Theories of Translation - PDF

Theories, chapter 1 --- Revised Structure of Translation Studies Co-authorship in Academic Publishing In both the European and American academic systems, professors often collaborate with associate professors. A professor may lead a group to revise a book, where different chapters are distribut...

Theories, chapter 1 --- Revised Structure of Translation Studies Co-authorship in Academic Publishing In both the European and American academic systems, professors often collaborate with associate professors. A professor may lead a group to revise a book, where different chapters are distributed among co-authors. Understanding Translation 1. Definitions of Translation: Concept: The broad field of phenomena concerning translation. Product: The translated text (Target Text or TT). Process: The act of translating (Translation Service). 2. Translation Mechanics: - Translation involves converting a Source Text (ST) from a Source Language (SL) to a Target Text (TT) in a Target Language (TL). 3. Jacobson's Categories of Translation: Intra-lingual Translation: Rewording within the same language. Inter-lingual Translation: Translation between different languages. Intersemiotic Translation: Translation from verbal to non-verbal systems (e.g., text to music or art). Focus on Translation Studies Translation studies traditionally focus on inter-lingual translation, but intra-lingual and intersemiotic translations are also relevant. Important concepts include: ❖Translation as a discipline: The study of various aspects of translation. Theoretical Frameworks - Holmes' Framework: - Divides translation studies into pure and applied branches. - The pure branch includes theoretical and descriptive studies, while the applied branch focuses on practical applications, such as training and criticism. Types of Theories in Translation Studies - Pure Translation Studies: - Theoretical: Developing comprehensive theories (e.g., Nida's theories). - Descriptive: Describing existing translation practices. - Applied Translation Studies: - Focuses on practical aspects such as training translators and translation criticism (evaluating translations). Restricted Theories Medium Restricted: Focus on the medium of translation (human vs. machine). Area Restricted: Confined to specific languages or cultural groups. Time Restricted: Addressing translation in specific historical contexts. Problem Restricted: Concentrating on specific challenges in translation. Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) - Includes: - Product-oriented DTS: Analyzing existing translations. - Function-oriented DTS: Examining the role of translation in cultural contexts.  - Process-oriented DTS: Studying the techniques and psychology behind translation choices. Summary of Key Points - Translation is a multifaceted process influenced by cultural, historical, and linguistic factors. - Understanding the various categories and theories helps in comprehensively studying and applying translation. --- Theories-chapter 2: Historical Mapping and Theories of Translation 1.Introduction: The session will provide a historical mapping of translation, detailing various periods and their characteristics. Focus will be on translation tasks: Whether they were translating Debating Introducing attempts at theorizing Building new theories 2. Main Debate The central debate from the Greek period to the early 20th century revolved around: Word-for-word translation vs. sense-for-sense translation. This debate lost significance with the rise of discussions on **equivalence** in the latter half of the 20th century. - - The main debate was about whether it is better to translate word for word or sense for sense. 3. Attempts at Theorizing The first theorizing attempts will be discussed starting with: Étienne Dulles (16th Century): Introduced a theoretical attempt with five principles. John Dryden (17th Century): Introduced another attempt at theorizing with three categories of translation. The 19th century saw the **Romantics**, who introduced the debate on translatability and untranslatability, although this debate had limited influence. 4. Historical Context The practice of translation started very early in history with the Greeks: Many were into translating for two main reasons: 1. Religious reasons: They wanted to gain more people to their religions and expand their reach. 2. Trade and commerce: They engaged in trade with other continents and needed to know other languages to facilitate this. The practice of translation continued from the Greek period to the beginning of the 20th century, with very few attempts at theorizing until the 16th century. 5. Dulles' Five Principles - Étienne Dulles introduced a theoretical attempt with five principles: ✤ 1. Understanding the Source Text (ST): The translator must fully grasp the meaning of the ST. ✤ 2. Knowledge of Source Language (SL) and Target Language (TL): Proficiency in both languages is essential to produce a good translation. ✤ 3. Avoiding Word-for-Word Translation: Emphasis on sense-for-sense translation to avoid awkward and clumsy translations.