Dun rea de Jos of Gala i Faculty of Letters Masters in Translation and Interpreting

TRANSLATION AND TEXT TYPOLOGY

Student, Prodan M d lina Coman Ileana Anul I, 2010-2011
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DEFINITIONS OF TRANSLATION
is communication, an unavoidable act of every cognitive process (Popa , 2009) involves having to mediate between two cultures (Baker, 2006) Translating is a simple communicative act. (Venuti, 2000) A communicative act that takes place within clear-cut socio-cultural historical contexts; ongoing process of continuing education since translators never stop learning (Ulrych, 1999)
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WHAT IS TRANSLATION ?
a fundamental act of human exchange (Bassnett, 1980)

a metaphor and a category of thought for Novalis It is no longer an approximation of the original, but rather its ideal; both translation and original strive towards the ideal, but translation appears to be closer to it. (Lefevere, 1977)
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Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee Tytler` treatise the Essay on the Principles of Translation (London, 1790) translation should fully represent : 1) ideas (intentionality) 2) style of the original 3) should possess the ease of original composition

TYPES OF TRANSLATION (1)

On Linguistic Aspects of Translation, Roman Jakobson (1959) -> three types of translation: (1) Intralingual translation, or rewording (2) Interlingual translation or translation proper (3) Intersemiotic translation or transmutation

TYPES OF TRANSLATION (2)

free or paraphrastic close or literal ones ultraliteral translations as interlinears Differences in translations accounted by three factors in translating : (1) nature of the message (2) purpose or purposes of the author and, by proxy, of the translator (3) type of audience (Nida, 1945)
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TYPES OF TRANSLATION (3)

Grammatical: translations in the ordinary sense; require enormous erudition, but discursive abilities only

Transforming (translating poetry) requires the highest poetic spirit, if they are to be authentic. The true translator must be an artist himself, he must be able to render the idea of the whole in this manner or that, at will. He must be the poet's poet and therefore he must be able to let him speak both according to the poet's idea and to his own.

Mythical: the pure, completed nature of the individual work of art. These translations do not give the real work of art, but its ideal. e.g. Greek mythology is, in part, such a translation of a national religion. The modern Madonna is also such a myth.
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(Lefevere,1977)

Sample Text Avatar

Jake: The concept is that every driver is matched to his own Avatar. So that their nervous system are in tune. Or something which is why they offered me the gig, because I can link with Tommys Avatar, which is insanely expensive. Is this right? I just say whatever to the video log? Norm: Yeah, we gotta get the habit of documenting everything. What we see, what we feel, its all part of the science. Dr. Max Patel: And good science is good observation. Jake: Conceptul e ca fiecare controlor este potrivit cu avatarul sau. Pentru ca sistemul lor nervos sa se potriveasca sau ceva de genul asta. De aceea miau oferit contractual asta; pentru ca ma pot conecta cu avatarul lui Tommy, care este incredibil de scump. Este in regula sa spun orice pe arhiva video? Norm: Da, trebuie documentat totul; ce vedem, ce simtim. Face parte din cercetare. Dr. Max Patel: O stiinta buna se bazeaza pe observari corecte. (my translation) In this case there are added some piece of information in the TT : se bazeaza pe observari corecte. A case of equivalence fiecare controlor este potrivit equivalence between the ST and the TT.

A longer structure from the ST is rendered into the TT by a more shorter one, keeping the entire meaning of the original text : gotta get the habit of documenting everything trebuie documentat totul.

Sample Text Of Human Bondage

The day broke gray and dull. The clouds hung heavily, and there was a rawness in the air that suggested snow. A woman servant came into a room in which a child was sleeping and drew the curtains. She glanced mechanically at the house opposite, a stucco house with a portico, and went to the childs bed. Wake up, Philip, she said. She pulled down the bed-clothes, took him in her arms, and carried him downstairs. He was only half awake. Your mother wants you, she said. Zorile se revarsara cenusii si mohorate. Norii pluteau greoi, aproape de pamant, si aerul era aspru ca inainte de ninsoare. O guvernanata intra in camera in care dormea copilul si trase perdelele. Masinal se uita peste drum la casa cu stucaturi si portic, dupa care se apleca asupra patutului. - Scoala-te, Philip, zise ea. Desfacu asternutul, lua copilul in brate si-l duse jos. Baietelul se trezi doar pe jumatate. -Te cheama mama, zise guvernanta.
(traducere A. Bantas) 9

