ATR-01: APPLICATION ORIENTED COURSE

IN TRANSLATION
ASSIGNMENT 2017-2018
(Based on Blocks 1-8)
Course Code: ATR-01/2017-18
Max. Marks: 100
Attempt all questions.

1. a. Translate the following prose piece into Hindi. 15

Answer- चलना एक आदत बन गई थी हम एक और मील की दरू ी पर चले गए थे या फिर जब हमें कुछ पठानों ने
फिर से सामना किया था। हमने अपना हाथ उठाया, जबकि पिता ने अल्लाह अकबर को जप करना शु रू किया। हम
फिर से निराशा में डू ब गय ले किन अब वास्तव में कुछ भी प्रस्ताव नहीं था, पठान ने पु रुषों को लात मारी, फिर
उनके आगे की मार्च के साथ किया। हम बस कुछ ही कदम चले गए जब पठानों ने पीछे से हमें चिल्लाया। हम अपने
स्थानों में खड़े हुए थे उनमें से एक ने मे रे पिता को धक्का दिया और अपना कोट हटा दिया। फिर उसके हाथ की लहर
के साथ, वह हमें जाने के लिए सं केत दिया हम चले गए पिताजी अतु लनीय रूप से गड़बड़ कर रहे थे और मां ने उन्हें
सां त्वना दे ने की कोशिश की, क्योंकि यह जानते हुए कि कोट के नु कसान की वजह से वह परे शान था। 'कोट के बारे में
बहुत ज्यादा मत सोचो भगवान का शु क्र है कि कम से कम उन्होंने हमारी जिं दगी को बचाया, 'माँ ने कहा। 'मैं उस
नीच कोट के नु कसान को शोक नहीं करता हं ू मैं कोट की जे ब में डाल दिया था पै से खोने के लिए मु झे खे द है । मैं ने
सोचा था कि जब हम घर पहुंचे, तो मु झे बच्चों के लिए कुछ खाना खरीदने में मदद मिले गी, 'उन्होंने कहा और फिर
चु प्पी में फिसल गया। मैं ने uski taraf nhi dekha, ले किन मु झे पता था कि वह रो रहा था।

b. Translate the following prose into English. 15

Answer-
One day, some boys were talking about the training in college. Purushottam was also with them.
I also sit with them but I had not understood the brief summary of their talking. I also asked the
Purushottam after the boys had gone then he replied, “ There is a bomb factory in Raipur where
the training of various parts of machine is provided. Secondary passed students are eligible for
training”.

I said to him, “Let us go to Raipur to enquire about the training”.

He said to me, “ Do you know, where is the factory”?

“ Yes, I had gone one - two times to Raipur along with Surjan.” I replied.

I along with Surjan started moving towards Raipur. We asked the security guard at IRDI main
gate, he told us that Ordinance factory is away.
We again enquired at the main gate of Ordinance factory. They asked us to wait. After ten
minutes, a man came to gate and asked who was asking about the training ?

2. Write short notes on: 5 x 4 = 20

a. Denotative meaning - Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the "dictionary
definition."¨ For example, if you look up the word snake in a dictionary, you will discover that one
of its denotative meanings is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles
having a long, tapering, cylindrical body. Vocabulary.com Dictionary
denotation

Denotation means the literal meaning of a word or name. Although Paris might make you think
of romance, its denotation is simply the city of an old tribe called the Parisii. The Latin word
denotare means to mark, and denotation originally meant the act of marking or the expression
of something through a sign. Now we tend to use denotation in opposition to connotation, which
is indirect or symbolic meaning. The denotation of rose is a particular kind of flower, while the
connotation is of romantic love; the denotation of river is a body of water, while its connotation
might be the unending flow of time.

Short Examples of Denotation -

She recognized the lovely aroma of her mother’s cooking. (Smell)

Vegetables are an inexpensive (Cheap)

Hanna’s interest in interior decoration has turned into her leisure pursuit. (Hobby)

Aunt Jolly lives in a hut deep down in the forest. (Cabin)

I stopped for brunch at a diner situated in the bay area. (Café)

His parents are conservationists. (Environmentalists)

My old computer has died. (Venerable)

In a stealthy and quiet way, Bob entered into his lawyer’s chambers. (Cautious)

The son was somewhat intimidated by father’s assertive (Confident)

Ben is an adventurous (Courageous)

Emily moved around the shore and stopped to take rest. (Relax)

The man is flocking together young sheep. (Lambs)

b. Untranslatability - Untranslatability is a property of a text, or of any utterance, in one

language, for which no equivalent text or utterance can be found in another language when
translated. Untranslatability defined “The degree of difficulty of translation depends on their
nature, as well as on the translators abilities.”. Types of untranslatability Catford distinguishes
two types which he terms linguistic and cultural.

