Abstract:
Translatological research generally focuses on problems of translation in the languages and cultures with the average distance between each other. For Poles the common perception is that the Slovak culture is close to the Polish one. According to the latest anthropological concept the culture is considered close when in the receiving area it is well-known and accepted and interest in it puts it in a central position in comparison with other strange cultures. Slovak culture in Poland is little-known, does not attract the interest, so it can only be described as a neighbourly. Such a position of Slovak culture in Poland is reflected in the number of published translations of Slovak literature and their reception. The belief that Slovak culture proximity to the Polish one is applied to the perceived similarity of languages which affects the quality of translation. Differences and dissimilarities in culture are reflected in the language and cause various types of obstacles in the process of translation: in the translation of names, words-realities, collocations, social behaviors, conventions of text, literary trends and currents. Observation of these difficulties leads to the conclusion that contrary to popular belief about the proximity to the Polish and Slovak cultures translation within these literatures poses many problems caused by cultural differences. Solutions of these difficulties adopted by translators, demonstrate the fact that translators yield to the illusion of proximity of cultures. Translations do not perform their functions belonging to them in the Polish-Slovak intercultural dialogue. The belief in the cultural proximity is one of the most significant barriers in translation.