Sample Text
Theseus : Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace : four happy days bring in Another moon; but O ! methinks how slow This old moon wanes; she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame, or a dowager Long withering out a young man`s revenue. Hyppolyta : Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bentin heaven, shall behold the night Of our solemnities. Theseu : Cu pas grabit (f.bine pentru apace), frumoasa Hipolita, Se-apropie al nuntii noastre ceas. Vor trece (neconform) patru zile fericite Ce vor urca pe cer (supralicitat, aproape eufuistic) o luna noua, Dar luna veche(netradus modalul ,,this") scade-atat de-ncet Si implinirea dorului mi-amana, Precum o muma vitrega sleieste (neclare ambele versuri) Averea-ntreaga-a (supralicitat) fiului nevarstnic, Hipolita: Dar zilele se vor topi in noapte(se repeta ,,patru,,) Si cele patru nopti vor face timpul Se lunece asemeni unui vis (,sa lunece"? etc.). Si luna, arc de-argint (new-bent, new" semnificativ prin repetitie), se vancorda Sa lumineze noaptea nuntii noastre. (solemnities) (traducere de Dan Grigorescu-1970) Theseu : Acum, frumoasa Hippolyto, ceasul Unirii noastre isi zoreste pasul. Trec patru mandre zile de-asteptare Ce-aduc o alta luna ; dar imi pare Ca prea incet de tot cea veche scade, Si-mi tot amana dorul meu cel viu, Ca mastera batrana care roade Prea mult din renta unui vitreg fiu . . .

Hippolyta: Curand in ale noptilor abisuri Cad patru zile, si degraba pier Si patru nopti cu-alaiul lor de visuri, Cand arc de-argint nou-incordat pe cer Va straluci din boltile albastre Crai-Nou la sarbatoarea nuntii noastre.

(A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare)

(traducere de St. O. Iosif-1956) 10

Translation as a model : Rules

When a translator ought to start training himself in this way ? As soon as he understands a foreign language. What to translate ? A translator should not translate from his mother tongue into a foreign language, and neither should translate from one foreign language into another. How to translate ? The translator should not select anything for translation if hasn`t yet mastered either its subject matter or its language, because he will by no means be able to express in other languages what he fails to understand.

(Lefevere, 1977)

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Text Types
Each individual text is a token a realization of some ideal type which underlies it just as the individual proposition underlies a set of clauses which, in their turn, underlie the infinite realizations of the utterance.
(Bell, 1993:202)

 The text is a crystal and text-types are its facets.

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Trends for setting up a typology of texts

1)

Texts have been classified according to criteria such as field of discourse, and statements were made about subject matter as the basis for lumping texts together, giving rise to types such as journalistic texts, religious, scientific texts and so on. (Crystal and Davy, 1969) Another trend in text-type research has taken domain as the basis for developing a different classification of texts into types such as literary, poetic and didactic (Beaugrande and Dressler, 1981). Text types identified in this approach, however, have exhibited an odd mixture of categories fluctuating between field in the sense of subject matter and discourse in the institutional sense. In addition to these two basic conceptions of text types, a number of functional typologies have been suggested. A few are based on the notion of degree of translability (Gulich and Raible, 1975), but the majority adopt a three-way distinction between expressive, informative and vocative. (e.g. Newmark 1981, Roberts 1985) (Hatim in Baker, 1998)
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2)

3)

Text type: classification

There are 3 major text-types: Exposition: focusing on states, events, entities and relations and sub-divided into
  

descriptive (focus on space) narrative (focus on time) conceptual (in terms of analysis and synthesis)

Argumentation: focusing on argument, in a broad sense, either (a) overt (through argument) (b) covert
(counter-argumentation)

Instruction: focusing on influencing future behaviour either

with option without option

(Bell, 1993:205)
(also in Munday: 2001, Hatim and Mason: 1992)
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Text-types, forms and samples

Text type Major Sub-type Exposition Descriptive Narrative Conceptual Argumentation Overt Covert Instruction + Option - Option Example contract Text sample tenor mode domain Example formal written conative (Bell, 1993:205)
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Text form

