascertaining and exploring the organization of concepts in the mind. The researchers argue that analyzing lexical items in terms of their literariness and interrelationships in semantic space makes the lexicon of a language doubly meaningful. However, there are not many studies in literary translations focusing on literariness in terms of lexicon on the translated works of Persian literary translators. More specifically, not a single research has been done on aspects of literariness in Nietzsche’s translated works in Iran using the paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes until today.p Therefore, this research is an attempt to contribute to Persian literary translation by providing insights regarding choice of literary words used by the two Persian translators of Nietzscheʼs Thus Spoke Zarathustra. This research revealed that Dariyoush Ashouri not only has had a better choice of literary words, but he has managed to approach Nietzsche’s poetic language in arrangement of the words. Rahim Gholami has employed the common and available words for translation. Consequently, Ashouri’s translation is considered far more literary than Gholami’s translation, because of his wide range of literary words.

Keywords: Literariness, Lexicon, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Jakobson, Nietzsche.