Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES/PROCEDURES
Translation method is applied globally, at the level of the whole text, and it refers to the way a particular translation process is
carried out in terms of the translator’s objective, the translator’s plan of action on a given text (how close to the ST you want your
TT to be).
Techniques/procedures are applied locally, in the translation of individual words, phrases, clauses, sentences of the ST.
Formal equivalence – orientation towards the structure of the ST, prefered translation technique = word for word
Dynamic equivalence – orientation towards the meaning/message of the ST, preferred translation technique = ‘thought for
thought’
Semantic translation – focus on the meaning of the ST, the translator attempts at rendering the exact contextual meaning of the
original, using the lexical and grammatical resources of the TL (very close to faithful translation, which, however, does not pay
that much attention to the aesthetic value of the SL text)
Communicative translation – focus on the effect of the ST, the translator attempts at obtaining an effect on the target readers
that is as close as possible to that of the ST on its readers.
Adaptation – the ‘freest form of translation’. It is used for translating drama and poetry mainly. The theme, the plot and the
characters are usually preserved, the SL cultural elements are replaced by TL cultural elements. Adaptation frequently results
into the rewriting of the original texts.
Free translation – reproduces the content, but not the form of the ST. Usually, it is a paraphrase that is much longer than the
original (some do not even consider this method one of translation proper).
Idiomatic translation – reproduces the message of the original, but it tends to distort nuances of meaning, by employing
colloquialisms and idioms where these are not present in the ST.
Nord, Christiane. 1991. Text Analysis in Translation. Theory, Methodology and Didactic Application of a Model for
Translation – Oriented Text Analysis
Nord, Christiane. 1997. Translating as a Purposeful Activity. Functionalist Approaches Explained
Documentary translation – aims at producing in the target language a kind of document of a communicative interaction in
which a source-culture sender communicates with a source-culture audience via the source-text, under source-culture conditions;
Instrumental translation – aims at producing in the target language an instrument for a new communicative interaction
between a source-culture sender and a target-culture audience, under target-culture conditions, using (certain aspects of) the
source text as a model.
TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES/PROCEDURES
Sources:
Newmark, Peter. 1988. A Textbook of Translation
Vinay, Jean-Paul and Jean Darbelnet. 1973. Stylistique comparée du français et de l'anglais (A Comparative Stylistics of
French and English)
Jean Delisle et al., ed. 1999. Translation Terminology.
Newmark:
- word-for-word translation (close translation)
- one-to-one translation (close translation)
- literal translation
- through translation
- transference
- naturalization
- synonymy
- transposition
- recasting
- cultural equivalent
- functional equivalent
- descriptive equivalent
- expansion
- paraphrase
- reduction
- omission
Delisle
- literal translation
- calque
- borrowing
- direct transfer
- recategorization
- denominalization
- equivalence
- cultural equivalent
- compensation
- amplification
- paraphrase
- explicitation
- concentration
- omission
THROUGH-TRANSLATlON/CALQUE
The literal translation of common collocations, names of organizations, the components of compounds, and perhaps phrases;
obtained by transferring a SL word or expression into the TL, using a literal translation of its component elements.
Obs. When a culturally-loaded word is transferred from the SL to the TL, the translator may choose to complement the transfer
with a second translation procedure (e.g. explicitation, double-gloss). The two translation procedures in harness are referred to
as a ‘couplet’ (Newmark).
NATURALlSTATlON/DIRECT TRANSFER
Adapting a SL word first to the normal pronunciation, then to the normal morphology of the TL.
leader – lider
manager (pronounced in Romanian as [manadjer])
SYNONYMY
The use of a near TL equivalent to a SL word in a context, where a precise equivalent may or may not exist. This procedure is
used for a SL word when there is no clear one-to-one equivalent, when literal translation is not possible, and the word is not
important in the text (adjectives, adverbs of quality).
TRANSPOSlTlON/SHIFT (Catford)/RECATEGORlZATlON
A change in the grammar from SL to TL (singular to plural; passive for active; changing the word class or compensating for
grammatical elements that are not available in the TL, etc.)
advice – sfaturi
luggage – bagaje
This book was written by Dickens. – Dickens a scris această carte.
