Introduction to Translation.

Theory of Translation.

Topic 1.

Introduction to Translation.

1. Translation is a special type of communication. The information goes from one participant to the other via the translator, who works as an intermediary. The one who sends the information uses his/her native language creating a text which reflects not only the peculiarities of the language but also the peculiarities of the culture in which the sender of the information has been brought up (his/her native culture). The information goes to the translator, who analyzes it (consulting the dictionaries and examining the context) and performs some other operations with it (we’ll discuss them later), restructures and reassembles it again and then sends the new text to the recipient, who receives it and tries to use it being under the influence of his/her native language and native culture. Here are some definitions of terms that are most often used in translation. Read them.

· The information/text that stimulates communication.

· The language that is used by the sender of the information.

· The culture that accounts for the peculiarities of both the language and the information.

· The final text which is sent by the translator in a different language to the recipient of the information.

· The culture that accounts for the peculiarities of the recipient’s acquisition of the text.

· The language in which the translator looks for equivalents when creating the final text and which he uses in cases of absence of equivalents for descriptive translation.

· The lexical and grammatical means that surround the word and specify its dictionary meaning or necessitate its usage.

· The peculiarities of the target culture and the situation described in the text that enable the readers’ understanding of the author’ intentions.

2. Provide definitions for the following terms (use the information from the previous task):

source language (SL), target language (TL), source culture (SC), target culture (TC), source text (ST), target text (TT), descriptive translation, linguistic context, extralinguistic context, translator, sender, recipient.

3. The terminology that is used by Russian scholars doesn’t presuppose that the terms in Russian and the terms in English are full equivalents. Match the Russian terms to the terms used in English:

язык перевода, язык оригинала, культура языка оригинала, культура переводящего языка, языковой контекст, ситуационный контекст, интерпретативный перевод, оригинальный текст, переводной текст, получатель информации, отправитель информации, переводчик.

4. What were the reasons of English scholars and Russian ones when they came to invent the existing terminology? Here is a list of suggestions. Mark those reasons that were used by Russian scholars with a tick, circle those that were used by English scholars and mark by a cross the reasons used by both.

The reasons used by English/Russian/both scholars are …

· the reasons for initiating communication;

· the reasons that account for the peculiarities of the language used by the sender of the information and his/her cultural involvement;

· the reasons to show the direction of information and its final place of destination;

· the reasons that account for the peculiarities of the final text and the peculiarities of its comprehension;

· the reasons to show that the text is not an original one but a translation;

· the reasons that account for the text being written in the language of the recipient;

· the reasons to show the culture reflecting the peculiarities of the recipient’s perception and language;

· the reasons to show that the absence of a concept in the language is not fatal but can be compensated for;

· the reasons to show that the translator is not a language machine looking for equivalents but an individual who inevitably expresses his/her attitude to what s/he is translating.

5. Look through the following sentences and say if they are adequately translated. Suggest an adequate variant of translation and say whether the translator should rely on linguistic or extralinguistic context.

The doctor attributed this illness to an unknown virus.	Доктор отнес болезнь к неизвестному вирусу.
But five o'clock came and then went but nobody was in sight.	Но пять часов пришли и ушли, но никого не было на виду.
Many innovations are mistakes. Post-it Notes was a glue experiment that failed.	Многие инновации – ошибки. Пост-ит Ноутс был экспериментом с клеем, который провалился.
She turned around to find that the sauce on the stove was smoking.	Она повернулась, чтобы найти, что соус на плите дымился.
Работа композитора нелегка.	The work of a compositor is rather difficult.
Harry listened closely to the silence around him.	Гарри близко слушал тишину вокруг него.
I wish I were there with you lying in the sun doing nothing.	Я желаю быть рядом с тобой, лежать на солнце, ничего не делая.
I know you had a good reason not to come.	Я знаю, что у тебя была хорошая причина, чтобы не приходить.

6. Analyze the sentences and say if they can be translated word for word or require descriptive translation. Translate the sentences into the target language.

The teacher entered the room.

A studentshould attend all lectures.

When the hostess returned there was only one guestsitting in the room.

- Мне сказали, что ты поменял жену на компьютер. Это правда??? - Да, правда. - Как же так? Ведь жена не вещь … - Ты прав. Жена не вещь … Вот компьютер – вещь!!!

По-русски врать означает скорее нести лишнее, чем обманывать. В таком смысле врет и искусство.

Она вернулась домой и обнаружила, что все уже давно ушли

Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursleys best; it wasn't as though they were ever any help to him awake.

Just then a door on the second landing opened, and a face poked out wearing hornrimmed glasses and a very annoyed expression.

A whole summer ahead to cross off the calendar, day by day.

The day was not a bright one and Mrs. Lorrimer's room seemed rather dark and cheerless.

Remember to turn off the gas when you leave.

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