Translation of Horror Genre: “The Graveyard” Novel by Neil Gaiman and its Persian Translation

Translation is a proper tool that provides opportunities for reading different texts including horror fiction all over the world. Vinay and Darbelnet are theorists who introduce seven strategies for translation. These strategies include: borrowing, calque, literal translation, transposition, modulation, equivalence and adaptation (cited in Munday, 2012). Davies (2003) offers seven strategies for translating culture-specific words, and three strategies of footnote, dropping cultural references and equivalence, play important roles in translating the horror genre. In this research, attempts have been made to study “The Graveyard” novel by Neil Gaiman using library research method and to study the translation challenges at horror works in Persian translation according to Vinay and Darbelnet and Davies; therefore, the following questions were raised: Which techniques the translator has used to translate the horror elements? Was the translator successful in applying translation techniques based on the features of horror genre to create the same effect as the source text? The results showed that the translator has used strategies of omission, adaptation, literal translation, transposition, and modulation and in many cases when selecting the strategies didn't pay attention to the features of horror genre and it makes the reader feel more horror when reading the original text. The results of this study, in addition to helping the translator to identify the strengths and weaknesses of his translation, will reveal the necessity and importance of paying attention to the features of the text for translators and English students.