Unit 1

TRANSLATING: A BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

I Pre-reading
Task 1) Below are some examples of bad English translations on international signs. In
pairs, decide what parts of translations should be corrected and provide explanations.

Dry cleaners in Bangkok: DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR BEST

RESULTS.

In a Rome laundry: LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND

THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME.

In a Nairobi restaurant: CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE

OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: TAKE ONE OF OUR HORSE-DRIVEN

CITY TOURS - WE GUARANTEE NO MISCARRIAGES.

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND

THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE

CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

At a Budapest zoo: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE

ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

In the office of a Romanian doctor: SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER

DISEASES.
(adapted from http://www.joe-ks.com/Engrish.htm#ixzz1mCio2ahd)

II Reading
Task 1) Scan the text Categories of translation and answer the following questions:

1) What are the four principle categories of translation?

2) Why does the author of the first text claim that writing and translation often
go hand in hand?
3) What may be the sources of translating problems in scientific/technical
translation?

Task 2) Read the text Categories of translation and do the reading comprehension task
below.

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 Categories of Translation

The two most important qualifications you need as a translator are being able to express
yourself fluently in the target language (your language of habitual use) and having an
understanding of the text you are translating. To these you could usefully add
qualification in specialist subjects.

Regrettably, an overwhelming number of people and these include clients harbor

many misconceptions of what is required to be a skilled translator. Such misconceptions
include the following:

As a translator you can translate all subjects.

If you speak a foreign language ipso facto, you can automatically translate into it.
If you can hold a conversation in a foreign language, then you are bilingual.
Translators are mind-readers and can produce a perfect translation without having
to consult the author of the original text, irrespective of whether it is ambiguous,
vague or badly written
No matter how many versions of the original were made before final copy was
approved or how long the process took, the translator needs only one stab at the
task, and very little time, since he gets it right first time without the need for
checking or proofreading. After all, the computer does all that for you.

The four principal categories of translation are literary translation, interpreting, scientific
and technical and commercial/business translation.

Literary translation

Literary translation is not confined to the translation of great works of literature all
kinds of books, plays, poems, short stories and writings are covered, including such items
as a collection of jokes, the script of a documentary, a travel guide and an opera libretto.

When experienced members of the TA were asked to produce a profile of a literary

translator, they listed the following points:

The translator needs to have a feeling for language and a fascination with it.
The translator must have an intimate knowledge of the source language and of the
regional culture and literature, as well as responsible knowledge of any special
subject that is dealt with in the work that is being published.
The translator should be familiar with the original authors other work.
The translator must be a skilled and creative writer in the target language and
nearly always be a native speaker of it.
The translator should always be capable of moving from one style to another in
the language when translating different works.
The aim of the translator should be to convey the meaning of the original work as
opposed to producing a mere accurate rendering of the words.

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 The translator should be able to produce a text that reads well, while echoing the
tone and style of the original as if the original author were writing in the target
language.

As is evident from this description, the flair, skill and experience that are required by a
good literary translator resemble the qualities that are needed by an original writer. It is
not surprising that writing and translation often go hand in hand.

(adapted from A Practical Guide for Translators, pp. xv-6)

Scientific/technical translation

Different language pairs, text prototypes, genres and discourses call for different trans-
lation strategies. Data sheets and technical specifications often have a stereotype format
and layout, which presupposes an adequate intellectual grasp of the compressed or
abstracted representations or, alternatively, a sufficient degree of contact with domain
experts

Scientific units and measurements is an area fraught with traditional trip wires, since
extremely high precision and reliability are required. The translator must decide whether
the Imperial psi (pressure measured in 'pounds-per-square-inch') is sufficiently universal
to be left alone in a non-English target text intended for a metric society or needs to be
converted to 'kilos per square centimeter. He/she must judge what level of precision is
required when inches are converted to millimeters, keep track of the billion/milliard
problem and make sure periods and commas are used in accordance with the national
convention for separating decimals or thousands. The Red Cross goes by a different name
in Jewish and Moslem nations, and a number of countries embraced the ISO-standard
with relief after they found out that DIN stands for 'Deutsches Institut fur Normung'. The
names of Rontgen and Celsius have to be stripped off in an English TT whose readership
expects x-rays and centigrades.

Scientific conceptual and terminological systems of SL and TL can be found to

correspond, as we have noted, although incongruence and discrepancies are often the
rule Separate national languages have proceeded along different historical routes, and
even closely related languages have developed widely divergent ways of linking content
and expression. An American car has a fender where its British counterpart has a wing ~
if it gets torn off the Briton could put it in his boot (i. e. trunk, as the American would
say) and so on.

