Building a Balanced
Organizational Culture – Imagery in Corporate Storytelling
Metaphors and Translation
Author: Maria Eriksson Supervisor: Magnus Levin Examiner: Jenny Ström Herold Term: VT20
Subject: English
Abstract
This study investigates the use of metaphors in corporate storytelling and the strategies that may be applied when translating these from English to Swedish. The conceptual metaphor theory was used as a starting point for the investigation of structural metaphors in particular. The results reveal that the most common translation strategy was keeping the same conceptual metaphor in the target text. The second most common strategy was changing into a different metaphor. Moreover, metaphors were often omitted which results in a translation with less evocative imagery. The metaphorical concepts organism and building were found to be the most frequent. The weave metaphor was frequent in storytelling, and the organism, building, and machine metaphors were common in business contexts, similar to what earlier studies have found. Some conceptual metaphors were less frequent in the translation due to cultural differences, although both similarities and differences were encountered when analyzing the metaphorical expressions in detail. The study also reveals that an awareness of organizational metaphors is fundamental in order to render an inspirational and persuasive text in this genre as accurately as possible, while at the same time being faithful to the style and imagery in the original.
Key words
Cognitive Linguistics, Conceptual Metaphors, English, Management, Organizational
Culture, Storytelling, Swedish, Translation Strategies
Table of contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Aim 2
1.2 Material 2
1.3 Method 3
1.3.1 Translation method 3
1.3.2 Translation strategies and terminology 4
1.3.3 Analysis method for metaphors 8
2 Theoretical background 9
2.1 Metaphor as a basis for human understanding 9
2.2 The conceptual metaphor and cognition 10
2.3 Metaphorical concepts used to develop understanding in organizations 11
2.4 Strategies for translating metaphors 13
3 Analysis 15
3.1 Quantitative analysis 15
3.1.1 Metaphors identified 15
3.1.2 Translation strategies in the TT, related to stories and organization 17
3.2 Qualitative analysis 18
3.2.1 STORIES ARE ORGANISMS 18
3.2.2 STORIES ARE SPUN 20
3.2.3 STORIES ARE BUILDINGS 21
3.2.4 ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING 24
3.2.5 ORGANIZATION IS A MACHINE 25
3.2.6 ORGANIZATION IS A PRISON 26
4 Conclusion 28
1 Introduction
Storytelling can play a big role in a company’s success as it builds identity and shows direction, making it easier for employees to deliver what is expected. By using metaphors in storytelling, the story becomes more evocative for the intended reader in a corporate setting.
This study addresses the question of how figurative language is translated without losing meaning in the target text (TT). The source text (ST) is from a chapter in the book Story Factor – Inspiration, Influence and Persuasion through the Art of Storytelling. The purpose of the ST is to inform of positive effects of corporate storytelling (a concept widely spread in the US which has, in recent years, started to interest corporate leaders in Sweden).
According to de Régules (2014:89) “[n]ew ideas and concepts are slippery, but if they connect with familiar ideas by way of metaphor, the mind can grasp them”. Metaphors are thus vital for our understanding in everyday life. In management, metaphors are important tools when achieving consensus in an organization (Morgan 2006:6). The metaphorical concept AN ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING is found several times in the ST, and an example can be observed below together with the corresponding translation.
(1) Their new stories began to deconstruct the old organizational culture and build a more balanced set of stories that protected rest as a shared value. [p. 174]
Deras nya historier började bryta ner den gamla organisationskulturen, och istället spreds historier där man lyfte fram det gemensamma värdeordet ”vila”.
The conceptual metaphor is illustrated by the verbs deconstruct and build. The organization is
viewed as a building in a figurative way, constructed piece by piece. This metaphor has been
interchanged in the TT, instead conveying the metaphorical concept STORIES ARE
ORGANISMS. Ingo (2007:118) suggests that metaphors in fiction have an emotive function,
a fact that needs to be addressed by the translator. The metaphor is translated differently in
order to render the same feeling, which may change the reading experience. A hypothesis in
this study is that certain metaphors in corporate storytelling play an important role and should
therefore be rendered as faithfully as possible by the translator in order to work as intended
for readers in a new target culture.
1.1 Aim
The aim of this study is to investigate metaphors related to stories and organization in the English ST and determine which strategies that can be used to translate these into Swedish.
The analysis focuses on the following questions:
1. What strategies are used in the translation of metaphors from English to Swedish in the selected material, and what factors affect the choices between them?
2. To what extent are these strategies used in the TT?
3. What similarities and differences in metaphorical expressions can be observed in the ST and the TT?
1.2 Material
The source text is from chapter 10 in the book Story Factor – Inspiration, Influence and Persuasion through the Art of Storytelling by the American author Annette Simmons, first published in 2000 (revised second edition in 2006), the chapter containing a total of 6199 words. The ST is both expressive, as in example (2) below:
(2) “I still have trouble calling myself a storyteller.” (ST p.186)
and imperative, as in (3):
(3) “Look for Patterns […]” (ST p.183)
and to a certain extent also informative, as in (4):
(4) “The most dramatic display of the power of fear stories in recent history is the story of Hitler […]” (ST p.177).
The ST can be said to be expressive, as it appeals to the reader’s emotions. Ingo (2007:244) notes that the expressive text stems from the author’s subjective feelings, attitudes and experiences and has an esthetical component which delivers pure enjoyment to the reader.
The same can be said about this ST. Moreover, it is also informative as Ingo (2007:127) states
that an informative text conveys knowledge, data, and information, and Simmons (2000)
delivers her knowledge on storytelling in the ST. Ingo (2007:216) furthermore describes the
informative text as a narrative one; telling stories about the past, the recent, the now, and the
future, which applies to the ST. Finally, the imperative (directive) function of a text is, according to Ingo (2007:217), instructive and convincing. The ST is thus also imperative as it gives advice on how to construct a story, in combination with illustrating examples.
Additionally, the ST can be placed within the genre of business discourse. The intended reader is an employee of an organization, probably a manager who wants to improve employee communication and achieve a positive culture within the company. The style of the language is quite informal. The author is talking to a friend, no specific business terminology is mentioned, and can thus be said to include the generally interested reader as well.
Furthermore, the author uses personal pronouns such as I, you and we which is indicated by Biber & Conrad (2009:115) to be a typical conversational feature, and not so often found in written material. This fact may serve as evidence that the stylistic level is informal and that the translator therefore should opt for the same conversational style.
