Initiation into Translation:Text types

1st year2013 - 2014

Lecture structure

1. Text types, genres, and domains using translation

2. Translation difficulties at word level

3. Translation techniques, methods, and strategies

4. Translation difficulties above word level

5.Translation difficulties: the grammatical level

6. Translation evaluation

Text types

Language functions (Buehler, 1934 in Dimitriu, 2002)

1. Informative (referent-oriented)

2. Expressive (source-oriented)

3. Operative/ Vocative (audience-oriented)

There is in the aspect of London a certain magnificence: the magnificence of weight, solidity, energy, imperturbability, and an unconquered continuance. It is alive from border to border, not an inch of it is not alive. It exists, goes on, and has been going on for so many centuries. Here and there a stone or the line of a causeway fixes a date. If you look beyond it you look into fog. It sums up and includes England. Materially England is contained in it, and the soul of England has always inhabited it as a body.

London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom. It is the most populous region, urban zone and metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium.

London is immersed in history. Not so much that it’s intimidating, but there’s sufficient antiquity and historic splendour (Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court) to blow you away. London’s buildings are eye-catching milestones in the city’s unique and compelling biography. (…) Architectural grandeur rises up all around you in the West End, ancient remains dot the City and charming pubs punctuate the Thames riverside. Take your pick.

See the world. Visit London.

Pick the best London family hotels and enjoy the capital with your children in tow. We have examined which top hotels in London love kids the most. Pick from hotels in central London near the main attractions and museums - or opt for renting a spacious family apartment near amazing London parks. Also, you always receive 2 for 1 attraction tickets, discounts and special offers with your hotel booking when you book with LondonTown.com.

Text types

Texts (according to the predominant function):

1. Informative (provide information about the real world);

2. Expressive (depend on what/how the writer/speaker wants to say and have an aesthetic component);

3. Operative (persuade the reader to do something, or to take a certain view) and Instructional (tell the reader how to perform certain actions).

Reiss (1989)

Ode to a toothbrush

Queen of teeth and mistress of the gums,brave farer of the mighty seas of flavorful mints,before thee bow legions of toothpicks,deft soldier of the dental floss.You rule over silky marshes of toothpasteand declare war never-ending to bacteria.You rise each morning like Venusfrom the foams of the tooth powder.I pledge allegiance to thee,scraper of plaque, in morrow, noon or eve.

Lexical Translation and Conceptual Hierarchies

1 Introduction This paper will illustrate a conflict between a logical

approach to multilingual lexical database and the demands of lexicographic practice. The logical approach that will be used is called simullda and is based on the application of a logical framework called Formal Concept Analysis to a multilingual lexical database. The resulting system allows cross-linguistic comparison of lexical meanings, which in turn allows a proper treatment of so-called lexical gaps: words in one language for which there is no translational synonym in another.

(…)

Barbecued chicken with warm green bean salad

Ingredients • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil . . .

Method Preheat the oven to 100ºC. Pound the rosemary leaves with a pinch of

salt in a pestle and mortar or flavour shaker. Mix with the olive oil and half the lemon juice and zest.

Lay the chicken on a chopping board. Slice one of the breasts horizontally, as if you were going to cut it in half. Cut it 80 per cent of the way through, then open it up like a book. Flatten it out with the heel of your hand and repeat with the other three.

Pour the rosemary marinade over the chicken and put to one side to marinate for a few minutes. Make the dressing by mixing the mustard with the rest of the lemon juice and twice as much olive oil. To roast your tomatoes, place on a tray, season and roast for 20 minutes.

(. . .)

The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer)

Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Omnivore Average life span in captivity: 23 years Size: Head and body, 43 to 53 in (109 to 135 cm); Tail, 21 to 26 in

(53 to 66 cm) Weight: 110 to 180 lbs (50 to 82 kg)

Did you know? An aardvark's tongue can be up to 12 in (30.5 cm) long and is

sticky to help extract termites from the earthen mounds.

Aardvarks live throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. Their name comes from South Africa's Afrikaans language and means "earth pig." A glimpse of the aardvark's body and (. . .)

XYLOCAINE® 10% PUMP SPRAYLignocaineConsumer Medicine InformationWhat is in this leaflet This leaflet answers some of the common questions

people ask about Xylocaine 10% Pump Spray. It does not contain all the information that is known about Xylocaine 10% Pump Spray.