At text-level:

Text-form Text-sample

Text-type

(Bell, 1993:206)
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Expository text type

The expository text type has the contextual focus on either the decomposition (analysis) into constituent elements of given concepts, or on their composition (synthesis) from constituent elements. (E. Verlich, 1976)

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Expository text type example

A typical installation for pulverizing, drying and injecting coal into the blast furnace is shown in Figure 2. It consists of a storage yard for coal, a conveying system to move the coal from the storage yard to the grinding installation, the silo or the pulverized and dried coal and the injection installation with the conveying vessels and the piping systems. (Croitoru, 1996: 125) O instalatie clasica de pulverizare, uscare si injectare a carbunelui in furnal este prezentata in Figura 2. Aceasta consta dintr-o zona de depozitare a carbunelui, un sistem de transportare a carbunelui din zona de depozitare pana la instalatia de exploatare, depozitul sau carbunele maruntit si uscat, si instalatia de injectie cu recipientele de transportare si sistemele de conducte. (my translation)

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Argumentative text type

In the argumentative text type, the contextual focus is on the evaluation of the relations between concepts. (Croitoru, 1996: 126) Argumentative texts are those utilized to promote the acceptance or evaluation of certain beliefs or ideas as true versus false, or positive versus negative. Conceptual relations such as reason, significance, volition, value and opposition should be frequent. The surface texts will often show cohesive devices for emphasis and insistence, e.g., recurrence, parallelism and paraphrase.. (Beaugrande and Dressler 1981: 184)

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Argumentative text type - example

Tomorrows meeting of the board is a different affair. Certainly, it is formally about materials and about the governments determination to supply them. Certainly, it will also have immediate implications for the production range, especially for the Iron and Steel Works. But this meeting, called on short notice, and held with the two parties concerned, is not primarily about the equipment and materials. It is primarily about some changes in the production organization. Sedinta de maine a consiliului de conducere este o alta chestiune. Desigur, in mod formal, sedinta are ca subiect materialele si hotararea guvernului de a le suplimenta. Cu siguranta, sedinta va avea de asemenea implicatii imediate privind sfera de productie, in special pentru Uzinele de prelucrare a Fierului si a Otelului. Dar aceasta sedinta, facuta in scurt, intre cele doua parti implicate, nu are ca subiect numai echipamentele si materialele. Ci are ca subiect si anumite schimbari in organizatia de productie. (my translation)

(Croitoru, 1996: 126)

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Instructional text type

-

There are two sub-types: instruction with option (as in advertising, consumer advice, etc.) to arouse the end users interest , to act as an invitation, to influence opinions; instruction without option (as in contracts, treaties, etc.) The two types are considered as one operative text. In order to arouse the interest of the end users and succeed in persuading them, these texts must use short sentences, simple syntax, for comprehensibility, closeness to life, topical allusions, rhetorical repetition for memorization, manipulation of opinions by exaggeration, value judgement for suggestivity, linguistic parallelism used to imply factual comparability (language manipulation). (Croitoru, 1996: 127)

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Instructional text type example

Recipe: Wash, peel and thinly slice potatoes. Slice onions. Beat the eggs in a bowl, season. Heat oil in a frying pan, saut onions. Add potatoes and leave to cook over a low heat for 20 or 30 minutes. Leave to cool and add beaten egg. Cook for 15 minutes in frying pan.
Reteta: Spalati, curatati si taiati in felii subtiri cartofii. Taiati ceapa. Bateti ouale intr-un castron si condimentati-le. Incingeti uleiul intr-o tigaie si caliti ceapa. Adaugati cartofii si lasati-i la foc mic timp de 20 sau 30 de minute. Lasati sa se raceasca si adaugati ouale batute. Tineti pe foc 15 minute. (my translation)

