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Translation and Interpretation

University

Introduction to the Degree in Translation and Interpretation. Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Fundamental concepts, etymology, and definitions of translation

  • Translation: producing equivalent text in another language; Interpretation: oral translation.
  • Translation Studies: the discipline that studies the theory and application of translation and interpretation.
  • Written translation: emerged with written literature (e.g., the Epic of Gilgamesh, 2000 B.C.).
  • Machine translation: automation methods dating back to the 1940s.
  • New genres: internationalization and localization (driven by the Internet).
  • Etymology: traductĭo (Latin), tradurre (Italian 1440), übersetzen (German).
  • Medieval Spanish: the term trujamán for translator and interpreter.
  • Linguistic approach: expressing the same reality or semantic/stylistic equivalences.
  • Textual approach: transmitting meaning or semantic/pragmatic substitution.
  • Communicative approach: reproduction of the message through the most natural equivalent or social process.
  • Process approach: analysis of pre-nuclear sentences and the restitution of the "intended meaning."
  • Cognitive approach: the interpretative process of reformulation within a social context.

History and processes of translation and translation competence

  • Rosetta Stone: first written evidence of translation (hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek).
  • Septuagint: translation of the Bible from Hebrew to Koine Greek in the 3rd century BCE.
  • Vulgate: first systematic translation of the Bible into vulgar Latin (Saint Jerome, 384 AD).
  • School of Translators of Toledo: key to the dissemination of Greek/Arabic knowledge into Romance and Latin.
  • Translation process: a cognitive operation composed of comprehension, de-verbalization, and re-expression.
  • De-verbalization: creation of a semantic map independent of the source and target grammars.
  • Re-expression: synthesis of meaning in the target language while respecting context, style, and grammar.
  • Verification phase: added by authors such as Delisle and Bell for written translations.
  • Recursive nature: the translator can return to previous phases to adjust the meaning.
  • Translation competence: a set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (it is not just language proficiency).
  • Translation: the ability to re-express meaning free from the syntactic constraints of the source language.

Competencies and techniques in translation

  • Bilingual sub-competence: pragmatic, sociolinguistic, textual, and lexico-grammatical knowledge.
  • Extralinguistic sub-competence: cultural, encyclopedic, and thematic knowledge.
  • Translation knowledge sub-competence: principles, methods, processes, and professional practice.
  • Instrumental sub-competence: use of tools (dictionaries, corpora, ICT).
  • Strategic sub-competence: planning, evaluation, and problem-solving by integrating all sub-competences.
  • Psychophysiological components: cognitive, attitudinal, and skills (creativity, reasoning, analysis, synthesis).
  • Lexico-semantic problems: resolved using dictionaries, glossaries, and terminology databases.
  • Grammatical and syntactic problems: resolved using grammars (specific and contrastive) and syntax/writing manuals.
  • Rhetorical problems: resolved using dictionaries of rhetoric and poetics.
  • Pragmatic problems: resolved using dictionaries of idioms, proverb anthologies, and pragmatics works.
  • Cultural problems: resolved using diverse documentary sources (books, magazines, videos).
  • Adaptation technique: cultural substitution with more familiar elements.
  • Linguistic expansion technique: adding elements for structural reasons or to avoid ambiguity.
  • Reduction technique (omission): removing redundancies for greater conciseness or naturalness.
  • Compensation technique: recovering lost nuances through expansion and reduction.
  • Calque technique: creating neologisms following the structure of the source language.

Translation procedures and concepts: Modulation, Borrowing, Transposition, and Fidelity

  • Modulation: change of perspective or semantic sense to improve naturalness.
  • Loan: use of vocabulary from the original language without translation (e.g., blue jeans).
  • Literal translation: direct transfer between languages respecting fixed collocations.
  • Transposition: change of grammatical category without altering the meaning.
  • Fidelity: accuracy in expressing the meaning of the source text.
  • Transparency: adjustment of the translation to the grammar and syntax of the native language.
  • Idiomatic translation: that which meets the criterion of transparency.
  • Foreignization: a translation strategy that seeks to maintain the local color of the original.
  • Translation studies: the discipline that studies the theory, description, and application of translation and interpretation.
  • Traducto: the term designating the final product of translation or interpretation.

Concepts of equivalence and types of translation

  • Equivalence: correspondence of meaning between languages
  • Technical equivalence: permanent and context-independent correspondences
  • Importance in oral translation: facilitates rapid understanding of context
  • Semantic equivalence: correspondence of denotative content (priority)
  • Stylistic equivalence: correspondence of expressive nuance and functional style
  • Pragmatic equivalence: correspondence of the recipient's reaction
  • General translation: journalistic and dissemination texts
  • Literary translation: prose and poetry
  • Scientific-technical translation: health, engineering, or computer science texts
  • Software localization: cultural adaptation of computer programs
  • Legal translation: performed before courts
  • Legal-economic translation: legal and financial texts
  • Sworn translation: documents with legal validity performed by accredited experts
  • Multilingual translation: adaptation of websites and digital marketing
  • Medical/pharmaceutical translation: requires specific training in medicine or pharmacy
  • Localization: cultural and contextual adaptation of content
  • Transcreation: creative rewriting based on emotional impact

Translation tools, regulations, and context

  • CAT tools: SDL Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast, and Memosource
  • Translation memory: a database system for retrieving previous translations
  • ISO 2384:1977: standard for the standardized format of translations
  • ISO document types: books, periodicals, articles, and patents
  • International Translation Day: September 30th
  • Patron saint: Saint Jerome
  • COVID-19 impact: suspension of events, impact on royalties, and changes in work rhythms/spaces
  • Translation in organized crime: financial reports, surveillance transcripts, and asset freezing
  • Dark translation: translations for or by criminal organizations

Flashcard preview (6 of 30)

  1. 01

    Name of the discipline that systematically studies the theory, description, and application of translation and interpretation:

    Translation Studies

  2. 02

    Main difference between translation and interpretation according to the mode of execution:

    Interpretation is oral.

  3. 03

    Etymology of the term translation (Latin traductĭo, -ōnis):

    «to lead from one place to another»

  4. 04

    A term of Arabic origin used in Medieval Spanish to refer to both the translator and the interpreter:

    Trujamán

  5. 05

    According to Nida, what should be reproduced first in the target language: the meaning or the style?

    The meaning

  6. 06

    The version of the Bible translated by Ptolemy of Alexandria from Hebrew into Koine Greek:

    Septuagint (or Alexandrian version).

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