Translation Theory 1

TRANSLATION

METHODS

CORE READING

A TEXTBOOK OF TRANSLATION Peter Newmark (1988)

Translation methods

SL TL

Word for word translation Adaptation

Literal translation Free translation

Faithful translation Idiomatic translation

Semantic translation Communicative translation

I- Word for word translation

SL word-order is preserved

Non-grammatical Words are

translated by their most common meanings, out of context

Used for General

information about SL

Pre-translation process of difficult text in order to gain sense of meaning

II - Literal translation

SL grammatical structures are converted to their nearest equivalent in the TL

BUT words are still translated singly, out of context.

e.g.

- He is a big liar.

Anh ta lµ mét kÎ nãi dèi lín.

- He looked up at the Milky Way.

Anh nh×n lªn con ® êng mµu s÷a.

Used for Pre-translation

process to identify problems

Practice

1. Love can touch us one time And last for a lifetime

2. PetroVietnam, the state-owned oil and gas giant, has also found itself in hot water.

3. And I must follow on the road that lies ahead, And I won't let my heart control my head,

4. She has a sweet tooth.

III - Faithful translation

Words are translated in context

Transfer cultural words Does not naturalize

e.g.

+ He is as fast as a kangaroo.

+ Nã nhanh nh mét con kanguru.

Used for Literary

translation Authoritative

texts Drafts 

Practice

+ Despite his looks, he’s said to be something of a Don Juan.

+ That computer science course was a bear.

+ This is a Mickey Mouse course but we still have to take it because it is on the program.

+ Carry coal to Newcastle

IV - Semantic translation9

- It is more flexible than faithful T- Naturalizes in order to achieve aesthetic

effect(may translate cultural words with neutral or functional terms)

- Great focus on aesthetic features of ST(Close rendering of metaphors, collocations,

technical terms, slang, colloquialisms, unusual syntactic structures and collocations, peculiarly used words, neologism.

Used for- Expressive texts: e.g.,  literature

 

Examples

1. Right in the heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is an enchanting body of water, a peaceful oasis away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.N»m ngay gi÷a tr¸i tim Hµ Néi, hå Hoµn KiÕm lµ mét hå n íc ®Ñp mª hån, mét èc ®¶o yªn b×nh t¸ch biÖt víi tất cả những gi ồn ào tấp nập của thành phố

Practice

1. She has a sunny smile on her face.

2. All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in 1776)

V - Communicative translation

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freer than semantic translation gives priority to the effectiveness

of the message to be communicated.

focuses on factors such as readability and naturalness

Used for informative texts

Semantic translation vs. communicative translation

Right in the heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is an enchanting body of water, a peaceful oasis away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

S. N»m ngay gi÷a tr¸i tim Hµ Néi, hå Hoµn KiÕm lµ mét hå n íc ®Ñp mª hån, mét èc ®¶o yªn b×nh t¸ch biÖt víi sù hèi h¶ bËn rén cña thµnh phè.

C. Hå Hoµn KiÕm lµ mét hå n íc ®Ñp, yªn tÜnh n»m ë trung t©m Hµ Néi ån µo.

Semantic translation vs. communicative translation

1. Nhµ cã chã d÷.S. There is a fierce dog in the house.C. Beware of the dog.

2. Keep off the grass.S. Tr¸nh xa b·i cá.C. Kh«ng ® îc dÉm lªn cá.

3. Her face is all her fortune.S. Bé m¨t lµ tÊt c¶ vèn liÕng cña c« nµng. C. Con Êy chØ ® îc mçi c¸i xinh.

Semantic translation vs. communicative translation SEMANTIC

TRANSLATION COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION

Written at author’s linguistic level Written at readership’s linguistic level

Used for expressive texts Used for informative texts

Expressive components rendered closely/literally

Normalized or toned down, neutral terms

Personal and individual Social

Tends to over-translate Tends to under-translate

Pursues nuances of meaning Pursues message

Inferior to its original Better than its original

Has to interpret Has to explain

Less freedom More freedom15

Practice

"The country is developing so fast, they need to change the attitude and the conduct of the people, but it is not going to happen in one day," he said. Drivers typically don't look before darting into traffic or cutting across multiple lanes of cars, motorbikes and bicycles in a "you-look-out-for-me" driving culture.