Accurate and reliable translation involves understanding cultural and linguistic elements of both
languages. This understanding is critical because untranslatability can happen due to different
reasons. For the sake of this concise discussion and to be more specific, we would like to focus
on the cultural untranslatability. Nevertheless, it must be mentioned that there are two types of
untranslatability: linguistic and cultural. As for the former one, it occurs when two languages
don’t share common linguistic expression so that the same meaning is retained. The best
example for that is in the case of translating greetings, metaphors and jokes. In regard to the
cultural untranslatability, it just happens when languages do not share a common cultural
understanding.

In fact, the problem of untranslatability arises because of the cultural differences between the
people speaking the original language text and those speaking the language of the target
language text, e.g. Arabic & English. This is especially conspicuous when it comes to food and
religion culture, for instance. By way of illustration, let us take the famous and traditional dish
with a highly exotic taste called, “Al Harees” in the UAE. It is made up of meat and wheat. It is
very simple and elegant dish with very few ingredients but with longer cooking duration. This
dish commonly served during Ramadan, wedding and “Eid” festivals. Thus, if the translator
faces such a word in the text he/she is translating, there is no exact equivalent word for it in the
target language text simply because it is strictly restricted to a certain culture of an Arab
speaking people, which is the UAE. To resolve this issue, the translator is supposed to copy it in
the target language text (transliteration), and then give some description for it as a footnote as
we have just explained above.

c. Iconic sign - As an icon, the representamen resembles or imitates its signified object in that
it possesses some of its qualities. Therefore, the relationship between what the sign stands for –
its referent and the sense behind it, the interpretant – does not necessarily have to be learned.
For example, a portrait, a cartoon, sound effects, or a statue.
In iconic signs, the signifier is connected to the signified through the principle of resemblance. A
given thing (signifier) can make you think of something else (signified) inasmuch as it resembles
that something else: looks like it (as in a portrait), sounds like it (as in sound effects), feels like it
(as in artificial silk), tastes like it (as in mint flavored toothpaste), smells like it (as in a pine-
scented cleaner), or, more generally, possesses some similar quality to it (as in spreading your
arms out to signify *huge*). Iconic signs are obviously important for images, since many images
resemble what they refer to. Note, however, that the resemblance does not have to be
convincingly realistic: the schematic representation on a men’s room door has sufficient
resemblance to a man to work as an iconic sign.

d. Technical Translation - A technical translation is a type of specialized translation involving

the translation of documents produced by technical writers, or more specifically, texts that relate
to technological subject areas or texts that deal with the practical application of scientific and
technological information.

A technical translation is a type of specialized translation involving the translation of documents

produced by technical writers, or more specifically, texts that relate to technological subject
areas or texts that deal with the practical application of scientific and technological information.
Offering technical translation services requires a technical translator who has a good
understanding of the subject matter and, since technical translations also requires the
translation of technical terms in order to develop very specialized terminology, they must have
knowledge of the specialized terms of that field both in the source and in the target languages in
order to translate technical terms with ease.

Using technical terms correctly and consistently is of paramount importance for technical
translation, therefore comprehensive terminology management is critical for translating technical
documentation.

3. Discuss the various fields of translation. 10

Answer- Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means
of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction
(not all languages do) between translating (a written text) and interpreting (oral or sign-language
communication between users of different languages); under this distinction, translation can
begin only after the appearance of writing within a language community.

As an interdiscipline, Translation Studies borrows much from the various fields of study that
support translation. These include comparative literature, computer science, history, linguistics,
philology, philosophy, semiotics, and terminology.

