Translation Definition in Scientific Translation

Study Notes

Defining translation is a problematic issue due to varying perspectives and theoretical bases, all aiming for equivalence.

One perspective sees translation as transferring ideas and messages via rewording or paraphrasing, often in everyday life.
Another perspective views translation as transferring messages from a source language to a target language, aiming for equivalence and preserving the original meaning.

Yowell and Litaiwish (2000) define translation as transferring messages from a source language to a target language for establishing equivalence.
Nida and Taber (1969/1982) define translation as reformulating the source text's message into the closest equivalent in the target language, prioritizing meaning preservation.
Catford (1965) defines translation as substituting a piece of writing in one language with its corresponding piece in another language.
Ghazzala (1995) defines translation as transferring the meaning from one language to another, aiming to deliver the source language's meaning using target language equivalents.

Hatim and Munday (2004) define translation as a process, focusing on the translator's act of taking a text from one language and transforming it into another.
Hatim and Munday also define translation as a product, focusing on the translator's achieved result, the concrete product of translation.

Nobson (1959/2000) distinguishes three main types of written translation: intra-lingual, interlingual, and intersemiotic translation.
Intra-lingual translation involves translating textual materials within the same language.
Interlingual translation involves translating textual materials from one language into another.
Intersemiotic translation involves translating or interpreting verbal signs into nonverbal signs, such as translating ideas or emotions into a painting or music.

Ghazzala (1995) classifies translation types into literal and free translation.
Ghazzala's literal translation has two subtypes: semantic versus communicative, formal versus dynamic, non-pragmatic versus pragmatic, and non-creative versus creative translation.
Classification of translation types varies among theorists, with each having their own classification.

Strategies are sets of procedures used to translate, each with a scale of facility that may be more helpful than others.
Bosco (1997) classifies translation techniques or strategies into direct and oblique strategies.
Direct translation techniques are used when conceptual elements can be directly translated.
Indirect translation techniques involve more complex processes.