Translation Challenges and Strategies of Multilingual Texts in Mediterranean Archaeological Sites

Abstract

In the archaeological sites of the Mediterranean region, multilingual texts serve as crucial historical and cultural resources, offering unique insights into the complex linguistic and cultural interactions of the area. These texts encompass a variety of forms, ranging from inscriptions, religious texts, business contracts, to personal letters, reflecting the region's rich history of cross-cultural exchange. However, translating these multilingual texts into modern English presents researchers with numerous challenges at linguistic, cultural, and contextual levels.

This study aims to systematically analyze the characteristics of multilingual texts in Mediterranean archaeological sites and their specific challenges in English translation. Firstly, the thesis categorizes the multilingual texts found in the Mediterranean region and discusses their uniqueness in grammatical structure, lexical choice, semantic expression, and cultural background. These texts often involve several extinct or rarely spoken languages, such as Ancient Greek, Latin, Phoenician, Aramaic, and Ancient Egyptian, which complicates the translation process. Secondly, the paper elaborates on the main issues encountered during translation, including semantic and grammatical mismatches, difficulties in converting culture-specific terms, and the risk of context loss and mistranslations due to damaged or incomplete texts.

Through case studies of multilingual texts from Mediterranean archaeological sites, this research reveals the key challenges of translating these texts into English and analyzes the translation strategies for different types of texts in terms of context reconstruction and cultural meaning transmission. Additionally, the paper proposes an interdisciplinary research approach, integrating archaeology, history, linguistics, and other multidisciplinary knowledge, to address the complex issues in the translation process through cultural adaptation, context supplementation, and collaborative translation. This method not only enhances the accuracy and integrity of translations but also provides a new perspective for studying ancient Mediterranean culture.

The findings of this study will offer valuable theoretical and practical guidance for translation studies and archaeology, as well as a reference for future research on multilingual text translation and intercultural communication. By deeply understanding the complexity of multilingual texts in Mediterranean archaeological sites and their translation challenges, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding and interpretation of the diversity and historical development of ancient Mediterranean cultures.