Analysis of Strategies used in the Translation of Slang: the Case of Sheng

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to establish the strategies used in the translation of Sheng to English. Sheng is a type of slang that is spoken in the country and whose growth has been witnessed in the media and in literature. The use of Sheng is popular in art forms such as music and spoken word poetry. However, despite its influence in some of these areas, literature in Sheng has not been translated.Music sites are riddled with requests for translations for these song lyrics. In some instances, the translator began the translation task and abandoned it halfway. The study picked out two songs: Angalia saa by Kamaa, Winyo and Kitu Sewer and the song Biceps by the artiste Juliani. These were translated into English by two translators and analysed to establish the strategies that can be used in the translation of slang, specifically Sheng into English. The study also established some of the problems that translators face when translating Sheng which uses a lot of metaphors and analogies. One of the challenges was the use of historical allusions and culture specific concepts which do not always have cultural equivalents in the target language. The study also identified the types of errors arising from the translation which included semantic errors and errors of ambiguity depending on the strategy that the translator used. The study hopes to shed light on some of the strategies that can be used to translate material in Sheng such as the comic books and advertisements so that they can increase their readership or viewership.