earticle

영어

For successful communication, one needs to speak clearly. To this end, one first needs to arrange information based on chronological or logical order. Once a general order is set, there remains another important point. One needs to decide the order of elements in a sentence or a clause and how to arrange them. The theme, which is the first element that appears at the beginning of a clause, is very important, since it serves as a starting point to deliver new information while, at the same time, connecting the current clause with the previously spoken clause. The theme one selects also determines the form of a sentence. In addition, according to the theme, readability and comprehension by the readers can differ and the objectives of the text may be altered. A translator, therefore, should see that his or her translation conforms to the theme of the original text. Otherwise, the translation of the thematic structure in the original text will appear distorted and difficult to understand. Moreover, the translation may sound awkward and it may convey a different message or meaning in comparison to the original text. The purpose, therefore, of this article is to discuss the problems that arise when a translation text does not embody or conform to the thematic structure of the original text, and to suggest three strategies to use in translating the thematic structure and information structure of an original English text into Korean.