It does not take the place of talking to your doctor, pharmacist or dentist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. If you have any concerns about using this medicine,

ask your doctor, pharmacist or dentist. Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again. (…)

DINING OUT WITH ROB BALON Hoover’s Cooking

2002 Manor Rd.Austin, TX

Owner/Chef: Hoover Alexander

When it comes to down home cooking with a dash of soul food thrown in, Hoover Alexander is to Austin cuisine what Wolfgang Puck is to Los Angeles, or what Bobby Flay is to New York, or Emeril Lagasse to New Orleans. He is the man. Welcome to Hoover's Cooking on Manor Road.

Hoover Alexander's culinary chops are legitimate. From the early Cajun days on 6th St. to the triumph of the legendary Good Eats [which ironically wasn't so good after Hoover left], he's left his mark on Austin dining with an array of authentic and eminently tasty chow.

I always like to begin with the Aus Tex wings. These are spicy, tender, and messy as hell but (…)

1. Informative texts

The center = the external situation/ the referent

Alternative term: explanatory

Examples: textbooks, technical reports, scientific articles, etc.

1. Informative texts Contain facts and present information in a clear and

understandable way Introduce new concepts Characterise objects and structures Report Define Classify Give reasons Give examples Compare and contrast Discuss cause and effect Argue Draw conclusions

2. Expressive texts

The center = the writer

Alternative terms: descriptive and narrative

Examples: imaginative literature (novels, poems, plays, etc), essays, autobiographies, personal letters/ correspondence, etc.

2. Expressive texts Not (usually) anonymous, the author

expresses their feelings and tries to convey these feelings to the reader.

Stylistic devices (metaphors, epithets, similes, hyperboles, etc.)

Expressive means Appeal to readers’ senses (describe

how certain items look, sound, smell, feel and taste)

3. Operative texts

The center = the audience/ addressee/ readership

Alternative terms: Operational

Examples: advertisements, promotional texts, political speeches, propaganda texts, sermons, persuasive writing, etc.

3. Operative texts Persuasive language, try to manipulate

readers’ opinion, and appeal to their feelings.

Often appeal to readers directly, using you as the main form of addressing.

Exclamation marks Rhetorical questions Emotional arguments Direct appeal to readers’ feelings Humour Word play

4. Instructional texts The center = the audience/ addressee/

readership (+ the referent)

Alternative terms: Instructive

Examples: instructions, recipes, game rules, handbooks, etc.

4. Instructional texts Instructive texts tell the reader how to

perform certain actions. They present steps in the process.

They are often accompanied by pictures featuring stages in the process described.

Usage of imperative mood (e.g. do, don’t do, open, chop, set etc.)

Usage of modals (must, must not, should, etc.)

5. Audio-medial texts

Combinations of other signs with written signs (song lyrics, comic strips, subtitles, etc.)

Genres A grouping of texts with similar textual function Reflect differences in external format and

situations of use (Trosborg, 1997)

1. Literary/ Fiction: novel, short story, poem, play, etc;

2. Non-literary/ Non-fiction: report, scientific article, administrative letter, etc.

Domains using translation

1. Business and finance

Texts: business letters, contracts and agreements, insurance policies, reports, press releases, advertising materials, journal articles, magazine articles, handbooks, instructions for use, etc.

Domains using translation

2. International organizations

Texts: reports, minutes, laws, statutes, resolutions, brochures, booklets, etc.

3. Education, science, and technology

Texts: specialised articles/ books, textbooks, abstracts, etc.

Domains using translation

4. Tourist industry Texts: guide books, brochures, leaflets, posters,

etc.

5. The mass media Texts: news items, newspaper articles,

interviews, films, documentaries, etc.

6. Legal matters Texts: certificates, ID papers, letters of

recommendation, medical records, CV’s, etc.

Bibliography

Dimitriu, R. 2002. Theory and Practice of Translation. Iași: Institutul European

Lungu Badea, G. 2005. Tendinţe în cercetarea traductologică. Timişoara: EUV

Pitar, M. 2007. Textul injonctiv. Repere teoretice. Timișoara: Excelsior Art

Reiss, K. 1989. “Text types, translation types and translation assessment” in Andrew Chesterman (ed.) Readings in Translation Theory. 105-115. Helsinki: Oy Finn Lectura Ab

Superceanu, R. 2009. Translating pragmatic texts. Timişoara: Universuri Universitare

Trosborg, A. (ed.) 1997. Text Typology and Translation. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins