Universidade Save - Extensão de Maxixe

Student’s name: Moniz Rodrigues Cumbane. Year: III. Course: English course

Lecturer: Dionísio Mavume

Subject: History of Translation

1. Summary of “Types of translation”

Jakobson, in his paper, “On Linguistic Aspects of Translation”, makes a very important
distinction between three types of translation:

a. Intralingual translation - is a translation within the same language, which can involve
rewording or paraphrase;
b. Interlingual translation - is a translation from one language to another, and;
c. Intersemiotic translation - is a translation of the verbal sign by a non-verbal sign, for
example music or image.

Only the second category, interlingual translation, is believed to be ‘translation proper’ by

Jakobson because it describes the process of transfer from SL to TL.

In addition, the central problem of all these three types is that there is no full equivalence of code
units during translation process. Moreover, even synonymy does not yield equivalence.
Consequently, a dictionary of so-called synonyms may give perfect synonyms for some words
but in neither case can there be said to be complete equivalence, since each unit contains within
itself a set of non-transferable associations and connotations. Therefore, a complete equivalence
(in the sense of synonymy or sameness) cannot take place in any of his categories.

Further, translation is a series of operations of which the starting point and the end product are
significations and function within a given culture. In this case, the translator has to resort to a
combination of units in order to find an approximate equivalent. Therefore, the translation is only
an adequate interpretation of an alien code unit and equivalence is impossible.
 2. The relevance of types of translation to the translation process

In translation process, it is very important for a translator to know the types of translation. First,
the translator can decide which kind of translation will apply in his process of translating, either
translation in the same language (intralingual translation), translation from one language to
another (interlingual translation) or intersemiotic translation. Second, the translator knowing the
above types of translation does his work of translating taking into account to such translation
purpose. Finally, knowing the types of translation, it enables the translator to select the strategies
and tool which will use in his translation process. So, if a translator shows the domain of all three
types, he can be considered a good translator.

In addition, types of translation are important to translation process. First of all, types of
translation enable people to understand each other, for the fact that in case of having people that
do not understand a certain text written in the same language, there is a need of applying the one
of the types of translation – rewording (intralingual translation) so that they can understand the
same text. Secondly, they can help people of two different languages to communicate and
understand to each other by using the interlingual translation – transferring code units from
source language to target language. Finally, types of translation help deaf or disable people to
understand the oral speech by using the intersemiotic translation.

3. The merit of types of translation to the history of translation

The above three types of translation have an important merit to history of translation, since
translation is widely known as a process of replacing one written language with another without
changing the meaning for mutual understanding, being this so, these replacements of written or
oral language with the same or another language can occur thanks to these different types of
translation.