This module was kicked off with an introduction to the underlying theoretical perspectives of Translation Studies. We discussed the field of Translation Studies as well as the basic types of translation. Introducing the module in this way is not only a good recap on the basics of translation, that was covered in the previous module, but also a brief introduction to the theories that will be dealt with throughout the course of this module. 

 

Glossary for Study Unit 1.1

Concept	Definition	Reference
intralingual translation	Translation between two different varieties or dialects of the same language which involves the “replacement of lexical items with their equivalent items that are more suited to the target audience”. Ex. UK: Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone USA: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. May also include rewording or paraphrasing (text editing?) (Hatim & Munday, 2004:5).	Hatim, B. & Munday, J.  2004.  Translation: and advanced resource book.  1st ed.  Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
interlingual translation	Translation from one language (source text) to another (target text) (Hatim & Munday, 2004:5).
intersemiotic translation	Translation of the verbal sign by a non-verbal sign (music or an image). Ex. Translating Morse-code into a verbal message (Hatim & Munday, 2004:5).
translation	Translation is a very broad term. In the first traditional sense it relates to the process of the translator transferring written text from the source text (ST) into the target text (TT). It also relates to the concrete written product produced by the translator. Moreover, the term translation may evoke other terms such as interpreting and machine translation, although generally translation is applied to written texts. Machine translation broadens the understanding of the term in a modern professional context where computerized analysis is married with human analysis. Furthermore, the term also introduces sub-types such as the type of the written product (literary, technical) but also the translation forms such as audiovisual translation, interpreting, etc. (Hatim & Munday, 2004:3 – 6). In summary, Hatim & Munday (2004:6) define translation as “1. The process of transferring a written text from SL to TL, conducted by a translator, or translators, in a specific socio-cultural context. 2. The written product, or TT, which results from that process and which functions in the socio-cultural context of the TL. 3. The cognitive, linguistic, visual, cultural and ideological phenomena which are an integral part of 1 and 2.”
translation studies	In the past, key questions of linguistics (such as equivalence and translatability) have been the centre of Translation Studies. This field came into being thanks to Netherlands-based scholar James S. Holmes, who mapped out the field of Translation Studies in his work published in 1972, The Name and the Nature of Translation Studies. Holmes divided the field into ‘pure’  (academic) Translation Studies (with descriptive and theoretical components) and ‘applied’ (vocational) Translation Studies (including translator training, translation aids and translation criticism). Holmes (1988:71) considers the objective of ‘pure’ Translation Studies to be the following: “1. to describe the phenomena of translating and translation(s) as they manifest themselves in the world of our experience, and 2. to establish general principles by means of which these phenomena can be explained and predicted.” Based on this, the assertion is that translated language in general seems to show certain characteristics, known as universals of translation. Translation studies have evolved to such an extent that it is seen as an interdisciplinary field which overlaps with various other fields. The goal of modern Translation Studies is to describe the translation process and to identify trends and universals (Hatim & Munday, 2004:7).

 

Self-evaluation: Study Unit Outcomes

1. Why is formal academic training important in language practice?

Formal academic training (as opposed to vocational training) minimizes the risk of future translators producing bad translations (translation phenomena such as translationese) while also preparing the student for dealing with common translation problems and unpredictable translation scenarios. It gives the student a degree of confidence in knowing that their decisions are based on conrete knowledge. Finally it provides the theoretical basis on which further developments in the field may be achieved.

2. What is the definition of translation?

According to Hatim & Munday (2004: 6) translation can be defined as:

1. The process of translating a written text from the source language to the target language, conducted by the translator(s) in a specific socio-cultural context.

2. The written product (the target text) which results from the translation process and which functions in the socio-cultural context of the target language.

3. The cognitive, linguistic, visual, cultural and ideological phenomena which form part of the translation process as well as the translation product.

Furthermore, the term aslo relates to it's different types, such as interlingual translation, intralingual translation and intersemiotic translation (according to Jakobson's typology).

3. What is the difference between translation as a process and translation as a product?

The term translation is a broad term that may refer to many concepts. In one sense the term refers to the process of translation, while in another sense it can refer to the concrete product of translation. The process of translation refers to the translator transferring a written text in the source language to the target language. The product of translation refers to the concrete translated text in the target language. However, the translation process may also evoke other related senses, such as different translation forms (audiovisual, interpreting, etc.). In the same regard, the translation product may evoke a related sense of the type of written product (literary, technical, etc.) (Hatim & Munday, 2004: 3 – 6).

4. What is meant by each of the different types of translation (according to Jakobson's typology)?

According to Jakobson's typology the three different types of translation are:

1. Interlingual translation: translation between two different languages. For example, a translation from Afrikaans to English).

2. Intralingual translation: translation between two dialects or forms of the same language, which may also include text editing such as rewording and paraphrasing. An example would be the translation of the British English version of the book title Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in the UK) to its American English version, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (published in the USA).

3. Intersemiotic translation: translation between two different semiotic systems. In other words, translation from the verbal sign to the non-verbal sign (or vice versa). For example, a script translated to a film or, the subtitling of a television series. 

5. What does the field of Translation Studies encompass?

The field of Translation Studies and how it was thought of was revolutionised in 1972 by scholar James Holmes who divided the field into pure and applied Translation Studies with the following obejctives in mind:

1. to describe translation phenomena as they manifest and, 

2. to establish general principles according to which these phenomena can be explained and predicted.

The result was a concise map of the field of Translation Studies divided into two categories, namely academic translator training (pure Translation Studies) as opposed to vocational translator training (applied Translation Studies).

Furthermore, the field of Translation Studies is interdisciplinary in nature and intersects with disciplines such as language engineering (e.g. machine translation), philosophy (e.g. poststructuralism), linguistics (e.g. discourse analysis), literary studies (e.g. poetics) and finally, cultural studies (e.g. film studies).

 

Reference List

Hatim, B. & Munday, J.  2004.  Translation: and advanced resource book.  1st ed.  Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.