The Definition of the Notion of Translation

Language, as it is known, is the most important means of human communication, through

which people exchange thoughts and achieve mutual understanding. Communication between
people using language is carried out in two ways: orally and in writing. If the students speak
the same language, then communication takes place directly, but when people speak different
languages, direct communication becomes impossible. Today, humanity speaks more than
3,000 languages. Each language is a system of knowledge about the world, a vision of this
world, imprinted in its linguistic structure, in its rules. But such a variety of languages hinders
mutual understanding.
In this case, the translation comes to the rescue. With the development of human society,
translation from one language to another has become widely in demand. Before professional
translators, there were travelers, merchants, and ambassadors, many of whom spoke two or
more languages. In translation, different cultures, different personalities, different ways of
thinking, different literatures, different eras, different levels of development, different
traditions and attitudes collide. The famous linguist and philosopher J. Steiner wrote: to
understand is to translate, and Wilhelm Grimm in his writings compares translation with
crossing to the other shore .
But the attitude towards the translation was not unambiguous. Some considered it an art,
trying to make translation acceptable, replacing concepts adopted in one era by others (A.
Udar de la Motte, S. Perrault, etc.) ; others - a remake, trying to convey the unique variety
and elegance of each language in translation, to express the meaning with all possible fidelity
and completeness.
In the works devoted to the study of problems of theory and practice of translation, the
authors define this concept from different, and sometimes from completely opposite
positions.
In one of the early definitions by A. Ettinger, translation is considered as the transformation
of signs or representations into other signs or representations . It follows from this that, in the
author's opinion, the central problem of translation is the problem of sign correspondences,
that is, the replacement of some signs by others.
Later, W. Winter, reflecting on the essence of translation, associates it with replacing the
wording of the interpretation of a segment of the world around us with another, possibly
equivalent formulation, including when it comes to presenting in simple and clear language
the information that has just been presented, and further introduces clarification Following
which, translation entails replacing interpretation in one language with interpretation in
another . In this definition, the author expands the scope of the term "translation", showing
that the latter can take place not only within the framework of interlanguage communication,
but also intra-linguistic. The very concept of "intra-linguistic translation" first appeared in the
works of R. Jacobson, who, having studied the essence of this phenomenon, came to the
conclusion that it is necessary to distinguish three types of translation:
intra-linguistic translation, interlanguage translation and inter-semiotic translation .
An overview of the definitions of translation given in the works of Yu. It indicates that some
researchers define translation through the requirements imposed on the translator, while
others – through the requirements that must be met directly by the text of the translation .
According to V.V. Sdobnikov and O.V. Petrova, this approach does not contribute to the
identification of the essence of translation as a type of purposeful activity .
In the studies of Russian linguists, there is also no one-digit approach to the definition of
this term. In the Tolkov Dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov, translation is a text translated from one
language into another .
As a process, as a result of which a text appears in another language, translation is defined
by I.R. Galperin (translation is the transfer of semantic content and stylistic features of
utterance in one language by means of another language); G.V. Kolshansky (translation is one
of the most important types of communicative activity, oriented primarily in total, for a
complete and adequate translation of the original language, containing the whole set of
linguistic, social and cultural implications); O.S. Akhmanova (transmission of information
contained in this work of speech by means of another language) ;
A.V. Fedorov (the correct and complete expression by means of one language of what has
already been expressed earlier by means of another language) .
The above definitions of the term "translation", in our opinion, do not fully reflect the
essence of the phenomenon under consideration. The purpose of converting a text written in
one language into a work in another is not clear, and it is not clear why information is being
transmitted.
According to V. N. Komissarov, translation is a type of linguistic mediation, entirely focused
on the original. Therefore, the task of translation is to ensure this type of interlanguage
communication, in which the created text not only acts as a full-fledged communicative
replacement for the original, but also identifies with the latter in functional, structural and
meaningful terms.
In the light of the trends that appeared in the science of translation in the 90s of the last
century, translation is already being considered as a way to provide interlanguage
communication, where the text created in the translating language is intended to replace the
original. Thus, translation is a foreign-language form of the existence of a message contained
in the original, in which the texts of the translation and the original are communicatively
equivalent, performing the same function.
From Figure 1, we see that translation is considered by scientists both as a transformation
and as a replacement, process, transfer, expression, type, text, sentence, which once again
emphasizes the versatility and multidimensionality of this phenomenon.
In our opinion, the most complete definition of translation is the definition given by L.K.
Latyshev, who considers translation as a type of linguistic mediation, the social purpose of
which is to bring mediated bilingual communication as close as possible in terms of
completeness, effectiveness and naturalness of communication to ordinary communication.

replacing the formulation of the interpretation of a segment of the world around us with
another, if possible, equivalent formulation (U. Winter etc.)
the transformation of signs or representations into other signs or representations (A. Ettinger
etc.)
the process of converting a speech work in one language into a speech work in another
language while maintaining an unchanged plan of content, that is, meaning (L.S.
 Barkhudarov [1]
etc.)
the transfer of semantic content and stylistic features of utterance in one language by means
of another language (I.R. Galperin etc.)
the correct and complete expression by means of one language of what has already been
expressed earlier by means of another language (A.V. Fedorov ect.)
a type of linguistic mediation entirely focused on the original (V.N. Komissarov ect.)
translation text translated from one language to another (S.I. Ozhegov) imitating the offer of
information (K. Rais, G. Vermeer, etc.)
imitating the offer of information (K. Rais, G. Vermeer, etc.)

Fig. 1.Definition of translation

Translation is an important auxiliary tool that ensures that the language fulfills its
communicative function in cases where people express their thoughts in different languages.
Translation is designed to satisfy the need for bilingual communication, it plays an important
role in the exchange of thoughts between different peoples and serves to spread the treasures
of world culture.

The Types of Translation

Translations are divided into two main types: literary translation and special translation.
Artistic translation, or literary translation, is the translation of artistic literature. Special
translation (or technical translation) is used to translate subject areas with special
terminology.
Special translations include:
 translation of legal texts;
 translation of medical texts;
 translation of financial and banking documents;
 technical translations (metallurgy, mechanical engineering, transport, oil and gas
industry);
 translation of economic texts;
 translation of scientific articles.
A distinctive feature of a special translation is clear and unambiguous wording, the exact
correspondence of the translation text to the source text, the absence of metaphors, artistic
comparisons and emotional coloring.
Forms of translation: written translation and interpretation. Interpretation can be consecutive
or simultaneous.
They will also highlight:
  consecutive translation with recording (the phrases of the interpretation are recorded
in writing);
 paragraph-phrase translation.
This is a simplified form of sequential translation, when the text is translated after listening to
it not in whole, but in parts; According to the direction, transfers are divided into one-sided
and two-sided.
Written translations can be divided according to the accuracy of following the original
source text into the following:
 free translation;
 literal translation;
 literal translation;
 word-by-word translation;
 equivalent translation;
 an adequate translation.