THE ROLE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN THE PROCESS OF LITERARY TRANSLATION: HOW MUCH CAN IT HELP?

Translating literary works requires some knowledge more than the mere proficiency in both source and target languages, which is undoubtedly the primary necessity of this task. Socio-cultural issues ongoing within a literary text and the aura of the work are to be considered in addition to literary techniques and figurative language at work. Accordingly, the translator is attempting to convey all the emotion of the text thoroughly. Considering the connotation of words and their psychological associations, the reader feels more indulgence and affinity to the work. This research intends to find out how the difference in understanding the mother tongue and the literature of the second language affects the quality of its translation. Ninety percent of the students of English Literature in the University of Tabriz speak their local languages rather than Persian, which is the official language of Iran. Upon exposure to the literature of their mother tongue and the second language, the difference in their motivation level, comprehension of the source text, connection to the aura, a deeper transference of thoughts and emotions, precision of selected equivalents, personal satisfaction of the translator and the joy of translating is notable in their translations.