Translation Competence Quiz

Introduction to Translation and Interpretation

• The study of translation and interpretation is a long-standing practice.
• The academic discipline of translation only developed in the late 20th century.
• Before the 20th century, translation training was largely incorporated into language learning.
• An example of older methods is "grammar-translation".

Key Concepts and Background

• The Tower of Babel is a biblical story about the unity and diversity of language.
• Originally the world had one language and common speech.
• People in the world decided to build a tower.
• God intervened by confusing the language people were speaking, leading them to move apart.
• The source of the story is Genesis.

What is Translation?

• Translation is a process.
• Translation is also a product, the resulting text, that results from this process.
• Translation involves converting a source text from a source language to a target text in a target language.
• Translation focuses on the subject field or the phenomena.

Myths or Facts?

• A good dictionary is not enough for translation
• Good translators do need dictionaries and reference documents.
• Not everyone who speaks multiple languages is a translator
• Translators of any kind can work in several different areas/genres of documents
• Translators can also act as interpreters.
• Machine translations will not replace human translators.

Who Is the Translator?

• A translator can be a writer or an oral speaker.
• Interpretation is a kind of oral translation

Bilingualism

• Bilingualism can be acquired or born into.

What Makes a Translator?

• Translators should have several skills, knowledge, and possibly experience.
• Translators/Interpreters are language professionals.
• They should be applied linguists, competent writers, diplomats, and educated amateurs in various fields.

Skills and Experience for Translation

• Ability to write well in the target language
• Ability to understand the source language material thoroughly
• Ability to work with the latest word-processing and communication software

Skills and Knowledge for Translation Competence

• Communicative and textual competence in at least two languages and two cultures.
• Cultural and intercultural competence
• Knowledge of translation principles in theory and practice.
• Competence in a particular field of knowledge.
• Professional skills and competence
• Psychophysiological competence
• Diplomacy

A Good Translator / A Good Interpreter

• A good translator needs to be:
  • Curious
  • Independent
  • Cultivated
  • Creative
  • Self-motivated
  • A good researcher
  • A strong writer
• A good interpreter needs to be:
  • Proficient at speaking two languages
  • Able to speak before large & small groups
  • Willing and able to travel
  • Knowledge in various fields
  • Flexible

What are you going to do in these 4 years of training?

• The curriculum will outline the material covered within these years of training.

What about Machine Translation and Computer-Aided Translation (CAT)?

• A lot of 21st-century translation work is done in (computer-aided/assisted) translation management systems.
• These systems contain both software components and human processes within a carefully managed workflow.

Human Touch

• The human element remains crucial in translation.

In the end, language is about communication.

• A translator must comprehend and convey the subtleties of the text, rather than simply replace words.

What is Language?

• Language is an infinitely adaptable system based on symbolic expressions.
• Meanings of words are not fixed; they can change over time within the context of other words.
• Language itself is abstract and does not physically resemble the things it represents.
• Words are powerful, they can help and hurt individuals and groups.

What is Culture?

• Culture is a complex system of knowledge, values, traditions, rituals, objects, skills, and communities.
• Different cultures may be shown by the way food, art, and language come together.

Basic Terminology

• Includes the abbreviations and terminology often used within the field of Translation Studies (TS).
• Identifies the various elements of the "context"
• Provides terms in English and a corresponding term in another language (e.g. Turkish).

The Role of Translation in History

• The study of translation as an academic discipline developed quite recently.
• For much of history, people learned aspects of translation embedded within language.
• An example of an older method is “grammar translation".

New Elements in Translation

• Recognition of the role of readership and their settings
• Focus on topics beyond the religious, literary and scientific
• Increase in the variety of text formats
• Standardization of terminology
• Forming translator teams
• Recognizing the reviser's role
• Impact of linguistics, sociolinguistics and translation theory
• Knowledge and cultural transmission

The Translator

• A person who translates documents within various fields of study.

Categories of Translation

• There are categories of translation, this is not exhaustive, and may be debated or modified according to different schools of thoughts or individual opinions.
• Examples of these categories are:
  • Intralingual
  • Interlingual
  • Intersemiotic

The Dynamics of Translation

• A translator is influenced by several elements:
  • The source language writer
  • Source language cultures
  • Source language settings and tradition
  • The source text itself (the truth)
  • The target language culture
  • The target writer
  • The target language setting and tradition

Test your knowledge on translation competence and the essential skills required for translators. This quiz covers key concepts, soft skills, and common misconceptions in the field of translation. Challenge yourself to see how well you understand the role of translators in communication.