Translation of the Conceptual Metaphor of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin – Corpus-based Analyses

Abstract

This study explores the conceptual metaphor of emotion through the concept of a “tear” in The Knight in the Panther’s Skin and its two English translations by Wardrop and Coffin. The research is grounded in Cognitive Linguistics and Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson 1980), focusing on the Container schema as the central image schema structuring emotion metaphors. Tears are conceptualised as the overflow of emotional intensity – representing the metaphors “The body is a container for emotion” and “Emotions are fluids.” The study analyses ontological conceptual metaphors based on the Container image schema and their translations. Using a parallel corpus analysis based on BSU’s digital corpus and the AntConc corpus analyser, 118 conceptual metaphors were identified in the Georgian original, 104 in Wardrop’s translation, and 88 in Coffin’s. While Wardrop’s translation retains conceptual and image schemas at both macro and micro levels, Coffin often expands or explicates metaphorical expressions, resulting in expressive and cultural shifts.