Lecture 1:

Brief Introduction to
Translation
 What does translation include?

• Since translation involves: two

different languages which are
carriers of their respective cultures,
the process is not only a transfer
between languages, but also a
communication between cultures.
• Translation bridges the gap and
enables understanding across
these boundaries.
 What is translation?

• Translation is the transference of the meaning of a text and the subsequent

production of an equivalent text that communicates the same message in
another language.
 Definitions of translation
• Catford, for example, defines translation as, “the replacement of
textual material in one language SL by equivalent textual material in
another language TL” (1965).
• Nida and Taber’s definition is based on the approach that stresses the
importance of preserving the effect of the original text: “Translating
consists of reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural
equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning
and secondly in terms of style” (1969).
• Vermeer, defines translation as, “information about the source text in
another language” (1982).
• Newmark defines translation as “rendering the meaning of a text into
another language in the way that the author intended the text” (1988).
 Definition of Basic Terms :

 The source text:

The source text is the text which has been chosen for translation. (ST)
 The source language:

The source language is the language to which the text to be translated belongs (SL)

 The target text (translated text):

The target text (translated text) is the text which results from the translation process (TT)
 The target language:

The target language is the language that it is to be translated into (TL)

 The translator :

The translator is the human agent who knows two languages and who can express the message of a text
from one language using the system of the other.
 The Language of translation

The language of translation is an abstraction obtained via the study of translated texts. It is not a source
language or a target language. It is not completely independent since it is closely tied to the source
language via the source text and to the target language via the translated text.
 Equivalence: The relationship of the sameness of meaning that exists between the source text and the
target text.
 Translation Process: is concerned with all related activities utilized in the act of translation. It is a
halfway operation between the final output and the theoretical foundations.
 Translation Theory: refers to the set of methods and strategies used in explaining how translation is or
should be done.
 Translation Studies: is a term used to describe any scholarly work on translation that is not as a fixed
theory such as a descriptive analysis of translated works.
 Translation product: refers to the translated text or the final output of the

translation process.
What do we translate?
Misconceptions about Translation:

1. There is a one-to-one relationship between word and meaning.

• A common misconception is that there exists a simple word-for-word correspondence
between any two languages, and that translation is a straightforward mechanical
process; such a word-for-word translation, however, cannot take into account
context, grammar, conventions, and idioms. Also, If you consider a word such as
rebuild, you will note that there are two distinct elements of meaning in it: re and
build, i.e. ‘to build again'. Elements of meaning which are represented by several
words in one language, say English, may be represented by one word in another,
and vice versa. This suggests that there is no one-to-one correspondence between
orthographic words and elements of meaning within or across languages.
Misconceptions about Translation:

2. Anyone who can speak a second language will make a good

translator.
• In the translation community, many bilinguals may not have the same in-
depth knowledge of colloquialisms, slang, and dialect that the born bilingual
has. As well, the acquired bilingual will not be able to translate as readily in
both directions (from B to A language and A to B language). It is generally
accepted that the best translations are produced by persons who are
translating into their own native languages, as it is rare for someone who
has learned a second language to have total fluency in that language.
Characteristics of a good translator:
1. The translator should have a comprehensive knowledge of both
source and target languages.

2. The translator should have a comprehensive knowledge of the

subject he is dealing with.

3. The translator needs to be aware of cultural differences.

4. The translator should be faithful to the ST in terms of content.

5. The translator should be mindful of the response of the TL reader.

 A brief history of the discipline

- First, the word "translation" was derived from a Latin phrase that means "to bring or carry across." Second, another explaining

phrase is "metaphrasis," which was derived from Ancient Greek, the word metaphrase was derived to mean "word for word

translation".

- It is said that the first known significant translation was of the Hebrew Bible, dated back to the 3rd century. The need for more

translation continued to increase with the expansion of spiritual theories and religious texts. The result of religion brought the drive

to spread religion and strengthen faith, which means there was the need to translate religious content into multiple languages.

- Throughout history, written and spoken translations have played a crucial role in communication, not least in providing access to

important texts for scholarships and religious purposes. Yet the study of translation as an academic subject has only begun in the

past fifty years.

