Comparative Textual Analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Novel “Tender Is the Night” and Its Armenian Translation

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Although the practice of translating is long established, the study of the field developed into an academic discipline only in the second half of the twentieth century. Before that, translation had normally been merely an element of language learning in modern language courses.
Though there have been many serious attempts to arrive at a unified theory of translation, linguists and translation theorists are still in doubt about such a possibility. The idea of formulating a reliable theory is of great significance, since it would systematize the methods and procedures of translation.
According to Catford, “the theory of translation is concerned with a certain type of relation between languages and is consequently a branch of Comparative Linguistics”.
He defines translation as “the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language” (Catford, 1965: 20).
Newmark claims that translation theory is a label, a framework of principles: it is neither a theory nor a science, but the body of knowledge that we have and have still to acquire about the process of translating… Its main concern is to determine appropriate translation methods for the widest possible range of texts or text categories. (Newmark, 1981: 19)
According to Kommissarov, translation theory is not supposed to provide the translator with ready-made solutions of his problems. Theory is no substitute for proper thinking or decision-making. It may narrow the choice or provide a point of departure for the translator՚s consideration, but it cannot guarantee the successful outcome of the translating process. Theoretical recommendations are always of a more general nature. They are formulated to assist the translator in his work, but final success depends on whether they are properly and successfully applied by the translator in each particular case. (Komissarov, 1985: 208-209)