It is not surprising that languages should have clear lexical gaps in their interface. Closely
related languages may produce divergent semantic extensions of cognate word stems or a
borrowing language may filter out alternative senses of lexical loans to focus on only
one: Norwegian has imported the English term truck but only in the meaning 'forklift'.
Lexical equivalence always involves a compromise between latent and actualized SL and

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TL senses: in translating you win a few (TL senses), you lose a few (SL senses), and the
translator needs to be an experienced broker - and a sensitive, flexible negotiator, too.

(adapted from bersetzung, Translation, Traduction, pp. 630-631)

III Reading Comprehension.

Task 1) According to the text above, are the following statements true or false? Correct
the false ones.

1) A translator can successfully translate any subject if s/he has a good command of
a source language.
2) A translator is in most cases a native speaker of target language.
3) The translated text should reflect the tone and the style of the original text.
4) If a translator is not familiar with a certain scientific/technical domain, it is useful
to contact a domain expert.
5) Language of science is precise and exact. Therefore, scientific and technological
systems of SL and TL always correspond.
6) When SL and TL are related, a borrowing from SL always has the same sense(s)
in TL.

IV Vocabulary in context.

Task 1) The bold typed words from the text are given in the table below followed by their
dictionary definitions. Match each word with the correct definition. If you are not sure
about the meaning of some words, check the context in which they were used in the text.

overwhelming adj., irrespective adv., rendering n., grasp n., fraught with adj., embrace v.,
incongruence n., divergent adj.

________________________ without thinking about or considering (something)

_______________________ an understanding of something
_______________________ to accept (something or someone)
________________________ splitting and moving in different directions
________________________ very great in number, effect, or force
_______________________ a description, explanation, or translation
________________________ full of (something bad or unwanted)
_______________________ non-agreement

Task 2 Fill in the gaps with the most appropriate words from Task 1. Use the correct
forms of the words.

1) They are protected by the law, ___________________________ of race.

2) These ideas have been widely ___________________ by the scientific
community.

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 3) The book is a faithful ____________________ of life in a rural community.
4) Their views are widely _____________________.
5) The paper was poorly researched and ___________________errors.

Task 3) In pairs, read the sentences below and translate the underlined expressions into
Croatian.

1) Regrettably, an overwhelming number of people and these include clients

harbor many misconceptions of what is required to be a skilled translator.

2) The aim of the translator should be to convey the meaning of the original work as
opposed to producing a mere accurate rendering of the words.

3) Scientific units and measurements is an area fraught with traditional trip wires,
since extremely high precision and reliability are required.

4) He/she must judge what level of precision is required when inches are converted to
millimeters, keep track of the billion/milliard problem and make sure periods and
commas are used in accordance with the national convention for separating decimals
or thousands.

5) It is not surprising that languages should have clear lexical gaps in their interface.

6) Closely related languages may produce divergent semantic extensions of cognate

word stems or a borrowing language may filter out alternative senses of lexical loans
to focus on only one.

V Vocabulary development: avoiding translation traps

Task 1) Fill in the missing words below and compare the animal similes in English with
their Croatian counterparts:

a) as blind as a _______________
b) as free as a _______________
c) as strong as an _____________
d) to eat like a ______________
e) as sly as a _________________
f) to fight like ______________ and ________________
g) as brave as a _______________
h) as wise as an ________________

Task 2) In pairs, translate the following collocations into

a) Croatian:

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 a literal translation _____________________________
still life _____________________________
dog ears_______________________________
a public house______________________________
a colorful performance____________________________
an armchair critic/expert____________________________
make a living_______________________
an opening chapter________________________
bone idle______________________
new moon__________________________

b) English:

redovan student ___________________________

plodan pisac_______________________
porodiljni dopust__________________________
drutvo knjievnika________________________
pripovijetka__________________________
srea u nesrei_________________________
karika koja nedostaje_______________________
ranoranilac___________________________
radniki sindikat_______________________

Task 3) Explain the meaning of the underlined expressions in the sentences below.

1) I havent heard from Ann for months. Come to that, we havent heard from any of
the Smiths for quite a long time.
2) A: I couldnt phone you because I didnt have your London number.
B: Dont give me that! You could have found it in the telephone book! (informal)
3) That does it! Janes late again. I will not tolerate it any more! (informal)
4) Yes, thats more like it! This draft is much better than the first one.
5) Well, I think thats about it. Weve settled all important issues.

Task 4) Explain the meaning of the following proverbs and translate them into Croatian.
Think about your own sentences to show their meaning.
1) Penny wise and pound foolish.
2) Like father like son.
3) God helps those who help themselves.
4) Well begun is half done.
5) As you sow so shall you reap.
6) Seeing is believing.

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7) The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
8) In one ear and out the other.
9) Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
10) Easy come and easy go.

Task 5) Provide the key words and discuss the literal translation of the English proverbs
in the table below. Check the true English equivalent with your instructor and decide
which elements are the same and which are different from the Croatian proverb.

KEY CROATIAN LITERAL ENGISH

WORD PROVERB TRANSLATION EQUIVALENT
CLOSE OR
DIFFERENT?
1. Bird Bolje vrabac u ruci, nego A sparrow in the hand is A bird in the hand is
golub na grani. better than pigeon on the worth two in the bush.
branch. SIMILAR

2. Nije zlato sve to sja.

3. Svaka ptica svome jatu

leti.
4. Gdje ima dima, ima i
vatre.
5. Daleko od oiju, daleko
od srca.
6. Prijatelj se u nevolji
poznaje.
7. Bez muke nema nauke.
8. Tko rano rani, dvije
sree grabi.
9. Bolje sprijeiti nego
lijeiti.
10. Od plaa nema koristi.

VI Grammar: Passive Voice (1)

Task 1) Underline the active and passive verb forms in the sentences below and discuss
the following:

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 A good literary translator needs both skill and experience which resemble the
qualities of an original writer.

Skill and experience that are required by a good literary translator resemble the
qualities that are needed by an original writer.

a) Does the use of active or passive voice change the meaning of the sentences?

b) If yes, in what way? If not, what might be the difference in the use of the active or
passive voice in the sentences below? In other words, what are the possible
reasons for the use of the active or passive voice?

1 FORM OF PASSIVE

Summary of active tenses and their passive equivalents

Tense/ Verb form Active voice Passive voice

Simple present writes is written

Present continuous is writing is being written
Simple past wrote was written
Past continuous is writing was being written
Present perfect has written has been written
Past perfect had written had been written
Future will write will be written
Present infinitive to write to be written
Perfect infinitive to have written to have been
written

2 THE ACTIVE-PASSIVE VOICE RELATION

ACTIVE PASSIVE

Bell invented the telephone. The telephone was invented by

Bell.

Subject and agent object subject agent

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 a. the active subject becomes the passive agent
b. the active object becomes the passive subject
c. the preposition by is introduced before the agent (an optional element):

We mention the agent: The cheque must be signed by the bank manager.
Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare.

We do not mention the agent:

a) if it does not add any new information:

All our money and passports were stolen.
A man was arrested last night.

b) if it is not important: Oil has been discovered at the North Pole.

c) when it is difficult to say who the agent is:

A number of attempts have been made to find the Loch Ness monster.

3 USE OF PASSIVE

when the agent is unimportant, obvious or unknown, ie. the subject of the active
sentence would be the indefinite pronoun one/you/someone or people

You/One should check the details. ~ The details should be checked.

Someone took my purse. ~ My purse was taken.

to describe activities in industry, science and technology, and also for official
rules

The liquid is heated to boiling point.

Payment can be made at any post office.

to avoid giving the name and embarrassing situations

This letter has been opened! instead of Youve opened this letter!

3.1 Passive in scientific writing

Scientific writing uses the passive voice more frequently than other types of writing. This
type of writing is impersonal, objective, logical, and the content is logically organized. It
deals with descriptions, analysis, giving evidence, providing information, etc. so the
agent is usually abstract and not necessary to be mentioned:

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 The research was conducted by the group of scientists at Yale University.

vs.

The group of scientists at Yale University conducted the research.

PASSIVE: the action being performed is the theme, the agent is less important than the
procedure/principle/process

ACTIVE: the agent is emphasized

3.1.1 Some uses of passive in scientific writing

Descriptions of standard procedures

Subjects are tested on three different types of abilities.

Descriptions of the state of knowledge

Any piece of writing is regularly proofread before publishing.

Summarizing or paraphrasing the table or figure legends

The most frequent mistranslation errors are given in Figure 6.1.

Definitions

Interpreting is defined as converting one spoken language into another.

4 RESTRICTIONS

not all transitive verbs allow a passive transformation

John has three sons.

The French word maison means the house.

reciprocal verbs such as resemble, look like, equal, marry, etc.

John resembles/looks like his father.