The ST furthermore makes elaborate use of metaphors and figurative language which can be particularly challenging for a translator, as Crerar-Bromelow (2008:80) suggests that these features often are culturally bound. The method used in this study is further discussed here below.
1.3 Method
This section is divided into three parts: Translation method (1.3.1), Translation strategies and terminology (1.3.2), and Analysis method for metaphors (1.3.3).
1.3.1 Translation method
History has shown that it would be impossible to achieve an exact translation of a source text.
Translation theory and the question about translatability goes back to Cicero (106–43 AC) and St Jerome (347–420 AC), and the debate about best possible translation strategy being “word- for-word” (literal) or “sense-for-sense” (free) (Munday 2012:30). Translation is complex since in order to stay true to the ST, by translating word for word, the TT may suffer from too much interference from the source language and culture, resulting in unidiomatic structures.
On the other hand, a free translation can instead involve changes to the TT which moves too
far away from the original intention of the author. In modern times the debate on
translatability continues, and according to Schäffner (2004:1255) “translation is not a simple
substitution process, but rather the result of a complex text-processing activity”. On another
note, Ingo (2007:339) argues that a good rule in translation is trying to achieve a TT which is
as exact as it can possibly be, and as free as the situation calls for.
In modern days focus has shifted from a linguistic approach to a cultural and contextual approach (Munday 2012:22). Rike (2013:70) suggests that the translator is a
“cultural mediator”, concentrating on rendering the same meaning in a new target culture, rather than a literal translation, and should act as an advisor on cultural aspects. In addition to this, Newmark (1988:21) points out that translation is a matter of discussing and finding support for the chosen solution, rather than giving a final solution. The translation is consequently never a fixed text and always subject to different opinions.
The first step in the translation process was reading the ST as a whole to grasp the context and the style of writing. Parallel texts were consulted in order to respect genre conventions and keep the same style and terminology. The COCA corpus (Davies 2010) and Språkbanken TEXT were used to find suitable collocations for the genre, as well as to examine frequencies and stylistic connotations. After this initial screening, the ST was translated in accordance to Vermeer’s skopos theory, emphasizing a TT “which is appropriate for its specified purpose (its skopos) for target addressees in target circumstances […]”
(Schäffner 2004:1255). According to skopos theory, both function and purpose of the translation is paramount to a translator (Munday 2012:127). In addition, a certain degree of cultural adaptation was employed as Ingo (2007:128) suggests that the reader should feel the same way when reading the translation. The equivalent word was carefully selected, comparing the different connotations. Compensation was used at times to compensate for inevitable losses in translation. Adding a portion of transcreation at carefully selected instances also made the TT more fluent and compelling to the new Swedish audience. Both semantical and pragmatical issues were thus addressed. With this background on translation method, the following section introduces general translation strategies and relevant terms for this study.
1.3.2
Translation strategies and terminologyAccording to Ingo (2007:20), four basic aspects should be taken into account during a
translation: grammatical structure, language variety (style), semantic structure (meaning) and
pragmatical considerations (context). The translation is considered successful when these
requirements are met; the grammatical structure is in accordance to set norms in the target
language, the style is appropriate to the specific genre, the correct semantic information is
rendered, and the text is working pragmatically in the intended context. Ingo (2007:27)
stresses that the pragmatic aspect is usually the most dominant, and similar to Ingo, Schäffner
(2004:1254) points out the importance to consider “situational factors, genre or text-
typological conventions, addressees’ knowledge and expectations, and text functions”, all considered in the present study.
In order to achieve a TT that works as intended, Ingo (2007:168) points out the importance of a word’s connotation. The literal meaning of a word is denotation, while connotation instead refers to the emotions that arise. Semantic prosody is described by Hunston & Thompson (2000, in Partington 2004:131) as evaluative language indicating the author’s attitude or stance towards what he/she writes, e.g. if there is a negative or positive meaning behind a word. Partington (2004:106) further mentions that there are always clues in the specific context which can help with interpretation, making it easier for the translator to opt for a word with a similar connotation.
Newmark (1988:21) adds that a writer’s approval and disapproval depends on text interpretation, and that the semantic prosody thus may be subjective. Consider the words story and berättelse which both have the same denotation but may, depending on context, differ in connotation as in (5):
(5) This is the story of my life. Det här är min livsberättelse.
“This is the story of my life” is often used in a negative context, referring to “these bad things happen to me all the time”, compared to livsberättelse, which is rather neutral. The translator will need to pick out the most appropriate equivalent in order to achieve a similar effect as the ST. By equivalent, Ingo (2007:154) refers to words that are not identical on a semantic level but still transfers the necessary pragmatic information, as in (6):
(6) […] breathe life into it”. [p.172] […] ger du den nytt liv.
In this example the imagery is different as in the ST you breathe into something, but the way of giving life is not explicit in the TT, but the same information is still rendered.
Another resource available for the translator is explicitation; “implicit information in
the ST is rendered explicit in the TT” (Munday 2012:92). This may be used to explain a
phenomenon not known to a new target reader and can consequently make the reader
experience more satisfying. An example of this is observed in (7):
(7) […] a great word, terminal. [p.180] […], terminal som i slutstation.
The explicitation som i slutstation has been added since the target reader may not be aware of the double meaning of terminal in English. Worth nothing is that additions are similar to explicitations, but an explicitation is, according to Séguinot (in Seruya & Miranda Justo 2016:92), an addition that “cannot be explained by structural, stylistic, or rhetorical differences between the two languages”.
At times, the only option for the translator is omission; to omit information from the ST, which may result in a loss in the TT. Compensation can be used to “make up for (‘compensate’) [the loss] by introducing a gain at the same or another point in the text”
(Munday 2012:92). Ingo (2007:86) further develops this, mentioning that typical features of the genre can be displaced freely in the TT. This may be considered a balancing act carried out by the translator and can make the reading experience resemble the ST despite small changes throughout. An example of this is found in (8):
(8) […] people who call themselves an
“artist” too easily. [p.186]
[…] personer som kallar sig för ”konstnär”
utan att blinka.
Here, utan att blinka is a figurative expression in the TT, but not in the ST, as it is only explained literally in the source text and may thus be viewed as a compensation.
In other instances, the expression used in the ST will not make sense to the new reader and a paraphrase may be a good solution; explaining the (often culturally bound) phenomenon. In (9), the American fluff is interchanged in the TT:
(9) […] a fluff magazine. [p.183] […] en oseriös tidning.
