Steiner's Hermeneutic Approach to Translation

The translator's initial assumption that the source text holds meaningful content worthy of being understood and transferred.

The translator's active and forceful engagement with the source text, extracting its meaning and bringing it into their own understanding.

The process of the translator integrating the extracted meaning from the source text into their own language and cultural context.

The translator's act of compensating for any losses or changes that occurred during the translation process, ensuring fidelity to the original text's essence.

The translator's belief that the source text carries a coherent and understandable message that can be translated.

The translator's forceful and invasive extraction of meaning from the source text.

The translator's integration of the extracted meaning into their own language and cultural context.

The translator's attempt to compensate for any losses or changes that occurred during the translation process.

The translator's ability to understand and convey the essence of a text while remaining faithful to the original language and author's intentions.

A translation approach that emphasizes balancing the source text's unique features with the target language's conventions.

The translator's experience of encountering a foreign language as distinct from their native tongue. This encounter creates challenges but also opportunities for understanding.

When a translator feels a deep connection to the source text, recognizing similarities with their own experiences.

Good translation strikes a delicate balance between preserving the original text's unique characteristics and making it accessible to the target audience.

This translation strategy aims to make the foreign text accessible to the target language audience by adapting its style and conventions.

This translation strategy emphasizes the foreignness of the source text, preserving its distinctiveness and even introducing elements of the source culture into the target language.

The tension between domestication and foreignization, reflecting the translator's struggle to balance fidelity to the source text with accessibility for the target audience.

The process of incorporating the meaning of the source text (ST) into the target text (TT), potentially changing the structure and meaning of the TT. This can result in complete assimilation or maintain the foreignness of the ST.

A type of incorporation where the ST's meaning is fully integrated into the TT, leading to complete assimilation, potentially losing the ST's distinct characteristics.

A type of incorporation where the ST's meaning is partially integrated into the TT, maintaining the original characteristics and potentially adding new layers of meaning to the TT.

The act of translating the ST involves a transfer of energy from the original to the target text, creating an imbalance. This imbalance needs to be compensated to maintain equilibrium.

The ST being considered worthy of translation and translated into another language contributes to its value and recognition, enriching its impact and potential.

The act of translation creates a reciprocal relationship between the ST and TT, where both are dynamically affected by the process. The ST is impacted by the translation, while the TT gains new interpretations and meaning.

The inherent value of the ST is highlighted when the TT is lesser in quality, demonstrating the original's strength and potential. Conversely, a superior TT suggests the ST possesses untapped potential waiting to be realized.

The act of translation creates a dynamic exchange of energy, where both the ST and TT are impacted by the process. This exchange can result in an enriching experience for both the source and target culture.