I. Translation history concerns the history of translators as a professional and social group,
as well as the history of translations as indicators of the way cultures develop, interact,
and may die. Some principles for translation history have been proposed by Lieven
 D'hulst. Major projects in translation history have included the Oxford History of Literary
Translation in English and History.
II. Sociologies of translation- The sociology of translation includes the study of who
translators are, what their forms of work are (workplace studies), and what data on
translations can say about the movements of ideas between languages.
III. Postcolonial translation studies- Postcolonial studies look at translations between a
metropolis and former colonies, or within complex former colonies. They radically
question the assumption that translation occurs between cultures and languages that are
radically separated.
IV. Gender studies - Gender studies look at the sexuality of translators, at the gendered
nature of the texts they translate, at the possibly gendered translation processes
employed, and at the gendered metaphors used to describe translation. Pioneering
studies are by Luise von Flotow, Sherry Simon, and Keith Harvey. The effacement or
inability to efface threatening forms of same-sex sexuality is a topic taken up, when for
instance ancient writers are translated by Renaissance thinkers in a Christian context.
V. Ethics - In the field of ethics, much discussed publications have been the essays of
Antoine Berman and Lawrence Venuti that differ in some aspects but agree on the idea
of emphasizing the differences between source and target language and culture when
translating.
VI. Audiovisual translation studies - Audiovisual translation studies (AVT) is concerned
with translation that takes place in audio and/or visual settings, such as the cinema,
television, video games and also some live events such as opera performances. The
common denominator for studies in this field is that translation is carried out on multiple
semiotic systems, as the translated texts (so-called polysemiotic texts) have messages
that are conveyed through more than one semiotic channel, i.e. not just through the
written or spoken word, but also via sound and/or images. The main translation modes
under study are subtitling, dubbing and voice-over, but also surtitling for the opera and
theatre.

4. Discuss the problems and their solutions in translation. 10

Answer- Translation demands a deep understanding of both grammar and culture. Translators
need to know the rules of a language as well as the habits of the people who speak it. And even
for the most experienced professionals, confusion and frustration are familiar feelings.

Common problems and their solutions in translation-

Some of the most common problems of translation include:

Language Structure - Every language sits inside a defined structure with its own agreed upon
rules. The complexity and singularity of this framework directly correlates to the difficulty of
translation.
A simple sentence in English has a subject, verb, and object — in that order. For example, “she
eats pizza.” But not every language shares this structure. Farsi typically follows a sequence of
subject, then object, then verb. And in Arabic, subject pronouns actually become part of the verb
itself.

As a result, translators frequently have to add, remove, and rearrange source words to
effectively communicate in the target language.

Idioms and expressions - Idiomatic expressions explain something by way of unique

examples or figures of speech. And most importantly, the meaning of these peculiar phrases
cannot be predicted by the literal definitions of the words it contains.

Many linguistic professionals insist that idioms are the most difficult items to translate. In fact,
idioms are routinely cited as a problem machine translation engines will never fully solve.

Ideally, publishers should try to limit the number of idiomatic expressions contained in content
they hope to translate. But if they insist on keeping these potentially confusing phrases, cultural
familiarity must be a priority in translator recruitment.

Compound Words - Compound words are formed by combining two or more words together,
but the overall meaning of the compound word may not reflect the meaning of its component
words. It’s usually best to think of them in terms of three separate groups.

The first group of compound words mean exactly what they say. “Airport,” “crosswalk,” and
“seashore,” are all familiar examples.The second group of compound words mean only half of
what they say — at least in a literal sense. While a “bookworm” may enjoy burrowing into a
good story, these avid readers don’t suddenly become an invertebrate species in the process.

The third group of compound words have meanings that have nothing to do with the meanings
of the individual words involved. For instance, the English “deadline” refers to the final
acceptable time to receive or deliver something. It has nothing to do with death or a line. And a
“butterfly” is neither a fly nor butter.

Missing Names - A language may not have an exact match for a certain action or object that
exists in another language. In American English, for instance, some homeowners have what
they describe as a “guest room.” It is simply a space where their invited guests can sleep for the
night.

This concept is common in other languages as well, but often expressed quite differently.
Greeks describe it with the single word “ksnona” while their Italian neighbors employ a three-
word phrase “camera per gliospiti” instead.

Two-Word Verbs - Sometimes a verb and a preposition will take on a separate, specific
meaning when used together. Two-word verbs are common in informal English. “Look up,”
“close up,” “fill out,” “shut up,” “bring up,” “break down” and “break in” are everyday examples. In
many cases, though, it is neither necessary nor appropriate to translate the preposition
separately.

Multiple Meanings - The same word may mean multiple things depending on where it’s placed
and how it’s used in a sentence. This phenomenon typically follows one of two patterns.

