Abstract:
Omission as a strategy can be effectively used to enhance readability and comprehension in
translation. It has been extensively used in literary translation. The main objective of this study
is to investigate the use of omission as a translation strategy with special reference to the novel
“Emma” by Jane Austen and its Sinhala translation “Emma” by G.A. Nalini. The specific objectives
are to identify the omission of a word or an expression, omission of idioms and omission
of information in the content used in the novel “Emma” by Jane Austen and its Sinhala translation
“Emma” by G.A. Nalini. Baker (2011) in the book “In Other Words”, defined omission
as translation refers to the deliberate decision to leave out certain words, phrases, sentences, or
information that may not carry significant meaning in the target culture or may be redundant.
The researcher has taken the deductive approach, and this research is conducted using the qualitative
method. The data is examined using the content analysis technique, and Mona Baker’s
three forms of omission are used as the theoretical framework to analyse and categorise data
that were found by comparing the novel “Emma” by Jane Austen and its Sinhala translation
“Emma” by G.A. Nalini. It has been found that the most frequently used category of omission
as a translation method is the omission of information in the content. The least frequently used
category of omission in the Sinhala translation is the omission of idioms. This study aims to
provide a deeper understanding of omission as a translation strategy and Mona Baker’s three
forms of omission. For future research directions, it is recommended to explore omission as a
translation strategy in different types of literary texts.
