LESSON 18 UNIT 7 (cont) (19/11/2015)

- Textual pragmatics and equivalence

- Tourism texts

- Homework (see slide n° 10 and slide n° 28)

Nida’s concept of dynamic equivalence (see HM unit 6)

suggests that interlingual translation concerns the need to

reconcile differences concerning not only the linguistic

code (lexis, grammar and phonology), but also the text

type, the purpose of the translation and the reason why it is

required, the cultural values of the TT audience, and the

socio-historical context of the ST.

Translation theorists such as R. de Beaugrande and W.

Koller (see HM 170-173) argued vigorously for a new

focus on pragmatics in translation, i.e., the study of the

writer/speaker’s intended meanings and the purposes for

which utterances and texts are used (HM 174). Here, form

is not seen as being more important than meaning, and the

language system is not seen as more important than the

communicative context (HM 169).

Koller (1995) makes a distinction between (Munday 73):

1) CORRESPONDENCE, which compares two language

systems and describes their differences and similarities

contrastively. Its parameters of those of Sassure’s langue.

This includes identification of false cognates (‘false

friends’) and evidence of lexical, morphological and

syntactic interference.

2) EQUIVALENCE, which relates specific ST and TT

pairs and contexts, and uses the parameter of Sassure’s

parole. Such parole-oriented equivalents concern relations

that exist not between languages themselves at the level of

linguistic systems but rather between text and context (HM

49)

However, this traditional distinction in structural linguistics

between langue and parole can no longer be taken for

granted (Jeffries 2010: 63). To demonstrate this, let’s look

at examples of the importance of contextual meaning when

translating.

Example 1: reference assignment. For example, what does a

particular pronoun refer to? The answer depends on the context

of use and the speaker/writer’s intention.

How would you translate the transcript of a controversial

English murder trial in 1952? The case against 19 year-old

Bentley, who was charged with murdering a police officer, was

that he had said ‘Let him have it, Chris!’ to his 16 year-old

friend, Christopher Craig, who actually shot the police officer

with a gun. Did ‘Let him have it, Chris!’ mean: ‘Shoot the

policeman’? Or did the ‘it’ in this phrase refer to the gun? In

which case, the imperative meaning of ‘Let him have it,

Chris!’ was ‘Chris, give the gun to the police officer!’. This

second meaning was rejected by the court, and Bentley was

found guilty of ‘deliberate incitement to murder’ and hanged.

(Thomas 1995: 17)

Example 2: politeness depends on context and can be

ambivalent:

In order to successfully translate the following notice in an

expensive gourmet restaurant, you need to decide whether

customers are being asked or ordered not to smoke.

“If you want to enjoy the full flavour of your food and

drink you will, naturally, not smoke during this meal.

Moreover, if you did smoke you would also be impairing

the enjoyment of other guests.”

(Public notices that ask people to do /not to do something

are often entitled ‘Polite Notice’). (Thomas 1995:159)

Example 3: Under-lexicalisation needs to be understood

in context. It can be used, especially in literary language, to

communicate that someone is immature or not clever. How

would you translate the uses of ‘nice’ in the following

sentence from James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist?

•‘That was not a nice expression. His mother had told him

not to speak with the rough boys in the college. Nice

mother!... She was a nice mother but she was not so nice

when she cried.’ (Wales 2001: 400).

Example 4: Over-lexicalisation (= an apparent excess of words) also needs to be

understood in context. In Keat’s poem ‘To Autumn’ (1820) the writer uses over-

lexicalisation as part of a celebratory, praiseful overstatement or hyperbole. The

richness of the vocabulary draws attention to the plenitude and abundance of

Autumn, which is Keats’s intended meaning:

near synonyms: kernel core; plump swell; maturing ripeness; fill

o’er-brimm’d.

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

HOMEWORK

Now read:

1) Levy’s account of why translation is a ‘decision process’

that requires translators to choose from a range of

alternatives (HM 174-175).