There are homonyms (i.e. Scale the fish before weighing it on the scale), which look and sound
alike but are defined differently. And then there are heteronyms (i.e. I drove down the windy
road on a windy day), which look alike but are defined and pronounced differently.

Sarcasm - Sarcasm is a sharp, bitter, or cutting style of expression that usually means the
opposite of its literal phrasing. Sarcasm frequently loses its meaning when translated word-for-
word into another language and can often cause unfortunate misunderstandings.

Ideally, a publisher would remove sarcasm from the source text prior to translation. But in cases
where that style is central to the content requirements, the publisher should explicitly
underscore sarcastic passages. That way, translators will have a chance to avoid literal
misunderstandings and suggest a local idiom that may work better in the target language.

5. Explain the main features of official translation. 10

Answer- A certified translation (also known as official translation) is the translation of an official
document (such as birth and marriage certificates, contracts, patent documentation, etc.) that
has been certified as accurate and is therefore authorized for submission to a wide range of
official bodies.

Main features of official translation -

Unfortunately, there is no single internationally recognised definition of what constitutes an

‘official’ translation.

This can be a complex area but there are generally two categories of translation required for
official purposes.

● Certified Translations

● Legalised Translations

Industry definitions are extremely vague but, in summary, a certified translation is one which has
been produced by a professional translator which may (or may not) have also been witnessed
by a solicitor.
A legalised translation is a certified translation which has been through additional processes
which vary depending upon where in the world it is destined to be used.

The language for the translation should be official language only.

The documents of the official translation must contain

● Recorded elements - such as births, marriage, academic studies, deaths, wills, illegal
activities.
● Documentary elements - such as letters, reports, validating certificates, blank
certification forms, completed certification forms, translations, authorized translations.
● Validating elements such as certificate of formalities corresponding.

6. What are the characteristics of a good translation? How is good translation

distinguished from bad translation? 10
Answer- The main characteristics of a good translation service are:

● The service should be fast and reliable.

● The translations should be provided by certified translators.
● Cost should be nominal.
● Translation should be available in a variety of languages.
● Flexible – In the world of translations, there’s no black and white. Between juggling office
hours, meeting customer demands and assisting team members, a translation project
manager has a lot to manage. From leveraging technical solutions to implementing
process changes, being flexible and willing to make adjustments really speaks to the
needs of clients and shows the project manager values their line of work.

Difference-
Factors for bad translation -
One of the things that makes translation so fascinating is the fact that seldom is anything black
and white. With so many different aspects to written language – such as lexicon, grammar,
structure and so on – a one-size-fits-all approach will arguably rarely suffice, if ever.

If this is the case, then, when it comes to translating a text from one language into another, how
can you define whether or not it is a good one? Well, there is no simple answer to this question
as there are so many different factors that come into play.

Stylistic issues

When determining whether or not a translation is 'good', one of the most common issues that
may divide opinion is style. This can be problematic as the same text could actually be
translated in one of several different ways, with each target text adopting a slightly different
style. Ultimately, which one is the best translation will be an entirely subjective issue and where
there is subjectivity, there is no right answer.

Each of the end-products could be 100% accurate, meaning that if accuracy is the determining
factor, then all of the translations could be defined as 'good' – and yet, a client might not agree.
In this instance, it becomes virtually impossible to determine which one is the 'good' translation
and which ones are the 'bad' ones, as it is entirely dependent on the style the client requires.

Alex Cazacu, senior project manager at London Translations, explains: "A client might not like a
translation from a stylistic point of view, even though it is 100% accurate, as it might not fit in
with their current language, marketing or objectives. When this happens, the problem is simply
style. The translation is not necessarily 'incorrect', as a stylistic issue is not the same as a
mistake."

In order for a translator to know the sort of style that a client is expecting, it can be a huge help if
they are sent examples of previous work done in the required style. If it is a more technical
document, a company may have a glossary of standardised terminology that they use, to
ensure a translation will be in keeping with their other collateral. Editorial and brand guidelines
may also prove to be very useful.

Unreasonable requests

With some projects, time will be of the essence. A client may want a translation to be done
within such a short period of time that completion of it would be nothing short of superhuman.
As the age-old business mantra goes, a translation can be on spec, on budget or on time. If you
try to compromise on any one of those elements – for example, in this case, by turning it around
in too little time – you are likely to compromise on either the cost or the spec.

