Chapter one Introduction

Abstract

In the context of linguistics, language and style are often closely interrelated entities. Despite sharing the same medium of language, each individual possesses a distinctive style of language use. Hence, extensive studies and research have been carried out with regard to language and style. However, according to Snell-Hornby (1995) “the study of style, and in particular literary style has played a surprisingly small role in translation theory...” (p. 119). Also, according to Zhao & Jiang (2013), “children’s literature is marginalised and excluded.” It is unfortunate that there has been very little studied on the translation of children’s literature and the researcher finds that this is especially so when it comes to the translation of nursery rhymes. A thorough library search has also revealed that no stylistics analysis has been carried out on A.W. Hamilton’s Haji’s Book of Malayan Nursery Rhymes (1939). This study therefore intends to contribute to filling this gap in a small but meaningful way by carrying out a stylistic analysis on the translation of nursery rhymes (from English to Malay) in Hamilton’s bilingual anthology.