An Examination of Can Yücel'sTranslation of Sonnet 66 within the Framework of Habitus

This study aims to explain the poet-translator Can Y & uuml;cel's translation strategies, focusing on his translation of the 66th Sonnet by the English poet William Shakespeare. The study employs a descriptive analysis method and scrutinizes the poet-translator Y & uuml;cel's writings, as well as his social environment, his father's activities, and the period in which they lived. To conduct the descriptive analysis, I employed the concept of habitus as developed by Pierre Bourdieu, one of the most influential sociologists of the post-World War II Era. Hasan Acirc;li Y & uuml;cel, then the Minister of Education, initiated a 'Translation Movement', which can be marked as a turning point for language studies in the Republican Era. This movement aimed to establish a cultural repertoire by translating works from both Eastern and Western literatures into Turkish, contributing to the establishment of a national identity. Educated in England and having studied German philology in Turkey, the son of Minister Y & uuml;cel, Can Y & uuml;cel, also translated English classics into the Turkish language. He called himself a Turkish teller rather than a translator. His translation strategies were considered unique. By comparing his translation of Sonnet 66th with two other Turkish translations, this study identifies his characteristic translation strategies. The findings indicate that Can Y & uuml;cel's habitus shaped his translation strategies, reflecting the norms of his social environment and his aim to reach his people through his style.