Translation in brief

An Introductory Presentation for Translation teachers

1. What is Translation Translation is defined as “ transferring meaning from one language into another.” So what we are interested in is meaning .

2. Translation terms Source language : the language we are translating from. We usually refer to it as SL. Target language: the language we are translated to. We usually refer to it as TL. During the process of translation many principles have to be taken into consideration. I am going to have a brief theoretical presentation of them in this introduction, but we are going to have an elaborate analysis of them during translation practice sessions.

3. As a translator you have to bear in mind that there are grammatical and structural differences between languages, so during practice sessions we will learn how to deal with this ,and how to tackle translation difficulties.

4. There are cultural differences or even cultural gaps between languages. We will learn how to deal with these differences and to how to bridge the gaps. Sometimes , we will have to look for the equivalent term or phrase rather than the exact alternative in TL simply because it does not necessarily exist. This is applicable to word and sentence level.

5. The translated text have to appear natural in the TL as much as possible. The translated text must be coherent and well connected. It doesn’t have to look like a sequence of translated vocabularies. You have to master using linking words in both languages. The translated text should form a well-connected whole . It must NOT look like a group of fractions glued together.

6. Your Translation must be clear leaving no space for vagueness or uncertainty. Translation must be faithful to the origin, so you can’t add or omit.

7. Context is a key word in vocabulary choosing process. Every word in any language has many different meanings. We decide on the suitable meaning depending on the context. Level of formality is of great importance. For example dad and father have the same meaning , but we can’t use dad in formal speech. So it is important to know the level of formality of the text.

8. Thanks for listening