The paraphrase explains the ST metaphor, removing the imagery of fluff which would be unidiomatic in Swedish.
Ingo (2007:123) observes semantic additions as a useful resource when an exact
translation may seem incomplete or unbalanced. Semantic additions are new components of
meaning, e.g. an adjective or an adverb which are not present in the ST, e.g. when Ja in Swedish needs to be translated into “Oui, Madame” in French in order to sound right in the TT (Ingo 2007:132).
As globalization has made cross-cultural communication more important than ever, this of course also affects the translation field and in recent years focus has shifted to the cultural aspect. Ingo (2007:153) states that adaptation refers to the cultural adaption of a text, often necessary when translating expletives and other culture specific words, as in (10):
(10) CULTURE KEEPER [p.172] ATT VÄRNA OM KULTUREN
The noun culture keeper is rendered as a verb, as kulturbevarare was not found idiomatic. In addition, a euphemism may be a cultural adaptation if the word’s connotation is too strong for the TT. A euphemism is using a word softer connotation (Ingo 2007:109). This may be necessary when connotations differ from one culture to another, as in (11):
(11) […] handcuffs […] [p.177] […] bakbundna händer […]
Handcuffs can be argued to symbolize a forceful procedure, whereas bakbundna händer instead may render a difficult, but more neutral, situation.
Besides this, a concept introduced lately is transcreation, referring to creative translation moving further from the ST, as for example in (12):
(12) There were smiles. [p.174] Leenden började smyga sig fram hos var och en.
Here, new text has been added in the TT: började smyga sig fram hos var och en, as the TT
would sound unidiomatic if rendered literally. Pedersen (in Morón & Calvo 2018:129) states
that transcreation “can involve the creation of a new text as well as the translation or
adaptation of existing source text elements”, which suggests that there may be a thin line
between adaptation and transcreation. Rike (2013:72) defines transcreation as a form of
translation intertwined with creativity where “[t]he translator is seen as taking an active, creative part in the communication process”, recreating a text in another language to maximize impact on a specific market. According to Rike (2013:72), “[t]ranscreation is an approach used in particular for websites, marketing and advertising texts […]”, closely resembling localization (target audience adaptation) although localization does not include the creative part. The pragmatic aspect of a translation is important to consider if there are substantial cultural differences, and Ingo (2007:127) points out that adapting the TT, usually by adding, shortening or adapting, may be necessary at times. Transcreation may thus be seen as a pragmatic approach, making the translation fit for purpose in a new culture. The methodology used to carry out the analysis is explained next.
1.3.3 Analysis method for metaphors
The analysis investigates frequency and translation strategies of metaphors. Earlier research has focused on English language and American business culture, but translation strategies, Swedish language and Swedish business culture have not yet been considered. This study offers a new cultural perspective on the translation of metaphors within storytelling, and the use of corpora gives a more pragmatic view than previous studies as the material retrieved is taking both context and actual usage into consideration.
The material analyzed is the author’s original text. Any quotes or references to other authors have been removed as the focus of this study is on contemporary language use.
Besides this, there are numerous methods for identifying metaphors and conduct analysis on retrieved material. It is therefore of importance to stress that a high degree of subjectivity was involved in this current study. The analysis offers by no means an exhaustive list of all metaphors in the chosen ST but is rather a suggested approach and can act as a starting point for further investigation.
A quantitative analysis was performed as an initial step, counting metaphors in order to
present an overview of figurative language in both the ST and the TT, as well as the various
translation strategies found. Newmark (1988:106) suggests that any word can be a metaphor,
and that it all depends upon context. In this study, a word was considered a metaphor where
the specific word, in a specific context, had a different meaning from the original meaning of
the word. As previously mentioned, a high degree of subjectivity was involved in the process,
since much is based on the investigator’s intuition and subjective findings. In order to reach a
higher degree of objectivity, any uncertainty of words or metaphorical concepts were
consulted in the Oxford English Dictionary (the OED). The words appearing in the dictionary
were then not selected as they were considered lexicalized. When all the metaphors had been selected, they were categorized into concepts, in cognitive linguistics referred to as
“conceptual mapping” (Schäffner 2004:1258), which is described in section 2.2.1. All metaphors related to stories and organizations were then selected for further investigation.
After this, a qualitative analysis from a cognitive perspective was performed to further develop the discussion, where some relevant examples were examined in detail. Lakoff &
Johnson (1980) and their conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) served as the starting point for this cognitive approach. The metaphorical expressions were compared in the ST and the TT, in order to find correlations, similarities, and differences. Corpora (the COCA corpus and Språkbanken TEXT) were used to investigate frequency and find suitable collocations. The analysis was limited to structural metaphors related to stories and organization. The translation strategies were then analyzed based on the suggestions from Schäffner (2004:1267) and further developed to suit the current study, which is described in detail in section 2.4.
Combining quantitative and qualitative analysis of figurative language occurring in the ST, and comparing these to the findings in the TT, was assumed to give further insights on metaphorical concepts in the genre, as well as provide information on important factors when translating metaphors. In the following section, the theoretical background on figurative language, corporate storytelling, and suggested translation strategies are discussed further .
2 Theoretical background
In section 2.1 the basics of metaphors are covered, and in 2.2 the conceptual metaphor theory and the cognitive approach are introduced. The use of metaphors in corporate storytelling is explored in section 2.3, along with a discussion on translation strategies for metaphors and relevant strategies for this particular study in 2.4.
2.1 Metaphor as a basis for human understanding
According to the OED, a metaphor is ‘a figure of speech in which a name or descriptive word
or phrase is transferred to an object or action different from, but analogous to, that to which it
is literally applicable: an instance of this, a metaphorical expression’. In other words, a
metaphor is an object, or action, described by an image of something else which shares some
similarities with the object/action. Lakoff & Johnson (1980:5) claim that “[t]he essence of
metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another.” Dagut (in
Schäffner 2004:1256) on the other hand, describes metaphor as an “individual flash of
imaginative insight”, dependent on cultural context. Grisham (2006:491) recount “[m]etaphor [as] a technique that has been used for centuries, and can both serve to help consolidate one’s thoughts, and to communicate complex ideas to followers.” Aristoteles (in Dobrzyńska 1995:596) describes the metaphor as “an interpretative problem, a puzzle”, and furthermore suggests that “it is a puzzle with no unequivocal or ultimate solution” (Dobrzyńska 1995:596). Considering the above, metaphor is crucial for our human understanding, is culturally bound, makes communication smoother and is certainly a complex feature of our language.