2) Gutt’s ‘Pragmatic Aspects of Translation’ (HM177-180).

Ferrara: text n°1: original Italian

Ferrara: text n° 1: English translation

Ferrara: text n° 2: original Italian

Ferrara: text n°2: English translation

Landshut Church: English version

Landshut Church: Italian version

Landshut Church: original German

Landshut, Germany: Foundation Basilica St Martin

and St Castulus. Portals:

St Martin’s church has five portals. The portal on the

ground floor of the west tower is the main portal. It is

crowned with a wimperg with crabs and a finial. In the

spandrel of the finial, St Veronica is depicted with Christ’s

face-cloth or sudarium. In the richly grooved portal jamb

there are clay figures of the evangelists and the Fathers of

the Church. The central post between the two doors shows

an image of the church patron St Martin cutting his cloak.

The portal is dated around 1452. The coloured relief of the

Living Cross in the tympanum is noteworthy. In the centre

we see Christ on the crucifix. At the end of each of the

arms of the cross a hand consisting of stylised clouds

appears.

Landshut, Germania: Basilica collegiata di S. Martino e S

Casolo. Portali:

S Martino possiede cinque portali, dei quali quello a

pianoterra della torre ovest è strutturato come portale

principale. Esso è coronato da una ghimberga decorata da

fogliame con un alto fiorone, nel cui pennacchio è

rappresentata la Veronica con il sudario di Cristo.

Nell’intradosso del portale, riccamente scanalato, si vedono

delle figure in terracotta di evangelisti e padri della chiesa,

mentre sul montante centrale tra le due aperture è il patrono

della chiesa, S. Martino, nell’atto di dividere il mantello. Il

portale è datato attorno al 1452. Degno di nota è il rilievo

rifinito a colori nel timpano, il cui tema è «la croce vivente».

Al centro sta Cristo sulla croce, alle estremità delle cui travi

emergono delle mani da delle nuvole stilizzate.

Altötting: The Chapel of Grace

Here in the centre of the Chapel of Grace, the heart of Bavarian

piety, the bright lustre of the altar pierces the predominant

darkness. In front of the niche, which is entirely decorated in

silver, stands the Altar of Grace, a composition of 17th-century

art works. The silver tabernacle for the miraculous statue of the

Virgin Mary, donated in 1645 by elector Maximilian I, conceals

the so-called ‘blood consecration letter’ in its pedestal. In this

document, written in his own blood, Maximilian commends

himself into the protection of the Madonna. Since 1670 the

sidewalls of the niche have been covered with a gold and silver

portrayal of the Tree of Jesse, a depiction of the ancestors of

Christ. Three years later the altar received a silver relief of the

Holy Trinity around the top of its arch. The sacramental

tabernacle was added in 1793.

Altötting: Cappella della Grazia

Al centro della Cappella della Grazia, al centro della fedeltà

bavarese, viene illuminato questo buio misterioso solo

dall’altare della Madonna. Davanti alla nicchia argentata, si

nota il meraviglioso altare del 1700. Il tabernacolo d’argento,

col ritratto della Madonna fu donato dal principe Maximilian I

nel 1645, nel piedistallo viene accumulata una cosiddetta

“Blutweihebrief”, una lettera scritta dal principe col proprio

sangue, dove si raccomanda alla Madonna di proteggerlo. Sulle

pareti laterali della nicchia, si può contemplare

un’interpretazione del Wurzel Jesse, una lavorazione in lamiera

d’oro e d’argento del 1670. Inoltre, tre anni dopo fu inserito

nell’altare, la lavorazione in argento della Santissima Trinità,

che poi nel 1793 fu contemplato dal tabernacolo del Santissimo

Sacramento.

Regensburg: a City where Life is a Pleasure

And is it because of the Roman heritage that life mainly

takes place outdoors? The moment the first sunbeam

appears, the people here indulge in the almost

Mediterranean habit of setting up tables and chairs outside

cafés and restaurants, both in the narrow alleys and in the

many squares. This way of life is obviously savoured by

Regensburg’s inhabitants, who are full of joie di vivre, as

well as by visitors from all over the world. Commerce and

culture, hospitality and shops, bustle and peace… all of

these may be found and enjoyed in the city centre in great

variety.