 A brief history of the discipline

• Up until the second half of the 20 th century, translators often differed considerably in the meaning they
gave to terms such as 'faithfulness', 'accuracy' and even the word 'translation' itself. The distinction
between 'word-for-word' (i.e. 'literal') and 'sense-for-sense' (i.e. 'free') translation goes back to Cicero (1 st
Century BC) and St. Jerome (4 th Century) that formed the basis of key writings on translation in
centuries near our own.
• While most translators were hidden characters, several people paved the way for translation that allowed
some of the greatest contributions to disseminating knowledge and ideas throughout the ages. Some
translators were unnamed because translation work was dangerous at the time. Some lost lives because
of translating, for instance, William Tyndale, who translated the Bible into the English language. He was
executed in 1536 in Holland.
 A brief history of the discipline

• Up until the second half of the 20 th century, translators often differed considerably in the meaning they
gave to terms such as 'faithfulness', 'accuracy' and even the word 'translation' itself. The distinction
between 'word-for-word' (i.e. 'literal') and 'sense-for-sense' (i.e. 'free') translation goes back to Cicero (1 st
Century BC) and St. Jerome (4 th Century) that formed the basis of key writings on translation in
centuries near our own.
• While most translators were hidden characters, several people paved the way for translation that allowed
some of the greatest contributions to disseminating knowledge and ideas throughout the ages. Some
translators were unnamed because translation work was dangerous at the time. Some lost lives because
of translating, for instance, William Tyndale, who translated the Bible into the English language. He was
executed in 1536 in Holland.
 A brief history of the discipline

• In the pre-linguistics period of writing on translation, which may be said to date from Cicero though St.
Jerome, Dryden, Tayler, opinion swung between literal and, free faithful and beautiful, exact and natural
translation, depending on whether the bias was to be in favour of the author or the reader, the source or the
target language of the text. Up to the nineteenth century, literal translation represented a philological academic
exercise from which the cultural reformers were trying to rescue literature.
• Later, Dryden (17th Century) reduced all translation to three categories; 'metaphrase', 'paraphrase' and
'imitation'. He promoted enabling the translator to surpass the original; that is to permit the 'spirit' of the ST
to be best reproduced. Dryden's writing on translation was very prescriptive, setting out what has to be done
in order for successful translation to take place. Other writers on translation also began to state their
'principles' in similarly prescriptive fashion. In English, the first systematic study of translation after Dryden
is Tayler's "Essay on the Principles of Translation" in the 18th Century.
 A brief history of the discipline

• In the nineteenth century, a more scientific approach was brought to bear on translation, suggesting that

certain types of texts must be accurately translated, whilst others should and could not be translated at all!

Since the rise of modern and anticipated by Tytler in the late 18th Century, the general emphasis, supported

by communication-theorists as well as by non-literary translators, has been placed on the reader – on

informing the reader effectively and appropriately, notably in Nida, Firth, and the Leipzig School.
Printing Press and Its Impact on Translation and Language Usage

• Before the introduction of the printing press, when few people could read, most

written texts were in Latin. The printing press, though, had a profound impact on

language use and people's literacy. The use of Latin declined as texts could now

be translated and even published in different local languages, with more people

getting a chance to learn and read.

 Translation Studies in the Academic Discipline

- Studying translation in the academic discipline became a concept around the 1950s, when
institutions were introduced. The institutions allowed cross-cultural interactions and knowledge
sharing where people from different languages gathered to learn how to translate.

- Now, machine translation (MT) has been widely adopted to enhance and ease translation, with
translators worldwide being aided by computers. It involves the application of language science
and computers to the development of translation. It is the computerized system responsible for
attaining translations either with or without human assistance.
 Translation and the Globalization of the Economy

- Due to the industrial revolution, the rapid development of the economy evolved into new

machinery that allowed swifter and easier production of texts, creating the need for

companies to translate and enter into foreign markets. Tracing back to the 18th century,

translation helped globalize the economy, with many businesses benefitting from formalized

translation services. The development of machine translation and the internet has completely

revolutionized the ability to translate, access, and understand documents worldwide.

-
 Translation in Society Today

 Today, translators now have several tools, such as the internet and laptops at their disposal to aid in the

translation process. Translation services have also become of massive importance in society, as the world

becomes increasingly interconnected through the economy, education, sharing of knowledge, and trade.

 Seeing how far translation has come through the years, we can gain an appreciation for the spirited

translation work done by the early translators in history. In addition, we're glad for the more accurate and

widely available translations that we have today. We thank all the translators that work hard to keep the

world moving forward.

Thank you!