HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGLISH

REVISION FOR THE FINAL TEST ON

BASICS OF TRANSLATION
1. Definition of translation, elements of translation and translation equivalences
- Definition of a translation: translation involves the redering of a source language text into
the target text, across linguistic and cultural barrier.
- Elements of translation:
+ The source language (SL):
The source language is the language to which the text to be translated belongs. In other
words, the source language is prior to translation.
+ The source text (ST):
The source text is the text which has been chosen for translation.
+ The translator (T)
The translator is a human agent who knows two languages pr more and who can express the
message(s) of a text from one language using the system(s) of the other.
+ The translated text (TT)
The translated text is the text which results from the translation process.
The translated text is the actual definite material, which has been produced by conveying the
meaning of a source text in terms of another language and culture.
+ The language of translation (LT)
The language of translation is an abstraction obtained via the study of translated texts.
The language of translation is perceived from the translated text, reflecting the translator’s
interpretation, the trans-lator’s strategies and the translator’s abilities.
- Translation equivalences: a measure of semantic and structural similarity between
correleted units in the two texts.
- Permanent equivalence: a one-to-one correspendence.
- Dynamic equivalence: the degree to which the receptors of the message in the target
language respond to it in the same manner as the receptors in the source language.
- Nil equivalence: no TL expression is quivalent to a single SL expression.
- One-to-many equivalence: more than one TL expressions are equivalent to a single SL
expression.
2. Definition of interpretation. Different types/ modes of interpretation
- Definition of interpretation: Interpretion is the oral reproduction of a spoken text in
another language (a foreign language or the mother tounge).
- Different types/ modes of interpretation:
+ Simultaneous interpretation: The interpreter renders the message in the target- language as
quickly as he or she can formulate it from the source language, while the source-language
speaker continuously speaks.
+ Consecutive interpretation: The interpreter speaks after the source-language speaker has
finished speaking
+ Liaison interpretation involves relaying what is spoken to one, between two, or among
many people.
3. Similarities and differences between translation and interpretation
- similarity: a process to render the message from source language into target language. This
requires language competence and cultural awareness.
- Difderences between translation and interpretation:
INTERPRETATION TRANSLATION
- Interpretaion is spoken - Translation is written
- Conveying a message/ speech - Transferring a written text,
- Communication: is immediate/ translation achieves higher level of
visible accuracy than interpretation
- Interpreters, often working in a team, - A gap/ invisible
are faced with people. - Translators often spend a long time
- In interpretation, the interpreter plays working on one text
the role of an actor. - In translation, the translator plays the
- In interpretation, speaking and role of an editor
listening skills are very important - In translation, reading skills and
- Memorizing skills, coping tactics, writing skilss are very important
note taking skills are necessary. - Editing skills are necessary