Ratisbona: una città da vivere e da amare

Chissà se la predilezione dei suoi abitanti per la vita

all’aperto non sia da ricollegarsi alle origini romane della

città… L’atmosfera cittadina diventa decisamente

mediterranea quando, con i primi raggi di sole, compaiono

nelle stradine del centro cittadino e nelle numerose piazze,

i tavoli dei ristoranti e dei caffè, per il piacere degli

abitanti e dei turisti. Commercio e cultura, ospitalità e

negozi: tutto ciò si può trovare in abbondanza nel centro

storico.

Altötting: Hotel Gasthof Plankl****

An exceptional totally non-smoking hotel at down-to-

earth prices, in a peaceful location a three-minute walk

from the Kapellplatz. Bright modern rooms, some with

balconies and suites with unique decorations and features

such as sauna, steam bath, solarium over the bed, Jacuzzi

etc. Enjoy home-made cakes on the café terrace or nestled

up beside an open fireplace. Elevator goes directly to the

new indoor swimming pool. Renowned for its excellent

Bavarian cooking.

Altötting: Hotel Gasthof Plankl****

L’hotel straordinario col divieto di fumo a prezzi normali.

Posto tranquillo, solo tre minuti dalla Piazza del Santuario

(Kapellplatz). Camere ariose con arredamento moderno a

parte con balcone e suite con propria sauna, bagno a

vapore, solario sul letto e whirlpool. Gustate la cucina

casereccia sulla terrazza del giardino oppure davanti al

caminetto. Ottima cucina regionale. Con l’ascensore si

arriva direttamente alla piscina dell’hotel.

Altötting: St Elisabeth. Leisure – Rejuvenation – Hotel –

Pilgrimage Seminars

38 barrier-free and wheelchair accessible single and

double rooms; attractive leisure programmes; in-house

travel service also suitable for wheelchairs.

Altötting: St Elisabeth – case di vacanze per handicappati

– Incontro di amici

38 camere adatte per handicappati e persone in sedie a

rotelle – con programmi di escursioni, con possibilità di

trasporti – adatto fino a 60 pers.

HOMEWORK: TOURISM CONTINUED

Translate the texts on the following slides about:

Brighton, a town in the UK

Food in the UK

National Parks in the UK

Boutique Hotels in the UK

(We’ll start with ‘Brighton’ and ‘Food’…. )

BRIGHTON TRAVEL GUIDE

Brighton - Fashionable, funky and minutes from London

Brighton is more than the seaside, more than the city and the mix is more than double the fun. Fashionable, funky and loaded with style, Brighton & Hove has everything you could want from a trip to Britain - a royal palace, elegant Regency architecture, museums, more laid-back beach life and superb shopping – all this on the south coast of England, just 49 minutes from central London

Culture and Heritage: Walking around Brighton, 400 years of history and style unfold before you. The Royal Pavillion is the magnificent palace created by King George IV, and is an eclectic mix of styles that has to be seen to be believed. Elsewhere, there are museums and galleries galore, special events throughout the year from car rallies to carnivals, and England’s largest arts festival in May.

Attractions: Don’t miss the Royal Pavilion, home of King George IV, and probably the most exotic, extravagant royal palace in Europe. Stroll along the Victorian Pier and the beachfront, where stylish bars and cafés spill out onto the curved paving, jostling for space with surfer shops, giant sculptures, buskers, fresh fish and artists’ studios.

Food and Drink: Brighton’s diversity extends to its choice of restaurants. With more than 400 to choose from you can eat your way around the world. Along the beachfront between the two Piers there are several restaurants and cafés – perfect for people-watching. You’ll certainly be spoilt for choice when it comes to food in Brighton, but don’t miss the fantastic fish and chips!

