METHOD OF TRANSLATION - Assigment Week 4 - review chapter 5

 CHAPTER 5

Translation Methods

INTRODUCTION
The central problem of translating has always been whether to translate literally or freely. The argument was theoretical: the purpose of the translation, the nature of the readership, the type of text, was not discussed. Too often, writers, translator, and readers were implicitly identified with each other. Now the context has changed, but the basic problem remains.

 

THE METHODS

Word-for-word translation

This is often demonstrated as interlinear translation, with The TL immediately below the SL words. The SL word-order is preserved and the words translated singly by their most common meanings, out of context.

 

Literature translation

The SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest TL equivalents but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context. As a pre-translation process, this indicates the problems to be solved.

 

 

a.      Faithful translation

A faithful Translation attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures.

b.      Semantic translation

Semantic translation differs from 'faithful translation' only in as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value (that is, the beautiful and natural sounds of the SL text, compromising on 'meaning' where appropriate so that no assonance, word-play, or repetition jars in the finished version.

c.       Adaptation
This is the 'freest' form of translation. It is used mainly for plays (comedies and poetry; the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture converted to the TL culture and the text rewritten.

d.      Free translation

Free translation reproduces the matter without the manner or the content without the form of the original. Usually, it is a paraphrase much longer than the original, a so-called 'intralingual translation*, often prolix and pretentious, and not a translation at all.

e.       Idiomatic translation

Idiomatic translation reproduces the 'message' of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original,

f.       Communicative translation

Communicative translation attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership.

 

COMMENTS IN THESE METHODS

Commenting on these methods, I should first say that only semantic and communicative translation fulfil the two main aims of translation, which are first, accuracy, and second, economy. Semantic and communicative translation treat the following items similarly: stock and dead metaphors, normal collocations, technical Terms, slang, colloquialisms, standard notices, phaticisms, ordinary language. The expressive components of 'expressive' texts (unusual syntactic structures, collocations, metaphors, words peculiarly used, neologisms) are rendered closely. So much for the detail, but the semantic and communicative translation must also be seen as wholes. Semantic translation is personal and individual, follows the thought processes of the author, tends to over-translate, pursues nuances of meaning, yet aims at concision in order to reproduce pragmatic impact. Theoretically, communicative translation allows the translator no more freedom than
semantic translation. In fact, it does, since the translator is serving a putative large and not well-defined readership, whilst in semantic translation, he is following a single well-defined authority.

 

 

EQUIVALENT EFFECT

It has sometimes been said that the overriding purpose of any translation should be to achieve 'equivalent effect1, i.e. to produce the same effect in one as close as possible) on the readership of the translation as has obtained on the readership of the original.

·         In the communicative translation of vocative texts, the equivalent effect is not only desirable, but it is also essential; it is the criterion by which the effectiveness, and therefore the value, of the translation of notices, instructions, publicity.

·         In informative texts, the equivalent effect is desirable only in respect of their: in theory insignificant emotional impact: it is not possible if SL and TL culture are remote from each other, since normally the cultural items have to be explained by culturally neutral or generic terms, the topic content simplified SI. Difficulties clarified.

·         In semantic translation, the first problem is that for serious imaginative literature, there are individual readers rather than a readership. Secondly, whilst the reader is not entirely neglected, the Translator is essentially trying to render the effect the SL text.

·         The more cultural in the more local, the more remote in time and space') a text, the less is the equivalent effect even conceivable unless the reader is imaginative, sensitive, and steeped in the SL culture.

 

METHODS AND TEXT-CATEGORIES

Considering the application of the two translation methods:

1.         In semantic and communicative) to the three text-categories, commonly vocative and informative texts are translated too literally, and expressive texts not literally enough.

2.         In expressive texts, the unit of translation is likely to be small since words rather than sentences contain the finest nuances of meaning; further, there are likely to be fewer stock language units.

 

TRANSLATING

As for the process of translation, it is often dangerous to translate more than a sentence or two before reading the first two or three paragraphs, unless a quick glance through convinces you that the text is going to present a few- problems. In fact, the more difficult - linguistically, culturally. Research is now proceeding on people translate, but there maybe? Many factors mood, deadline, need for a change of method \ which will not be taken into account. Throughout the pre-translation process, yon keep a clear image of what is actually happening, if only as a pre-miss that has to be continuously amended. This applies to poetry as to technical translation.

 

OTHER METHODS

1.      Service translation, i.e. translation from one's language of habitual use into another language. The term is not widely used, but as the practice is necessary in most countries, a term is required.

2.      Plain prose translation. The prose translation of poems and poetic drama initiated. Usually stanzas become paragraphs, prose punctuation is introduced, original metaphors and SL.

3.      Information translation. This conveys all the information in a non- hierarchy text, sometimes rearranged in a more logical form, sometimes partially summarized, and not in the form of a paraphrase.