Tharaka Communication Style as a Translation Problem: The Use of Metaphors in Tharaka Translation

Translation is a kind of communication. A translation is done because there is a need to communicate to the target audience the contents of the text that is being translated. A good translation should be accurate, clear, natural and acceptable to the audience. A natural translation should take into consideration the style of communication of the target culture. The aim of my study was to investigate the communication style of Kîîtharaka and determine how much this style is a translation problem. The research objective was to investigate whether Tharaka people use metaphors in discourse in general and especially in argumentation.

The research was carried out among the speakers of Kîîtharaka from four locations namely: Mutino, Ntugi and Gatunga locations in Tharaka Nithi County, and Tharaka Location of Kitui County. The four locations were chosen to represent the four dialects of Kîîtharaka. The findings are that Kîîtharaka uses metaphors extensively and more so in argumentation. So any texts that employ metaphors will be following the natural style of communication of Kîîtharaka. Therefore, such texts will be natural Kîîtharaka texts. The converse is therefore true that any texts that avoid the use of metaphors especially in argumentation will be unnatural Kîîtharaka texts.