The complexity of metaphors and strategies on translating these are further discussed in 2.4. In the next section, the cognitive approach to metaphor and the conceptual metaphor theory is introduced.
2.2 The conceptual metaphor and cognition
As previously stated, this study takes a cognitive approach on metaphors. Metaphors, according to Lakoff & Johnson (1980:3), are not limited to our language only, but are indeed an essential part of our thoughts and actions. As Lakoff & Johnson (1980:6) imply that we live according to a conceptual system which is, in many ways, built on metaphors, we should use the term “metaphorical concept” when referring to metaphors.
Furthermore, Lakoff & Johnson (1980) state that metaphors can be divided into the different subtypes: structural, orientational, and ontological metaphors. Structural metaphors can be systematized by way of our own experiences (ibid.:61). ARGUMENT IS WAR is an example of a structural metaphor where an argument is structured as if it was a war, e.g.:
“Your claims are indefensible”, “I demolished his argument”, and “I’ve never won an argument” (ibid.:4). Orientational metaphors are instead spatial: up-down, in-out, front-back etc. (ibid.:14) e.g.: “I’m feeling up” (HAPPY IS UP). Up, in and front are in the western world considered positive. Ontological metaphors, on the other hand, are making our experiences more intelligible where abstract becomes concrete, e.g. INFLATION IS AN ENTITY, “Inflation is lowering our standard of living”, and “We need to combat inflation”
(ibid.:25). In this study only structural metaphors are examined qualitatively due to space constraints.
According to Kövecses & Re’ka (2008:7), conceptual metaphors make abstract
concepts more concrete, meaning that we can better understand the world we live in. As an
example, Lakoff & Johnson (1980:7) illustrate the metaphorical concept TIME IS MONEY
which makes it easier to grasp the abstract issue of time with metaphorical expressions like
“you are wasting my time”, “this gadget will save you hours” and “you’re running out of time”. TIME IS MONEY is a metaphorical concept tied to modern industrialized society, where time is valued as an important resource.
Another important aspect of conceptual metaphors is indicated by Lakoff & Johnson (1980:12) as they explain how metaphors are highlighting versus hiding aspects, giving us only a partial understanding of a matter. In this way a metaphor may be misleading, a fact one must be aware of both when creating stories and translating metaphors. The metaphorical expressions in the example above have been categorized, belonging to the concept TIME IS MONEY. This sorting of expressions is called mapping and Kövecses & Re’ka (2010:4) state that metaphorical expressions come from the concrete domain. Furthermore, mapping, is described by Min (2018:93), as a cognitive process replacing the original domain (concrete, familiar and intuitive) with the target domain (abstract, unfamiliar and conceptual), and is vital in order to understand a metaphor. In other words, with the previous example (in 2.2) in mind, the target domain is the abstract (TIME) and source domain is the concrete (MONEY).
The metaphorical expressions belonging to this conceptual metaphor are: “you are wasting my time”, “this gadget will save you hours”, and “you’re running out of time. Kövecses &
Re’ka (2010:10) propose that we unconsciously map metaphorical expressions and that these mappings only appear when closely analyzing metaphors. Also of interest, when comparing mappings between two cultures, Crerar-Bromelow (2008:81) found that although linguistic terms may be very different from one culture to another, in many cases metaphorical thought processes are similar.
The mapping of metaphorical expressions has been fundamental in this study, and the following section introduces common metaphorical concepts within corporate storytelling which served as a starting point when categorizing the expressions found in the material.
2.4 Metaphorical concepts used to develop understanding in organizations
Stories have always been important in our human lives and go back to our ancestors, sitting by the fire, telling stories (Heijbel 2010:8). As human beings we are constantly looking for ways to connect, and by listening to and telling stories we communicate and build a common ground. Nowadays, stories have taken a central role in how organizations communicate.
According to Grisham (2006:486) a leader can achieve a sense of trust and empathy when
adding metaphors to corporate stories, which leads to more effective and inspiring leadership.
Storytelling has made this easier as leaders can get the information across in a more compelling, emotive way, but another crucial aspect is that it can also help build understanding, as Grisham (2006:497) explains that complex concepts are made accessible and easy to understand with the help of metaphor and storytelling. Furthermore, Cohen (in Grisham, 2006:489) speculates that metaphors can establish a closer connection between the speaker and the hearer, something which ought to be a vital element when a leader is speaking to employees. In addition, Denning (in Grisham, 2006:495) implies the similar importance of storytelling and how it can help achieve business goals. Morgan (2006:184) furthermore stresses “the power of evocative imagery", which may explain why metaphors are common features in corporate communication. Morgan (2006:6) continues to describe eight organizational metaphors by which an organization is often conveyed; as either a machine, an organism, a brain, a cultural system, a political system, a psychic prison, an instrument of domination or as flux and transformation. A close examination of machine, organism, brain, prison, and four additional concepts found to be the most relevant in this study is carried out.
As mentioned earlier, Lakoff & Johnson (1980:10) suggest that a metaphor highlights one aspect but at the same time hides another. The conceptual metaphor ORGANIZATION IS A MACHINE is, according to Morgan (2006:13), a machine metaphor highlighting organizations like machines which may lead to an inhuman way of thinking, where the organization and its employees are expected to act in a mechanical way. The machine metaphor is consequently limited as it clearly hides the human aspect of the organization.
Morgan (2006:28) further claims that the machine metaphor in isolation can create substantial damage to a company, a fact which management need to be aware of.
In contrast to the above, Morgan (2006:34) points out that the organism metaphor within an organization instead emphasizes the people within; real humans that need to be nourished in order to be healthy, grow and work efficiently. All in all, it seems that by combining the machine metaphor and the organism metaphor, a leader may be able to turn a company into a well-oiled, thriving organization, and similar to the organism metaphor mentioned by Morgan (2006), Kövecses & Re’ka (2010:10) discuss the metaphorical concept
“[SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE PLANTS]”, describing the mapping from source to target as this:
SOURCE TARGET
The whole plant = the entire organization
Growth of the plant = development of the organization The fruits or crops = the beneficial consequences Metaphorical expressions
He works for the local branch of the bank.
Our company is growing.
They had to prune the workforce.
The organization was rooted in the old church.
There is now a flourishing black market in software there.
His business blossomed when the railways put his establishment within reach of the big city.
By viewing the organization as an organism (or plant), Morgan (2006:65) suggests there is an emphasize on the interchanging environment, which can result in openness and flexibility.