(Vietnam launches war on deadly traffic)

Note: There is no one communicative nor one semantic method of translating a text - these are in fact widely overlapping bands of methods. A translation can be more, or less, semantic - more, or less, communicative - even a particular section or sentence can be treated more communicatively or less semantically. (Newmark)

VI - Idiomatic translation18

Reproduce the ‘message’ of the original

Prefers colloquialisms and idioms which do not exist in the original

Outcome: lively, ‘natural’ translation

Practice: Idiomatic translationKh«ng ai nghe lêi khuyªn cña c«

Êy c¶. Her advice fell on deaf ears.

Nã rÊt b íng bØnh. He is as stubborn as a mule.

Chë cñi vÒ rõngCarry coal to Newcastle

Practice

- No money, no honey- Haste makes waste- Timid as a rabbit- Make hay while the Sun

shines- Bite the bullet

VII - Free translation21

Reproduce the matter without the manner; the content without the form of the original

Paraphrases much larger than the original

Used forInformative translationIn-house publication

Heartease (pansy) is used again for healing

the heart. It is for disappointment in love,

and in separation

Hoa păng-xê cũng được dùng để chữa

lành các vết thương lòng. Nó xoa diụ sự

thất vọng trong tình yêu, và cả nỗi đau

phải sống trong cảnh li thân.

PRACTICE

VIII - Adaptation 23

The freest form of translation Preserves the theme, plots, characters

only The SL culture is converted to the TL

culture A kind of rewriting the text in translationUsed forPlays, poems, songs, advertising, tourism 

Vì Sao?

Bữa trước, riêng hai dưới nắng đào, Nhìn tôi cô muốn hỏi "vì sao ?"

Khi tôi đến kiếm trên môi đẹp Một thoáng cười yêu thỏa khát khao.

Vì sao giáp mặt buổi đầu tiên, Tôi đã đày thân giữa xứ phiền, Không thể vô tình qua trước cửa, Biết rằng gặp gỡ đã vô duyên?

……………………..

Why?

The other day, we met in bright sunshine Looking at me, you wanted to ask "Why?" When I came there to see on your lips fine A hint of smile that so much pleased my eye.

Why was it that even on the first day I was so soon banished to great sadness. Hardly had I stepped in across the way Than I knew right then that we'd be loveless.

Translated by Thomas D. Le 9 May 2004

25

Vietnamese Version 1 “Mái nhà xưa yêu dấu,

Bức tường rêu phong cũ nơi cậu bé qua những ngày thơ ấu.Muốn mình mau khôn lớn.Giữa lụa là yên ấm, em ngồi ước mơ bước chân giang hồ.Mơ bay theo cánh chim ngang trời, biển xa núi chơi vơi.Mơ bay đi khát khao cuộc đời. Một đêm nhớ tiếng ai ru hời.” 

26

Vietnamese Version 2

“Có một người đàn ông, trước thềm nhà rêu phong

bỗng ngồi khóc nhớ những ngày thơ ấu.

Sống đời bao cay đắng, tóc bạc phai mưa nắng.

Tay đành trắng những giấc mơ thơ dại.

Đi qua bao núi sông gập ghềnh.

Cuộc tình mãi lênh đênh.

Đi qua bao tháng năm vô tình, một đêm nhớ tiếng ru mẹ

hiền.”

 

Adaptation 27

English Version: “On a wagon, bound for market,

There’s a calf with a mournful eye.High above him, there’s a swallow,Winging swiftly through the sky.

How the winds are laughing,They laugh with all their might.Love and laugh the whole day throughAnd, half a summer’s night.”