Jamie Oliver: Britain’s most passionate chef talks UK food

See why Jamie Oliver can’t get enough of Britain’s food and learn a

few tips for seeking out the best UK produce.

Not content with single-handedly saving British school dinners and

giving disadvantaged kids a leg up, Jamie Oliver also opened some

of the best restaurants around. He’s part of a reborn UK eating

scene that’s seen Britain fall in love with fine produce, locally

sourced ingredients and innovative cooking.

With London leading the way as the world's most exciting dining

city, you’ll find restaurants serving food from every corner of the

world, cosy pubs with traditional menus, sophisticated eateries

offering internationally celebrated cuisine and more. So whether

you want crab sandwiches on a sun-drenched Devon quayside, the

sweetest Scottish raspberries, tempting Gower Salt Marsh Lamb or

culinary magic at Heston Blumenthal’s world-famous Fat Duck

restaurant, you’ll find British food a feast of inspiration.

NATIONAL PARKS

South East: New Forest | South Downs

The New Forest National Park is celebrated for its ancient

woodland and heathland first given protection by William the

Conqueror nearly 1,000 years ago. Ponies graze on wild heaths

speckled with purple heather and wild deer flit beneath gnarled oak

and beech trees. To the east of the New Forest lie the South Downs,

an area stretching 100 miles from the edge of Winchester to Beachy

Head. It’s best known for its famous rolling downlands that lead to

the white, sheer cliffs at Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.

Heart of England: Peak District

Britain's first national park and Europe's busiest is a diverse

landscape, comprising heather-sprayed moorland, murky limestone

caves, gentle hills and gritstone outcrops. It straddles several

counties in central northern England, is a centre for rock climbing

and is the landscape that inspired Jane Austen.

NATIONAL PARKS (continued)

North West: Lake District

From 16 sparkling lakes and England’s highest mountains, to sheltered

valleys and salty seascapes, Cumbria and the Lake District have inspired

and captivated generations of visitors and famous writers and poets such

as William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. But there’s more to see than

just scenery. The area has a rich heritage to discover, a vibrant and

contemporary cultural scene, and a growing reputation for fine food and

drink.

North East: Northumberland | North York Moors | Yorkshire Dales

Listen to the call of the upland birds, saunter through picturesque villages

of honey sandstone, build sandcastles or sit and watch the world go by. All

around are the signs of past generations - historic abbeys, embattled

castles, churches, crosses and ancient trackways. Northumberland

National Park stretches from Hadrian’s Wall to the Scottish border while

the North York Moor spread westwards from the east coast of Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Dales park straddles the central Pennines in the counties of

North Yorkshire and Cumbria and is a favourite destination for walkers,

cyclists and horse-riders.

Boutique hotels: Contemporary, stylish accommodation

They're friendly, unpretentious, a little eccentric and highly

individual. Some would say Britain's boutique hotels reflect

the British character, they aim to surprise and amuse - just

like the British themselves, really.

Visit The Witchery by the Castle right next to Edinburgh

Castle. It has some of the most romantic rooms, with high

vaulted ceilings, four-poster beds, cast-iron baths and flat-

screen televisions with DVD players - all housed in a

building dating from the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Or

experience fine dining at The Drawing Room in Wales - the

exquisite Georgian restaurant with rooms is a discreet rural

retreat where attention to detail is paramount.

Boutique Hotels (continued)

London's Boutique Hotels: Leave the car behind -

boutique hotels tend to be in the heart of a city. Take

London's Parkes Hotel, only 100 metres from Harrods

which offers 5-star service in a warm friendly family

environment. Alternatively, Brown’s Hotel, one of

London's oldest, has just been given a makeover. It offers

spacious bedrooms with a refined English charm offset by

sophisticated modern touches.

Malmaison: People often think boutique hotels will be

expensive. The 12 Malmaison hotels, pride themselves on

providing guests with a luxury experience that doesn't

break the bank.