Another interesting metaphor for this study is the brain metaphor which highlights the modern organization as a workplace that is constantly processing information and is continuously learning to become “learning organizations” (Morgan 2006:6). Kövecses &
Re´ka (2010:18) consider the human body “as an ideal source domain, since, for us, it is clearly delineated and (we believe) we know it well”.
Furthermore, the prison metaphor seems to be common in this genre. Morgan (2006:211) suggests that the prison metaphor describes a “groupthink”; where organizations can be “psychic prisons” as the people involved may unconsciously become trapped in their own culture and consequently be limited to a certain way of thinking. This metaphor may lead to blind spots, which can result in failure (Morgan 2006:209).
Besides the organizational metaphors observed by Morgan (2006), Skorczynska (2012:1) found in her research that “[…] building, journey and nautical metaphors are more widely used in […] project management […]”. Similarly, Kövecses & Re’ka (2010:4) discuss the conceptual metaphors which view “theories in terms of buildings” and “social organizations in terms of plants”, which are in line with the findings of both Morgan (2006) and Skorczynska (2012).
This section has described how humans use stories as a way to connect, and how this is of major significance also in the corporate world where certain metaphors are added to corporate stories to make an impact. Morgan (2006:XI) suggests that leaders can become more efficient when they understand common metaphors within organization and management, and, thus, in section 3 also the most frequent metaphors found in the ST (related to stories and organization) will be examined. The next section focuses on strategies available for translating metaphors.
2.4 Strategies for translating metaphors
Translation theory has shifted focus in recent years, from an earlier linguistic approach
towards a contextual and cultural approach (Schäffner 2004:1255). Metaphor is, according to
Newmark (1998:104) a complex matter in translation as the translator needs to firstly
understand the full meaning behind the metaphor, and secondly stay true to the sense and connotation in the translation. Dobrzyńska (1995:595) argues that the understanding of metaphors depends on the specific cultural context and may therefore be a very difficult task in translation. Schäffner (2004:1256) further stresses the problems of preserving the equivalent image in a translation, since the associations may be lost, or the metaphor may be an unknown concept to a reader in a new cultural context. In line with Dobrzyńska (1995) and Schäffner (2004), Calleja (in Samaniego Fernandez 2002:56) mentions translatability of metaphors being mainly dependent on cultural proximity, which indicates that the further away the source and target cultures are, the more difficult the translation of metaphors will be.
As has been previously mentioned in section 2.2, Lakoff & Johnson (1980) developed the conceptual metaphor theory (CMT); an approach on understanding metaphors on a cognitive level, as being deeply imbedded in our minds. Crerar-Bromelow (2008:83) finds conceptual metaphors to be useful tools for translators as they are highly flexible; with CMT the translator is no longer limited to finding an exact match for the TT metaphor. Regarding metaphors in translation, Schäffner (2004:1267) identifies five possible translation strategies, with CMT as a point of departure:
1. Identical conceptual metaphor at macro-level, in both ST and TT, without observing individual occurrences at micro-level (Brücke über den Atlantik
→ transatlantic bridge).
2. In ST, replacing structural components of the base conceptual schema by expressions that make entailments explicit (feste Wohnung → apartment).
3. TT has a more elaborate metaphor (a long way to go → ein weiter Weg).
4. Identifying different metaphorical expressions in both ST and TT, still belonging to the same conceptual metaphor (roof → umbrella).
5. Another feature of the conceptual metaphor is displayed in the expression in TT (mit einer Stimme → act as one).
Schäffner (2004:1267) points out that these data have been observed and may be “potential translation strategies” but are by no means “ready-made solutions”.
In this analysis Schäffner’s model was used, but two scenarios were excluded as they
were not found relevant in the current study (scenario 2 and 5). Two other categories were
added as Schäffner’s model was found not sufficiently detailed to cover all findings: metaphor
found in ST only (omission), and metaphor found in TT only (addition). In total, six
categories were chosen for the analysis: categories 1, 3–4 above, different conceptual
metaphor, omission and addition. It was found that an adapted version of Schäffner’s method,
in combination with Lakoff & Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, would be a suitable approach in order to answer the research questions earlier proposed, and gain an understanding both from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. The next section offers insights on the selected material in detail.
3 Analysis
This section explores the conceptual metaphors found. In the quantitative part, frequency of metaphors and translation strategies are revealed. In the qualitative part examples are discussed, demonstrating similarities and differences in order to gain a deeper understanding of metaphors within corporate storytelling, to establish which concepts that may be important in a business context, and how these features are rendered in the TT.
3.1 Quantitative analysis
Frequency of metaphors in both texts are examined, as well as the metaphorical concepts to which they are mapped. In addition, the translation strategies used in the TT, related to stories and organization, are accounted for in order to get an overview of recurring strategies.
3.1.1 Metaphors identified
The metaphors were mapped into metaphorical concepts, and in Table 1 the distribution of figurative expressions in the two texts are specified, divided into different types of metaphors.
Table 1. Metaphors in the ST and the TT
Type of metaphor ST TT N % N %
Structural metaphors 179 74% 139 70%
Orientational metaphors 10 4% 12 6%
Ontological metaphors 48 20% 48 24%
TOTAL 237 100% 199 100%
The findings in Table 1 indicate a slightly higher occurrence of metaphors in the ST, which implies that some metaphors have been omitted in translation. An interesting finding is that structural metaphors are the most common, which may be explained by the ST’s focus on stories and storytelling (which often stem from previous events), and as mentioned by Lakoff
& Johnson (1980:61), structural metaphors systemize our experiences.
Structural metaphors were selected to be analyzed in detail. The frequency of structural metaphors in the ST and the TT respectively, and the metaphorical concepts they were mapped within, are shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. The distribution of metaphorical concepts in the ST and the TT
In total, 13 metaphorical concepts are frequent enough (more than one occurrence) to be mapped. Out of these 13, three are equally frequent in both texts (LIFE IS A STORY, PEOPLE ARE SHIPS, ORGANIZATION IS A PRISON), two have major deviations from one language to the other (STORIES ARE SPUN, STORIES ARE ADVERTISEMENTS). In nine concepts the TT has a lower percentage of metaphorical expressions, indicating a loss of imagery. Some metaphorical concepts are mapped within OTHER, showing that the figurative language is not limited to the addressed concepts. In total, 10 metaphorical concepts are related to stories and organization and are outlined in black (see Figure 1).
