A Quality Assessment Of The Azerbaijani Translation Of Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” In The Light Of Pragmatic Theory

Abstract

A qualitative assessment of the Azerbaijani translation of Harper Lee's 1960 book "To Kill a Mockingbird" is chosen as an object of this dissertation. For this purpose, the pragmatic translation theory framework is applied here. Trying to understand and analyse the relationship between language, context, and culture in literary translation, the study employs a comparative close-reading technique in order to be able to analyse 15 carefully chosen passages from the source and target texts. The analysis assesses the translation's communicative effectiveness, fidelity to the pragmatic intent of the source, and preservation of stylistic, cultural, and contextual nuances in the translation version. Using theoretical contributions from scholars such as Baker (1992), Hatim and Mason (1997), and Nord (2005), the study considers factors such as implicature, speech actions, and functional equivalency in translation. The findings include instances of effective pragmatic transfer as well as areas where tone, sarcasm, cultural connotation, or character voice have not been conveyed in the translation. The suitability of different tactics, such as literal translation, modification, and modulation, is evaluated critically. Even though the Azerbaijani translation accurately captures the main plot and moral tone of the original, there are discernible differences in pragmatic accuracy and stylistic resonance, according to the overall assessment. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for improving the calibre of literary translations and highlights the importance of pragmatic awareness in preserving authorial intent across languages. Implications for future translation studies research, instruction, and translator training are also discussed.