"Sometimes fast and good is not possible. No matter how much money you throw at it, certain
things are not possible," explains Alex. At the end of the day, translation can be a complicated
job to get absolutely right.

One way to speed up a project is to divide the work down between numerous translators.
However, this comes with its own set of problems.

If sections are translated by different individuals, there will inevitably be inconsistencies in the
finished product, not only in terms of style, but also word choice, grammar and structure. No two
translators are alike – even if they are reproducing the same writer's work.

Furthermore, something may be introduced in one part of the document and then referenced
elsewhere, with the assumption the reader will have seen the whole piece, which the translator
may not have done. All in all, splitting work down constitutes a one-way ticket to a potentially
poor final piece.

Superficial details
In spite of all of the above, there are of course some tell-tale signs of a downright awful
translation. If a source text has 30 chapters and the target text boasts just 22, clearly there is a
problem. If a translation is riddled with typos and spelling mistakes, then this instantly renders
the work poor quality.

However, superficial problems with a translation can be more innocent than this. Any translated
text will appear via a certain medium, perhaps in a book or on a website's home page. One of
the huge problems with translation is that text can grow or shrink when it is moved between
languages. For example, a sentence that is 12 words long in English may require 25 words in
another language. If this sentence is to appear in a small text box on a website's homepage and
a translator does not take into account the need to be economical with their words, the
translation may be great in terms of accuracy and style, but it simply won't work for its purpose.
In this way, it is vital that a translator pays due attention to formatting requirements as well.

Poor practice

At the end of the day, one surefire way of securing a bad translation is to use a bad translator.
We recently wrote about the qualities to look for in a good translator. If you choose to give a
translation project to someone who will take on more work than they are capable of doing,
accept work in subject areas they know nothing about, lose track of time, plough on through the
night and work when fatigued, cut corners, not proofread their work and so on, then you might
as well just put your translation through Google Translate and hope for the best – but we
wouldn't recommend it.

Factors for good translation- It must meet several criteria in order to be considered “good.”
The first criterion is rather obvious—it has to be accurate. Examples of where this often fails are
mistranslations, missing sentences and bad grammar. This point accentuates the need to use
translators with a thorough knowledge of both languages, not merely two years of a high school
language. Mistranslations and missing words or sentences can have devastating
consequences. Additionally, if a translation is fraught with bad grammar or spelling errors, the
reader tends to lose confidence in not only the document, but also the company that produced
it.

Clarity is another important factor. A translation has to be easily comprehensible and well
written, regardless of how poor the original document may be. Good translations commonly
read much better than do the originals. Many writers tend to write in rather long and complicated
sentences; this is especially true in legal documents. However, a translation should strive to
present all the information and nuance of the source text in a clear and uncluttered fashion
whenever possible

Naturalness of the translation is the key factor in helping to prevent a translation from sounding
like one. Typically, or at least at my company, after a translation has been proofread for
accuracy and completeness, an editor will go through the document and make sure that it reads
smoothly and sounds as if it were originally written in the target language.

An easily overlooked component of a good translation is mirroring the mood of the author. In
general texts, there may not be a definitive tone, but in editorial and literary documents there
always is a clear attitude of the author. For a translation to convey the same feeling to the
reader, it must use words and expressions which can transmit a similar spirit. Failure to express
this accurately can easily mislead the reader as to the writer’s true feelings and attitudes.

Next, a translation needs to be culturally appropriate for the target audience. References to
religious figures, sports or country–specific items may confuse or offend the reader. Such
references either need to be excluded in the source document before translation begins, or be
culturally readapted into the target language.

Lastly, the audience needs to be taken into consideration. Sometimes this is a broad group of
people, but more often, it is a narrow, targeted audience. A text written for a group of scientists
needs to be translated at a much higher reading level than would consent forms for newly
arrived immigrants. Moreover, if a document is destined for a certain country, it is usually best
that the translation be performed by a native translator of that country to ensure that only terms
and expressions of that country are used.

7. Translate the following into Hindi: 10

a. Official
b. Institute
c. Official language
d. Regards
e. Yours sincerely
f. Confidential report
g. Expenditure
h. Guidelines
i. Personal assistant
j. Circulate

Answer -
a. आधिकारिक
b. सं स्थान
c. आधिकारिक भाषा
d. सादर
e. सादर
f. गोपनीय रिपोर्ट
g. व्यय
h. दिशा-निर्दे श
i. निजी सहायक
j. प्रसारित