This data indicates that the metaphorical concept STORIES ARE ORGANISMS is the most frequent. STORIES ARE BUILDINGS is the second most common. A particularly interesting finding is that two metaphorical concepts are almost non-existing in the TT:
STORIES ARE SPUN and STORIES ARE ADVERTISEMENTS. The four most prominent
metaphorical concepts are discussed in section 3.2 (STORIES ARE ORGANISMS, STORIES
ARE BUILDINGS, ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING and ORGANIZATION IS A
MACHINE). Two metaphorical concepts are also compared in regard to cultural differences (STORIES ARE SPUN and ORGANIZATION IS A PRISON).
The quantitative analysis indicates some differences, and the following section investigates strategies used, with the aim of understanding why these differences occur.
3.1.2 Translation strategies in the TT, related to stories and organization
This section examines strategies used when translating metaphors related to stories and organization. Table 2 shows the six translation strategies and the frequency of each strategy per metaphorical concept. Only strategies pertaining to stories and organization are examined further, being the main focus of this study. As the percentage is fairly low and mostly concentrated to translation strategy I, only real numbers are considered.
Table 2. Translation strategies related to stories and organization
METAPHORICAL CONCEPTS TOTAL I III IV V VI
STORIES ARE ORGANISMS 54 32 7 10 2 3
STORIES ARE SPUN 16 3 0 1 12 0
STORIES ARE BUILDINGS 29 14 5 4 4 2
STORIES ARE FIRES 5 3 0 2 0 0
STORIES ARE USED IN WAR FARE 6 3 1 0 2 0
STORIES ARE ADVERTISEMENTS 4 1 0 2 1 0
LIFE IS A STORY 5 5 0 0 0 0
ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING 7 2 0 4 0 1
ORGANIZATION IS A MACHINE 10 6 0 1 3 0
ORGANIZATION IS A PRISON 4 0 3 0 0 1
TOTAL 140 69 16 24 24 7
Translation strategies I–VI I. Identical conceptual metaphor II. More elaborate metaphor in TT III. Different metaphorical expression, still belonging to the same conceptual metaphor IV. Different conceptual metaphor V. Omission VI. Addition
The findings reveal that a large majority of all TT metaphors are identical to the ST
metaphors. Schäffner (2003:1267) found that both identical and different conceptual
metaphors occurred equally frequent in translation of metaphors. In contrast to her findings,
identical metaphors in this study are considerably more frequent, which may depend on
subjective factors. The main translation strategy is number I: identical conceptual metaphor
(49%). Worth noting is that the more elaborate metaphor (II) is not found in metaphors related
to stories and organization. Different conceptual metaphor (IV) and omission (V), both have
the same occurrence of 17%, different metaphorical expression, still belonging to the same
conceptual metaphor (III) reached 11%, and 5% are additions (VI).
The quantitative analysis reveals that structural metaphors are the most frequent. Six metaphorical concepts were selected for further examination and are discussed in the qualitative analysis, with the aim of a deeper understanding of translation strategies used.
3.2 Qualitative analysis
Six metaphorical concepts were found relevant to this study as they are related to stories and organization, and interesting differences have been observed (STORIES ARE ORGANISMS, STORIES ARE SPUN, STORIES ARE BUILDINGS, ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING, ORGANIZATION IS A MACHINE, and ORGANIZATION IS A PRISON).
3.2.1 STORIES ARE ORGANISMS
As shown in Table 2, STORIES ARE ORGANISMS is mostly (60%) translated into an identical conceptual metaphor (I). According to Morgan (2006:6), the organism metaphor is used in corporate communication as both the needs of the organization, and the outer relations play a central role. With metaphors we are better inclined to understand the birth and development of organizations; they are born, grow, develop, decline, die and adapt.
As noted previously, stories are vital parts of an organization and in example (13) an image of a story as a living organism is observed:
(13) Every time you tell a story you breathe life into it. [p. 172]
Varje gång du berättar en historia ger du den nytt liv.
Here, the conceptual metaphor is the same in the TT, but the metaphorical expressions differ (strategy III, different metaphorical expression), and is thus similar to Schäffner’s roof → umbrella (Schäffner 2004:1256). The metaphor is derived from the action of reviving someone, using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. A literal translation would be andas liv i den.
Ger du den nytt liv is an option, but in order to fully render the metaphor it may be better to
choose the phrase blåsa liv i as in: “då formade Herren Gud människan av jord från marken
och blåste in liv genom hennes näsborrar, så att hon blev en levande varelse“ (Bibel 2000, 1
Mos 2:7). The quote is from the creation story, and the Bible can be argued an important
foundation in western countries, indicating that the biblical reference will do well thanks to
cultural similarities shared by USA and Sweden, in accordance to Calleja’s statement (in
Samaniego Fernandez 2002:56). If the translator chooses blåsa liv i it would be a double
metaphor: religious and living entity. Morgan (2006: 8) proposes that “[…] the metaphor is
central to the way we “read”, understand, and shape organizational life”, which indicates that metaphors should be handled as important building stones in corporate texts. And, according to Ingo (2007:128), the translation should activate a similar feeling during the reading experience, as if reading the original text. Searching for blåsa liv i in Språkbanken TEXT gave 815 hits, some within the same genre as the ST, as “blåsa liv i historien och människorna”, “blåsa liv i den bleka historien”, and “blåsa liv i en handling”, which suggest that this is a common expression and would be a suitable equivalent. On the other hand, a search for ge nytt liv results in lower frequency (115 hits), mostly used in the context where something old (or dead) is revived, as in “ge nytt liv åt gamla myter”, and “ge nytt liv åt förhållandet”. Newmark (1988:21) describes translation as more of a continuous process than a fixed text, always with different options available. Comparing the two alternatives by connotations and findings, the best option could be argued to be blåsa liv i.
As noted above, the organism metaphor may be used when stories are “given life”.
Example (14) also refers to the organism metaphor when stories within an organization are imaged as breeding fear:
(14) No individual consciously chooses to tell himself a “loser” story, and no organization consciously breeds fear stories. [p. 174]
Ingen människa väljer medvetet att berätta historier för sig själv om att misslyckas och ingen organisation skapar skräckhistorier medvetet.
