WHAT IS TRANSLATION - LOOKING BACK

You have so far been introduced with some notions regarding the concept and the
nature of translation. As a recap for what you have learnt, complete the following
statements with the words or phrases given.

the source language the target language culture

semantic structure meaning (x2) form
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1) In translation, the form of _________________ (the language of the text that

is to be translated) is replaced by the form of _________________ (the
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language of the translated text).

2) The purpose of translation is to transfer the _________________ of the source
language (SL) into the target language (TL).
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3) This is done by going from the form of the first language to the form of a
second language by way of _________________. It is meaning which is being
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transferred and must remain unchanged. Only the _________________

changes.
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4) Translation not only involves understanding the general _________________

of the communication but calls upon the ability to understand the
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_________________ of the communication.

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It is also worth noticing five basic guidelines to translators implied by Cary (1963)
in How to achieve a good translation. Challenge yourself with the following the
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statements by selecting the best word or phrase that fits the context. The initials
given can help you.
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▪ “The translator must have a perfect u____________ of his author’s message and
m____________.

▪ The translator should have complete m____________ of both source and target
language.

▪ The translator should not translate w____________ f____________

w____________.

UFLS-FLTE TRANSLATION THEORY LE THI GIAO CHI

 ▪ The translator should beware of Latinisms and use i____________
l____________.

▪ The translator should strive after a smooth, and elegant, unpretentious and
even s____________.

Besides the five basic guidelines to translators, the three “laws of translation”
formulated by Tytler (1978) in Essay on the Principles of Translation can give further
insight into the nature of translation:
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▪ The translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original
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work.
▪ The style and manner of writing should be of the same character with that of
the original.
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▪ The translation should have all the ease of the original composition.
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 Give the Vietnamese translation to these laws.

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▪ The translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original
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work.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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▪ The style and manner of writing should be of the same character with that of
the original.
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
▪ The translation should have all the ease of the original composition.
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Below is a list of standard abbreviations that can be found in most of the

sections throughout any book or reference of translation theory.

 Do you know what each of the following abbreviations stands for? Match the
abbreviations with their description.

UFLS-FLTE TRANSLATION THEORY LE THI GIAO CHI

 1. L1 a. the first (and normally native) language of the writer,
reader, speaker, etc.

2. L2 b. source language (the language the text was originally

written in)

3. SL c. the second language of the writer, reader, speaker. etc.

(often their strongest foreign language)
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4. ST d. source text (the original text)

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5. TL e. target text (the translated text)

6. TT f. target language (the language of the translation)

S
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FL
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U
FL
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UFLS-FLTE TRANSLATION THEORY LE THI GIAO CHI