Working with you is always a pleasure. – Munca cu tine este întotdeauna o plăcere. (gerund – noun)
Our foreign trade has shown continuous improvements. – Comerțul nostru extern s-a ameliorat continuu (adjective+ noun –
verb+adverb)
Do come at the party! – Insist să vii la petrecere!
It is snowing. – Ninge.
After the birth of their first daughter…. – După ce s-a născut prima lor fiică…(noun – clause)
The opposite of denominalization is <deverbalization> or <nominalization>, which presupposes the change from a verbal
structure into a nominal one or a noun.
Numai când a intrat în casă, și-a amintit… - Only at the entrance, did he remember…
RECASTING
The modification of the order of the units in a ST in order to conform to the syntactic or idiomatic constraints of the TT
MODULATlON
Variation through change of viewpoint, of perspective, and very often of category of thought
Obs. Vinay and Darbelnet’s definition of this procedure is rather misleading. What they seem to actually mean by it is what
Newmark calls “familiar alternatives”.
The early bird catches the worm. - Cine se scoală de dimineață departe ajunge.
Once bitten, twice shy. - Cine s-a ars cu ciorbă, suflă și-n iaurt.
Thank you! You are welcome! – Mulțumesc! Cu plăcere!
I would like a cup of coffee. Black or white? – Aș dori o ceașcă de cafea. Cu lapte sau fără?
ADAPTATlON/CULTURAL EQUIVALENCE
The replacement of a situation of the SL by an analogous situation of the TL (when communicative situations are difficult to
understand in the culture of TL, when the situation of the SL does not exist in the TL - a cultural gap - and therefore another
equivalent situation has to be created)/ The replacement of a socio-cultural reality in the SL with a reality specific to the Target
Culture in order to accomodate for the expectations of the Target Audience.
Dupont et Dupond (characters in Tinin) > Thomson and Thompson > Hernández y Fernández > = A cultural SL word is
translated by a TL cultural word (Newmark)
baccalauréat - the French 'A' level'
tea break – pauză de cafea
FUNCTlONAL EQUIVALENCE
The neutralization or generalization of a SL cultural word by using a culture-free equivalent
RECOGNlSED TRANSLATION
The use of the official or generally accepted translation of an institutional term
COMPONENTIAL ANALYSIS
In linguistics – splitting up the sense of a word into sense-components.
In translation – comparing a SL word with a TL word which has a similar meaning, but it is not an obvious one-to-one equivalent,
by demonstrating first their common and then their differing sense components; usually, the SL word has a more specific
meaning than the TL word and the translator needs to add some SL word sense components to the TL word to obtain a closer
approximation of meaning.
COMPENSATlON
It occurs when loss of meaning, sound-effect, metaphor or pragmatic effect in one part of a sentence is compensated for in
another part, or in a contiguous sentence.
I would like to respectfully draw your attention on…. – Aș dori să Vă atrag respectuos atenția asupra…
EXPANSION/AMPLIFICATION
The use of more words in the TT in order to re-express an idea or to reinforce the sense of a ST word because its correspondent in
the TL cannot be expressed as concisely or is clearer if expressed in an expanded variant.
EXPLICITATION
The introduction of precise details into the TT for clarification
the basic questions of delegation > problemele fundamentale legate de delegarea de putere
OMISSION
The suppression of elements of the SL text
The committee has failed to act > Comitetul nu a acționat.
IMPLICITATION
A translation procedure intended to increase the economy of the TT, achieved by not explicitly rendering elements of information
in the ST in the TT when they are evident from the context or from the described situation and can be readily inferred by the
readers of the TT
Be sure the device is unplugged from the electrical outlet before opening the cover. > Deconectați aparatul înainte de a deschide
capacul.
NOTES, ADDITIONS, GLOSSES
The employment of additional information in the form of footnotes, endnote, glossaries at the end of the text, or within the text