The same conceptual metaphor is used in the translation (I) but there is still a certain loss as breeds is changed into another metaphorical expression: skapar, which can be compared to Schäffner’s bridge example (Schäffner 2004:1259). Breeds and skapar both belong to STORIES ARE ORGANISMS but according to the OED, breeds often has a negative connotation as in “[…] figurative ‘to breed bad blood’”, although at times it is neutral: ‘to produce (offspring, children)’. Skapar, on the other hand, is mostly neutral and described by SAOL: ‘få något nytt, ofta konstnärligt, att uppstå’, which infers that something new is happening but does not have the same imagery of bad occurrences. Språkbanken TEXT provides data showing that skapar may be used in a negative context: “skapar obalans”, and
“skapar stora problem”, although the positive connotation seems to be more common. The
negative connotation of breeds is also found in the COCA corpus (Davies 2010): “breeds
fear”, and “breeds desperation”. These results show mostly negative associations, although a
few positive ones are identified (e.g. “breeds success”). However, the negativity is somewhat
lost as skapar is more neutral. An alternative could be föder, to keep part of the metaphorical sense (giving birth). Ingo (2003:169) states that to find a semantic equivalent, both denotation and connotation should be fulfilled. In this case breeds and skapar are closely linked by denotation but have different connotations, therefore a certain loss in the TT. Språkbanken TEXT reveals that föder is commonly used when describing abstract things, as in “tankar och synpunkter föder nya idéer”, and “vänlighet föder vänlighet”, which would consequently be a better equivalent. Besides connotational considerations, Schäffner (2004:1254) stresses the importance of text function in translation. As the ST addresses corporate managers looking to develop the organization through storytelling, examining the two metaphorical expressions (breeds and skapar) reveals that both are structured around creating something. This can be compared to the findings of Kövecses & Re’ka (2010:10) and their mappings of the development of an organization, viewed metaphorically by the growth of the organism, where in this case creating would consequently be referring to developing. Furthermore, and in line with Crerar-Bromelow’s (2008:83) statement that a translator applying CMT can use a more flexible translation strategy, the deviation from the ST in this example may consequently be an acceptable approach. Skapar was found suitable in this genre where the metaphorical imagery still has to be kept, as it has an important text function.
“To give birth”, unquestionably belongs to the organism metaphor. In the next section, STORIES ARE SPUN and the metaphorical expressions connected to it are investigated.
3.2.2 STORIES ARE SPUN
The conceptual metaphor STORIES ARE SPUN and corresponding metaphorical expressions related to threads (describing woven fabric as in: “weave your new story with the old one”), demonstrates a weave as source domain, and a story as target domain. This metaphor is also found in a parallel text, where Rehnberg (2017:9) explains how stories are viewed as a weave, e.g. “en väv med många trådar […]”, and how the plot is tied together, e.g. “[…] händelser […] binds samman”, which suggest that this is a common metaphor in the genre. Analyzing the translation strategies reveals that this concept is omitted (for the most part), which indicates a loss of figurative language in the TT. Three examples discuss the matter in detail, and initially the metaphorical expression unspun is examined:
(15) She found several spin stories that needed to be unspun […] [p. 180]
Hon hittade flera påhittade historier som
behövde nystas upp […]
In this case, unspun is translated into nystas upp, which is an example of an identical metaphorical concept (I). The image is kept; stories are made up of yarn and can be tangled at times. Similar to the findings in Crerar-Bromelow (2008:81), the metaphorical thought processes are almost identical, but nystas upp has a more negative connotation, confirmed by 455 hits in the corpus Språkbanken TEXT, most of them referring to negative events such as
“skattebrottshärva nystas upp”, and “knarkhärva nystas upp”. On the contrary, unspun is found only 13 times in the COCA corpus (Davies 2010) and neutral as in: “wrapped with unspun wool”, and “the unspun truth”. This indicates that the connotation differ and the TT could be improved by choosing a more neutral word. Keeping in mind Newmark’s (1988:21) discussion on how the writer’s approval and disapproval depends on text interpretation, it is important to point out that the negative/positive/neutral connotations discussed in the examples in this study may be subjective and should by no means be considered final.
In comparison to the former example, this time it is demonstrated how the metaphorical expression is instead omitted in the TT, leaving a less evocative imagery in the new text:
(16) Spin stories are not a recent phenomenon. [p. 180]
Påhittade historier är inget nytt fenomen.
As earlier stated, most of the metaphorical expressions within this concept have been omitted (V), often resulting in a paraphrase such as: påhittade historier, as in the above example. The loss is obvious and the TT unfortunately results quite bland in comparison. An option could be nystade, which is found in Språkbanken TEXT at 92 occasions, but it appears to be mostly used when the police is investigating, as in “polisen nystade vidare i härvan”. Dobrzyńska (1995:603) explains that replacing the metaphor by a paraphrase “deprives the text of its semantic tension”, and “instead of a puzzle we are given its solution”. The metaphorical expression Spin stories has consequently lost the imagery behind the words when translated into a paraphrase, and the reading experience will differ from the ST.
3.2.3 STORIES ARE BUILDINGS
Skorczynska’s (2012:1) study reveals that the building metaphor is frequent, and Morgan’s
(2006) findings show that this metaphor forms a crucial part of any organization. To further
develop the organizational metaphors, this discussion includes stories as keystones in an
organization. The building metaphor is consequently a concept which should be recurrent and
this was found to be true also in this study. Considering Table 2, STORIES ARE BUILDINGS are mostly translated into an identical conceptual metaphor (I), as in (17):
(17) The stories we tell about life in general are designed to help us feel like we understand what has happened and why, which is a good thing because we need our stories to keep us from disappearing into groundless existential angst. [p. 177]
Historierna vi berättar om livet i allmänhet är utformade så att vi förstår vad som händer och varför. Vi behöver våra berättelser för att inte falla ner i obefogad existentiell ångest så det här är en bra sak.
Designed has here been translated into utformade, both belonging to an identical conceptual metaphor (I). Newmark (1998:104) observes that translation of metaphors is complex as the translator’s absolute understanding, and truthfulness to the original has to be addressed.
Utforma, according to SAOL, is ‘ge (viss) slutgiltig form åt ny företeelse, ofta mer abstrakt’
which indicates that this is a good equivalent (as stories are abstract). Searching utforma in Språkbanken TEXT, reveals that laws, procedures, contracts etc. are common: “utforma lagar”, and “utforma ett kontrakt”. In comparison, the COCA corpus (Davies 2010) shows that design usually relates to software, web, and business. Furthermore, as Rike (2013:70) suggests that the translator should be more of a cultural advisor, rendering meaning in a new target culture, it is concluded that the two words differ slightly in connotation but that utformade is used in combination with abstract things, the correct meaning is rendered, it functions in the new cultural context and would consequently work well.