4. Translation methods (based on Jacobson’s and Peter Newmark’s classification)

and similarities and differences between some pairs of translation methods
- Based on Jacobson’s classification:
+ Intralingual translation, or rewording (an interpretation of verbal signs by means of other
signs in the same language)
+ Interlingual translation or translation proper (an interpretation of verbal signs by means of
some other language)
+ Intersemiotic translation or transmutation (an interpretation of verbal signs by means of
signs of nonverbal sign systems)
- Based on Peter Newmark’s classification:
1. Word- for- word translation (WT)
- Word- for- word translation (or sometimes direct/ interlinear translation) focuses mainlt
on translating words from the source text into the target language while the word order of
the original is preserved.
Ex: I love you (toi yeu ban)
2. Literal translation (LiT)
- Literal translation is featured by the fact that grammatical structures and the meaning of
words are translated almost as closely as those in the target language without paying
attention to the situation or context.
Ex:
3, Faithful translation (FT)
- Faithful translation is to convey the meanings of words ad context situation according to
the grammar rules of the target language; there is some unnaturalness in the target
language.
Ex:
4. Semantic translation (SeT)
- Semantic translation focuses to a great degree on meaning (semantic content) and form
(syntax) of the original texts of high status such as religious texts, legal texts, literature, or
speeches.
5. Communicative translation (CT)
- Communicative translation gives highe priority to the message communicated in the text
where the actual form of the original is not closely bound to its intended meaning.
(dịch với mục đích giao tiếp)
Ex: Can I help you? (Ông/ bà cần mua gì?)
6. Idiomatic translation (IT)
- Idiomatic translation is based on the meaning of the text which aims to produce the message
of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by using idioms and colloquialism
where there do not exist in the original.
7. Free translation (FrT)
- Free translation (sometimes dynamic translation) focuses more on content than form in the
target language. (văn bản dịch dài hơn văn bản gốc: cách nhận biết)
Ex: Where is your mouth? Cẩn thận cái miệng của bạn, nói hẳn hoi đi
8. Adaptation translation (AT)
- Adaptation is a highly free type of translation. Here the focus is on socio- cultural
phenomena or practices that are absent in the target culture, rether than on linguitics units.
9. Gist translation (GT)
- Gist translation is characterized by keeping the main idea/ gist of a text, omitting all of its
supporting details and subsidiary arguments.
The whole text, not very k gần văn bản gốc, các loại xa dần văn bản gốc,
Khác nhau về phẩn focus.
5. Word combinations (idioms, collocations)
- A colocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just
automatically appear in chunks or blocks rather than single words.
Ex: Herd of buffalo (đàn trâu)
+ For example, English people usually say a quick meal (a kind of meal), rather than a fast
meal even though quick and fast may mean the same
- An idiom is a group of words that has its own meaning, different from the meaning of each
word put together. Idioms can be said to be treasure of a language, which can reflect the way
of the thinking and saying of a nation.
+ Ex: Under the weather means ill, to hand in means to submit, to keep in touch in
communication with have the same meaning, ….
6. Cultural words and ways to translate cultural words 3
- Cultural words can be defined as culture- specific words annd phrases which are often
difficult, if not impossible to translate into another target language.
- Cultura words are found within the realm of cultural language (different from general
language) which comprises concepts both culture- specific, and subculture- specific, such as
mon soon, (mùa mưa bão), killer litter (rác từ tầng cao ném xuống), spotted dick (bánh
put đinh có rắc nho khô), and so on.
- Translation techniques:
1. Transference: The SL word is brought into the target language text (TLT). It is process of
transfering a SL word exactly to a TL text (loan word), with similar sounds to a SL words
(transcription), or with the coversion of different alphabets (transliteration).
EX: pudding can be translated as putđinh, pizza as pitsa or pizza in Vietnamese
2. Cultural equivalent
- This is an approximate translation where a SL cultural word is translated by a TL
cultural word. This procedure is not accurate but can help readers understand the
basic concept the words express. In other words, this strategy is of more pragmatic
7. Proper names and ways to translate proper names 3
- Proper names include all proper nouns as well as noun pharses.
Ex: Hồ Chí Minh city, Ha Long Bay
8. Linguistic transposition in translation
- Linguistic transposition concerns the grammar, and involves replacing the ST word or
structure with a TT word or structure from a structure from a different category. In other
words, transposition is the process where parts of speech or phrase structures in the
sentence, when translated, change.
1. ADJ can be replaced by Adv, verbs by nouns, possesive adj by persional pronouns and
vice versa: He speaks good E.
2.
9. Modulation and Reformulation in translation
- Modulation consists of using a pharase that is different in the source and target languages to
convey the same idea. (Communicative/ free/ theo Peter Newmak)
- This produce is also common, and concerns principally the semantic level, and syntax is
also affacted.
Ex: Mind your steps (lối đi trơn đấy), Beware of the dog (nhà có chó dữ), Don’t mention it
(không có gì).
- Reformulation means formulating in a different way. For instance, when translating
proverbs (this technique can be applied with translating idioms, articletitles or advertising
slogans), you can match the primary meaning of certain word in the SL against linguistic,
stituational and cultural in Tl to find the connoted meaning and then choose the suitable
euivalent expressions in TL. (adaptation và semantic)
Ex: Care kills the cat (Lo bạc rầu sầu bạc tóc)
An empty stomach has no ears (Bụng đói tai điếc)
10. Process of translation
- Step 1: Approaching a text
- Step 2: Interpreting the source text
- Step 3: Formulating the translated text (initial draft)
- Step 4: Review and comparison
- Step 5: Editing the translated text/ Final draft