Preliminaries to translation as a process - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Preliminaries to translation as a process

Translation

Unit 1Slide2

1.1 Basic Definitions

To realize what the translator does in the process of translation, we must clarify a number of terms that will be used throughout the course:

Text:

Any stretch of speech or writing assumed to make a coherent whole.

- How long should a text be?

Source Text (ST): The text requiring translation.

Target Text (TT): The text which a translation of the (ST). Slide3

Cont.,

Source Language (SL).

Target Language (TL)

Strategy: A set of strategic decisions taken after an initial reading of the ST, but before starting detailed translation.

Strategic Decisions: The first set of reasoned decisions taken by the translator before starting the translation in detail following a number of questions:

- What are those questions? Slide4

Cont.,

Decisions of detail: Reasoned decisions concerning the specific problems of grammar, lexis, etc. encountered in translating particular expressions in their particular context. Slide5

cont.,

Bearing these terms in mind, the process of translation can be broken down into two types of activity:

Understanding the ST ( Comprehension)

Formulating a TT (Interpretation) Slide6

1.1 Inter-semiotic Translation

First, let us define what a semiotic system is:

A semiotic system is a system for communication.

Semiotic translation: Translation between two semiotic systems.

- e.g. The green light means go

In the previous example, translation occurred from a non-linguistic communication system into a linguistic communication system. Slide7

1.3 Intralingual Translation

Intralingual translation

refers to linguistic response to linguistic stimuli which are worthy of translation even though they are in the

same language. Slide8

Cont.,

Consider the following example of intralingual translation:

Police man: There has been an accident ahead, Madam--- I’m afraid you will have to turn left at St. Mary’s lane here, the road is blocked.

Jill: Oh, OK. Thanks.

Jack: What did he say.

Jill: We’ve got to turn left

Jill separates the gist of the policeman’s message from all the circumstantial details and tonal subtleties, and reports it in her own words.

Therefore, this type of intralingual translation is known as ‘

gist translation

’. Slide9

cont.,

Gist translation shares two features with translation proper:

There is more than one possible gist translation

The situation in which a message is conveyed is crucially affects both how it is expressed and how it is received.

- What do we mean by context? Slide10

cont.,

Another type of intralingual translation is what we call ‘exegetic translation’.

This occurs when a translation gives more explanation and elaboration than what the ST shows.

Jill: We’ve got to go down St Mary’s Lane – some fool jackknifed and blocked the High Street.

Exegetic translation can be shorter that the ST, but it is usually longer. Slide11

Interlingual Translation

Interlingual translation is the translation that takes place between two different languages.

It is also known as translation proper.

Interlingual translation also shows use of ‘gist translation’ or ‘exegetic translation’. Slide12

cont.,

Gist translation occurs frequently from Arabic to English where ST has a high degree of repition of meaning( Semantic repition)

- Refer to the example pg.. 10.

- compare (literal translation) to (idiomatic translation). Slide13

cont.,

Exegetic translation can be seen in Arabic-English translation in a number of translations of Quran’s meanings.

Consider the example from

سورة الإخلاص

pg.. 11.

- Compare the three translations.

- Which is literal and which is exegetic? Slide14

exercises

Practical

1.2

Gist translation Model/review

Gist translation, Task II HW

Exegetic translation:

Surah 92 Model/review