Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is likely to happen when a translator translates literally from their own language?
What is likely to happen when a translator translates literally from their own language?
- Their speech in the receptor language will be perfect
- Their speech in the receptor language will sound unnatural (correct)
- Their speech in the receptor language will be fluent
- Their speech in the receptor language will sound natural
What is the main problem with the brochure extract?
What is the main problem with the brochure extract?
- It is too long
- It is too short
- It uses unnatural English (correct)
- It uses complex vocabulary
What is the role of a translator in effective translation?
What is the role of a translator in effective translation?
- To use complex vocabulary to impress readers
- To translate word-for-word from the source language
- To discover the meaning of the source language and use natural forms of the receptor language (correct)
- To shorten the original text
What does a good translation aim to do?
What does a good translation aim to do?
What is a key aspect of a good translation?
What is a key aspect of a good translation?
What is the goal of a good translation in terms of evoking a response?
What is the goal of a good translation in terms of evoking a response?
What is the literal translation of the Ewe sentence 'Meni ku-m AlÉ” le tsÉ” nye-m' into English?
What is the literal translation of the Ewe sentence 'Meni ku-m AlÉ” le tsÉ” nye-m' into English?
What is the main difference between the Akan and Ewe translations of the sentence 'I am sleepy'?
What is the main difference between the Akan and Ewe translations of the sentence 'I am sleepy'?
What is the main challenge in translating everyday conversations?
What is the main challenge in translating everyday conversations?
What is the literal translation of the Akan sentence 'YÔ‘frÔ‘ wo sÔ‘n' into English?
What is the literal translation of the Akan sentence 'YÔ‘frÔ‘ wo sÔ‘n' into English?
Why do translations often sound strange and foreign to speakers of the target language?
Why do translations often sound strange and foreign to speakers of the target language?
What is the difference between the English and Ewe sentences expressing the meaning 'a person, who is the speaker, possesses money'?
What is the difference between the English and Ewe sentences expressing the meaning 'a person, who is the speaker, possesses money'?
What happens when translators move into unfamiliar material or higher levels of syntactic structure?
What happens when translators move into unfamiliar material or higher levels of syntactic structure?
What is translation according to Bell (1991)?
What is translation according to Bell (1991)?
What is the primary goal of translation?
What is the primary goal of translation?
What is the term for the language from which translation is made?
What is the term for the language from which translation is made?
What is the term for the language into which translation is made?
What is the term for the language into which translation is made?
What is the surface structure of a language?
What is the surface structure of a language?
What is involved in the translation process?
What is involved in the translation process?
What is the Akan sentence
What is the Akan sentence
What is the meaning of the Akan sentence
What is the meaning of the Akan sentence
Study Notes
Definition of Translation
- Translation is the expression of the same meaning in a different language, preserving semantic and stylistic equivalences.
- It involves transferring meaning from the source language into the target language, while the form normally changes.
Translation Process
- The process involves studying the lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the source language text.
- The translator then analyzes the text to determine its meaning and reconstructs this same meaning using the lexicon and grammatical structure of the target language.
Key Factors in Translation
- The source language (SL) and target language (TL) have different grammatical forms and lexical selections to express the same meaning.
- The translator must study the semantic features of the SL text to make a credible translation.
- Translation is not just a matter of different word choices, but also of different grammatical structures.
Examples of Translation
- Akan sentence "Meni kum" translated to Ewe as "AlÉ” le tsÉ” nye-m", and to English as "I am sleepy".
- English sentence "What is your name?" translated to Akan as "Yԑfrԑ wo sԑn/wodin de sԑn?" and to Ewe as "ŋkɔwo ɖe?/Aleke woyɔna woe?".
- English sentence "I have money" translated to Akan as "MewÉ” sika" and to Ewe as "Ga le asinye/MekpÉ” ga".
Common Challenges in Translation
- Translators may be influenced by the lexical and grammatical forms of the source language, resulting in unnatural-sounding translations.
- Literal translations can lead to forms that sound strange and "foreign" to speakers of the target language.
Effective Translation
- The best translation uses the normal language forms of the target language, communicates the same meaning to the target language speakers, and maintains the dynamics of the original source language text.
- To achieve effective translation, one must discover the meaning of the source language and use the target language forms to express this meaning in a natural way.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Learn about the basics of translation, including its definition and process. Understand how translation involves transferring meaning from one language to another while preserving semantic and stylistic equivalences.