Translating Physical Space

This chapter presents the results from the analysis of the translated texts examining how the differences in the way physical space is conceptualised and promoted in different languages are negotiated during translation, and to what extent translations of tourism texts successfully (re)present a positive image of the destination while accommodating the worldview of the reader. Adaptation is examined in relation to the distribution of the semantic categories of adjectives and, where relevant, the specific adjectives used in each category. Translations that attempt to come close to non-translated texts in the target language through adaptation, while at the same time recognising where adaptation is not required, are considered to successfully bridge the gap between source and target society and to (re)create an image of tourism that is in accordance with how target readers perceive the world, while at the same time maximising the promotional effect of the text.