Unit 1 – Introduction to translation

Principles of translation: Summary

1. You will naturally translate literally. But, literal translation produces solid and unnatural language, so it
sucks.
2. Translation is full of change due to various elements of translation as well as the factors that influence
translation. You need to change the words to get the meaning across.
3. Nowadays everything seems to be possible to translate, especially with technology. Answer is yes and no.
4. Crossover is the essence of translation. Metaphors of translation include drawing a picture, reading a map,
or playing a game. For example; for pictures, we seem to draw two pictures at the same time. Or better, we
create a new picture from an existing one. This is called art.
5. From psychology we learn about the process before, during and after translation. What we understand
includes: words, structures, information and meaningfulness. Your brain is your storage, the less you use
words, the more susceptible you are to forgetting them.
6. The main reason for translation is communication: we deal with two locations. Translation is the second
widespread field (or means of communication) after writing. Translation replaces foreign language learning.
Learn to write, and then learn to translate.

7. Which texts are translated? Not all texts are translated from every language into every language. Selected
and important texts are chosen. Which language is the most common for translation from? (English)
8. Translation is connected to every field of knowledge. Field examples: Media, science, religion, business,
law, education, etc..
9. Major translation differences: translating certain texts requires different procedures not suitable for other
texts. For example, translating legal texts and poems vs. translating news stories and scientific texts, or
language form + meaning vs. meaning alone. For LTs&Ps we need to look at the Language and how sentences
are phrased. While for NS&SciTxts we need to look at the purpose and the communicative value of the text.
10. Defining translation requires looking at many elements, including Jakoboson's (1959/1966) tripartite
typology (inter- vs. intra- + linguistic vs. semiotic).
11. Toury's (1985) definition is different in focusing only on TT (not ST or crossover). Because people care
about the product. No one cares about the process.
12. How definitions developed in time: language + meaning (text/speech), interaction of information, natural
cultural setting + context, function or purpose: skopos (function or purpose), effects of technology, finance and
industry...
13. Translation has a complex nature and it has a presumed duality (+ directionality).
14. The practice of back-translation is important for analysis, assessment and quality control.
15. Pseudo-translation is sometimes made to thwart censorship, evade prosecution or for other political
reasons.

16. Abbreviations: ST (source text), TT (Target text), SL (Source language), TL (Target language), SC (Source
culture), TC (Target culture). Machine translation (MT), Computer assisted translation (CAT), Countable (C),
Uncountable (U), culture specific items (CSI) Translation memory (tm), International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

Hessa Ibrahim