In the previous example, stories were designed like a building. To further investigate the building concept, (18) illustrates a story that has similar features to a building:
(18) THE SHADOW SIDE OF STORY [p. 177]
BAKSIDAN MED BERÄTTELSEN
The translation strategy is a different metaphorical expression in the TT, still belonging to
same conceptual metaphor (III). In accordance to Kövecses & Re’ka (2010:45) and the
understanding of conceptual metaphors from A to B, the concept STORY (A) is understood in
terms of the concept BUILDING (B). The metaphorical expressions differ slightly (shadow
side/baksida). Considering the semantic prosody mentioned by Partington (2004:131),
shadow side may here show the author’s negative attitude towards what to come. Baksidan,
on the other hand, has a more neutral connotation and is not the exact equivalent of shadow
side. Shadow side seems to have a more negative connotation, as mostly negative instances appear in the COCA corpus (Davies 2010): “everybody has a shadow side, a dark side”, and
“every profession has its shadow side”. Skuggsida could be an option, which according to findings in Språkbanken TEXT also has this negative connotation (“samhällets kalla skuggsida” and “rikedomens skuggsida”). With over 9000 hits in Språkbanken TEXT, many with the same meaning and negative connotation (compared to 370 hits for skuggsida), combined with the figurative description of the word baksida in SAOL: ‘nackdel’, baksida is consequently opted for as the best idiomatic solution in this context, considering Ingo’s (2007:168) discussion on the importance of connotation when translating.
In contrast to the previous two examples where the metaphors were transferred from the ST, the following example (19) demonstrates an explicitation in the TT:
(19) Begin your success by influencing yourself and your own story. [p.186]
När du börjar med att påverka dig själv och din egen berättelse, så kan du bygga en bra grund att stå på.
In this case, a conceptual metaphor is added (VI) in the translation. Explicitation, transcreation and compensation can be assumed important features in this genre (where figurative language is important) as this may compensate for earlier omitted metaphors.
Bygga en bra grund att stå på relates to the concept STORIES ARE BUILDINGS. Kövecses
& Re’ka (2010:10) speculate that we map metaphorical expressions in an unconscious manner, and that “mappings” only appear in close analyze. Considering this, begin your success could be viewed as a conceptual metaphor, mapped within the same concept (STORIES ARE BUILDINGS) if one would interpret the phrase as ‘start building the foundation’. This also highlights the subjectivity when analyzing metaphors, and the different results that may arise due to individual interpretations.
Begin your success has been omitted in the TT which suggests that the explicitation may
be a compensation. Keeping in mind Ingo’s (2007:127) discussion on cultural adaptation, the
translation was found to be a good solution due to the more modest Swedish culture, where a
literal translation may invoke a strange feeling in the Swedish reader. This would also be in
line with Vermeer’s skopos theory (1996, discussed in Schäffner 2004:1255), as the TT
would, with this explicitation, be appropriate for purpose and its target audience in a new
context.
Besides the organizational stories, metaphorical concepts related to organizations as a whole are also considered in the following final sections.
3.2.4 ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING
In the same way as stories are viewed as metaphorically constructed, organization can also be described as a building which seems to be a popular metaphor in this genre, as suggested by both Morgan (2006) and Skorczynska (2012). The results from the quantitative analysis show that ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING is translated into a different metaphor (IV) at 57%
of times, indicating that the denotation and/or connotation is changed in the TT. The following example (20), illustrates how the metaphorical expression build is interchanged:
(20) These new stories began to build a new culture where there was an honorable alternative to the “give 110 percent” or
“be a slacker” polarity. [p. 174]
De nya berättelserna blev startskottet till en ny kultur. Nu fanns det bättre alternativ att välja bland än de två motpolerna ”ge 110 procent” eller ”vara en latmask”.
This time, the metaphor build has been omitted in the TT and a new metaphor is created in the TT: blev startskottet till. Now, the TT metaphor instead refers to firing off a starting gun in a race, and a different conceptual metaphor (IV) is identified, which can be compared to Schäffner’s fifth example: mit einer Stimme → act as one, showing the different perspectives/aspects in the ST/TT (Schäffner 2004:1266). Dobrzyńska (1995:602) states that translating one metaphor into another is a useful strategy when the original would be impossible to understand for the target reader in a new context. Bygga en kultur is the literal translation and could be an option as it would probably be understood, but after finding only 16 hits in Språkbanken TEXT, it is concluded not a common way of writing in Swedish.
Startskottet is instead considered the more idiomatic word choice, contemplating Ingo’s (2007:123) suggestion to use semantic additions whenever the translation may seem unbalanced. The discussion above consequently demonstrates Schäffner’s (2004:1255) notion of the complex text-processing involved in translation.
Omission and addition were strategies found in the previous example. Another example (21) is given here below:
(21) Their new stories began to deconstruct the old organizational culture and build a more balanced set of stories
Deras nya historier började bryta ner den
gamla organisationskulturen, och istället
spreds historier där man lyfte fram det
that protected rest as a shared value.
[p. 174]
gemensamma värdeordet ”vila”.
As can be observed above, the TT uses a different conceptual metaphor (IV).
ORGANIZATION IS A BUILDING has changed into ORGANIZATION IS AN ORGANISM in the TT, as it is described with bryta ner and spreds instead of deconstruct and build. The OED describes deconstruct as ‘to undo the construction of’, clearly related to a building. Comparing this to SAOL’s description of bryta ner: ‘upplösa’ (as in the process of decomposition) this is on the other hand referring to the organism metaphor, describing how the organism rots. This confirms Crerar-Bromelow’s (2008:83) statement that conceptual metaphors are more flexible and useful for translators rather than impossible to translate. The translator may consequently move away from a strict, literal translation and adapt a conceptual metaphor while still keeping a certain imagery. This is furthermore in line with Ingo’s (2007:339) suggestion of trying to achieve an exact and free translation, in combination. The connotation, or semantic prosody, could be described as more negative in the TT since deconstruct is found more neutral in the COCA corpus (Davies 2010):
“deconstruct your letter”, and “deconstruct things in my head”, comparing to findings in Språkbanken TEXT: “bryta ner mig bit för bit”, and “bryta ner kvinnor”. Bryta ner refers to total demolition, whereas deconstruct instead can be interpreted as “taking things apart” for further analyze. In the next section, organization is viewed as a machine instead of a building.
3.2.5 ORGANIZATION IS A MACHINE
