Names can signal that a character is likable or unlikable even in translation.

What is it about?

People can accurately identify sympathetic and unsympathetic characters in a novel they’ve never read based only on the names. This suggests that authors like Charles Dickens deliberately craft character names (e.g., Oliver Twist) using sound symbolism to convey meaning. How, then, to preserve authors' intentions in translation?

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Why is it important?

When you read a novel, pay attention to how the character names sound. Do sympathetic characters sound likable, and unsympathetic characters sound unlikeable? This may be due to ‘sound symbolism’ – the link between sound and meaning. Authors like Charles Dickens seem to instinctively craft names that reflect the characters’ roles. Consequently, when shown a list of names from Oliver Twist, both native and non-native English speakers unfamiliar with the novel can accurately identify the sympathetic and unsympathetic characters. This is relevant to the translating convention of preserving character names in the original form because readers who cannot pronounce the names like native speakers may miss some of the author's intended meaning.