Three times two equals six.

verbs of containing such as contain, hold, lack

5 PASSIVE IN CROATIAN

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 pomoni glagol biti + gl. pridjev trpni (pridjevski pasiv):

Tekst je preveden i lektoriran...

Provjeravana ja hipoteza o...

se pasiv povratna zamjenica se + aktivni oblik glagola:

Mole se studenti da...

Ispit se odrava dana...

Task 2) Match the use of the passive voice in the following sentences with the
categories listed below.

1) My wallet has been taken.

2) Antibiotics are used to fight bacteria and not viruses.
3) Bicycles are widely used in the city instead of public transport.
4) Linda has been arrested.
5) I have been advised to obtain a visa in advance.
6) Giftedness is defined as a demonstrated achievement or aptitude for excellence in any
of the following areas.
7) Then the packets are packed into boxes of twenty-four.

a) generalized agent b) state of knowledge

c) obvious agent d) unimportant agent
e) descriptions of processes f) unknown agent
g) definition

Task 3) Choose the correct verb forms in the text below. Discuss the reasons for your
choices.
Languages which offer/are offered at our University include Chinese, Japanese, Spanish,
German, and Russian. This program is designed/designs to prepare language students for
careers as professional interpreters and/or translators. It has been done/has done most
successfully over a few decades, and graduates can be found/can find working in
language services worldwide.

All students are followed/follow a core program involving professional translation and
simultaneous, consecutive and Public Service interpreting. A number of options are/are
been available in the second semester so that students' translation or interpreting skills
can be further improved/can improve.

The MA award/is awarded for a 15,000-word dissertation or project which submits/is

submitted after successful completion of the program.

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 adapted from
http://www.bath.ac.uk/study/pg/programmes/ma-in-inte-
and-tran

Task 4) Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice.

1) Modern digital interpreting suites provide excellent teaching and practice space.

2) Small class sizes enable high levels of student and teacher contact.

3) The University offers part-time work placements in interpreting and translating during
the program.

4) Multi-national student population creates a diverse and stimulating learning

environment.

5) Our experienced translation and interpreting trainers expose students to realistic

training

6) The Arts & Humanities Research Council gives a number of funding opportunities for
international students.

adapted from
http://www.bath.ac.uk/study/pg/programmes/ma-in-inte-
and-tran

Task 5) Put the verbs in brackets in active or passive verb forms. You should use the
present perfect, the present simple and the present continuous passive and active
verb forms.

Translation ____________ (regard) as a complex linguistic process which

_______________ (carry out) by a professional practitioner who ____________ (have to)
maintain a delicate balance between languages and cultures. Nowadays, most if not all -
of the following roles ____________ (expect) of the successful professional translator:
cultural mediator, computer expert, multilanguage expert, and multidisciplinary expert.
Translation Studies has drawn from different sources and disciplines: its multifaceted
character ____________ (make) it a complex and still relatively unexplored area of study
which ____________ (teach).
Translation Training is not new but its interest in the most recent pedagogical approaches
is. Most other subject categories taught as undergraduate degrees ____________ (learn)
at school with textbooks and appropriate activities. This is not the case with translation. It
is not a school subject nor ___ it directly ____________ (relate) to any one, such as
Medical Sciences and Biology for future doctors or biologists. Its closest relative could
be Language Learning, both native and foreign, so it ____________ (seem) logical to
draw from the teaching approaches and ideas from this field, and then ____________

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(select), ____________ (integrate) and ____________ (adapt) the special characteristics
of translation studies.
adapted from Multiple Voices in
the Translation Classroom (Davies
M.G. 2004)

Task 6) Translate the following sentences into Croatian.

1) An overwhelming number of people harbor many misconceptions of what is required

to be a skilled translator.

2) Literary translation is not confined to the translation of great works of literature all
kinds of books, plays, poems, short stories and writings are covered.

3) The translator must have an intimate knowledge of the source language and of the
regional culture and literature, as well as responsible knowledge of any special subject
that is dealt with in the work that is being published.

Task 7) Translate the following sentences into English using the expressions covered
in class.
1) Koje sposobnosti su potrebne za profesionalni prevoditeljski posao?
2) Nejasan i dvosmislen tekst teko se prevodi na jezik cilja.
3) Svaki tekst se provjerava i lektorira prije tiska.
4) Knjievno djelo mora se u potpunosti razumjeti kako bi bilo to blie izvorniku.
5) ak i ako se dobro poznaje neki strani jezik, ponekad nije lako prenijeti znaenje
teksta.

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