Semantic

translation
Liz Virgüez Jiménez
Luz Urrutia Navarro
ECCI University
 Semantic
The term semantics refers to aspects of the meaning,
sense or interpretation of the meaning of a given
element, symbols, words, expression or formal
representation.
 Semantic
translation
attempts to reproduce the exact contextual
meaning of the original, as close as the semantic
and syntactic structures of the second language.
It can even be accused of "translating too much"
because it is more detailed than the original.
 Semantic Equivalence Types

 Class equivalence – indicating that class or “concepts” are

equivalent.
Example: “perso” is the same as “individual”.
 Property equivalence – indicating that two properties are
equivalent
Example: “personGivenName” is the same as “firstName”.
 Instance equivalence- indicating that two individual instances
of objects are equivalent.
Example: “Dan Smith” is the same person as “Daniel Smith”.
 Characteristics
Consider the text as a cultural artifact that is "borrowed" from its
original environment that is "shown" or "studied".
 focuses on the linguistic knowledge and processes of the author
 try to keep the length of the sentences.
 Position of the word
 the integrity of the phases
 its basis is the source language
 is broad and universal
 Example
“Dog that bites” communicative translation
would say “¡Cuidado con el perro!” or “¡Perro
peligroso!” Semantic translation, on the other
hand, would attend to the concept and
translate “Perro que muerde; which, as you
can see, is a more literal translation.