Eco-Translatology: A Study of Adaptation and Selection in the Urdu and Pashto Translations of Ghani Khan’s The Pathans: A Sketch

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze the Urdu and Pashto translations of The Pathans: A Sketch from an Eco-Translatological perspective which is based on Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest". The study follows qualitative method, and the mentioned translations are used as data source. Additionally, secondary sources are also consulted. This research focuses on three-dimensional transformation in translation, namely, linguistic, cultural, and communicative. It assesses the degree of adaptability of translators to the eco-environment of translation. It is evident from the findings that the translators have adapted to the ecology of the target texts from three dimensions (linguistic, cultural, and communicative) by using different strategies to adapt and select components from the text as per the requirement of eco-environment of translation. As for the degree of adaptation, a comparison of the two translations shows that the Urdu translator has a greater degree of adaptation than the Pashto translator, and the purpose of adaptation is to enhance the readability of the target text. This study has implications for translation studies and teaching.