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Text type: characteristics

Katharina Reiss (1977/89: 113-14) summarizes the main characteristics of each text-type: 1. 'Plain communication of facts': information, knowledge, opinions, etc. The language dimension used to transmit the information is logical or referential, the content or 'topic' is the main focus of the communication, and the text type is informative. 2. 'Creative composition': the author uses the aesthetic dimension of language. The author or 'sender' is foregrounded, as well as the form of the message, and the text type is expressive. 3. 'Inducing behavioural responses': the aim of the appellative function is to appeal to or persuade the reader or 'receiver' of the text to act in a certain way. The form of language is dialogic, the focus is appellative and Reiss calls this text type operative. 4. Audiomedial texts, such as films and visual and spoken advertisements which supplement the other three functions with visual images, music, etc. (Munday, 2001: 73)
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Reiss's text types and text varieties

(Chesterman 1989: 105)

Informative

reference work report lecture operating instructions tourist brochure

biography official speech play

sermon

electoral

speech

poem

satire

advertisement

Expressive

Operative (Munday, 2001: 74)

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REISSs specific translation methods according to text type

(Reiss, 1976: 20). 1. The TT of an informative text should transmit the full referential or conceptual content of the ST. The translation should be in 'plain prose', without redundancy and with the use of explicitation when required. The TT of an expressive text should transmit the aesthetic and artistic form of the ST. The translation should use the 'identifying' method, with the translator adopting the standpoint of the ST author. The TT of an operative text should produce the desired response in the TT receiver. The translation should employ the 'adaptive' method, creating an equivalent effect among TT readers. Audio-medial texts require the 'supplementary' method, supplementing written words with visual images and music. (Munday, 2001: 75)
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2.

3.

4.

The assessing criteria for the adequacy of a TT

Reiss (1971: 54-88) also lists a series of intralinguistic and extralinguistic instruction criteria (Instruktionen) by which the adequacy of a TT may be assessed. 1. intralinguistic criteria: semantic, lexical, grammatical and stylistic features; 2. extralinguistic criteria: situation, subject field, time, place, receiver, sender and 'affective implications' (humour, irony, emotion, etc.). (Munday, 2001: 75)
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The Psychological Reality of Text Types

There are psychological factors involved in the identification of text types. the first is the language users ability to recognize the type of text by reference to some internalized patterns of text organization the second concerns his ability of anticipating the subsequent development of the text with these internalized patterns. For example, such a marker as since / because makes the reader / translator be aware of the casual reasoning of the explanation that is to come, or consequently helps him understand that a conclusive idea follows.
(Croitoru, 1996: 129)

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Conclusion

The translator must know how to handle the text structure, being aware of the context in general and of the text-type focus in particular.
(Croitoru, 1996: 129)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baker, M (2006), Translation and Conflict A Narrative Account - London, Ed. Routledge. Baker, M (1998), Routledge Encyclopedia Of Translation Studies, London and New York, Hatim B., Text linguistics and translation Bantas, A. (1970), Robie, Ed. Minerva, Bucuresti Bassnett, S. (1980), Translation Studies , New York, Routledge. Beaugrande, R., Dressler W.U. (1981), Introduction to Text Linguistics Longman, Harlow Bell, R. T. (1993), Translating and Translation: Theory and Practice, Longman, London and New York Croitoru, E. (1996), Interpretation and Translation, ed. Porto-Franco, Galati Hatim, B. & Mason, I. (1992), Discourse and the Translator, Longman, London and New York Holmes, J.S. (1988), Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and Translation Studies, Ed. Rodopi, Amsterdam Landers, C.E. (2001) Literary Translation A Practical Guide, Ed. Cromwell Press, Clevedon Lambert, J (2006), Functional Approaches to Culture and Translation, Ed. Benjamins Translation Library, Amsterdam Munday, J. (2001), Introducing Translation Studies, Theories and Applications, Routledge, London and New York
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lefevere, A. (1977), Translating literature : the German tradition, Ed. Van Gorcum, Amsterdam Popa, I.L. (2009), An Introduction to Translation Studies, Ed. EduSoft, Bacau Reiss, K. (1977/89), Text types, translation types and translation assessment, translated by A. Chesterman, in A. Chesterman (ed.) (1989), pp. 105-15. Reiss, K. (1976), Texttyp und bersetzungsmethode: Der operative Text, Kronberg: Scriptor Verlag. Reiss, K. (1971/2000), Mglichkeiten und Grenzen der bersetzungskritik, Munich: M. Hueber, translated (2000) by E. F. Rhodes as Translation Criticism: Potential and Limitations, Manchester: St Jerome and American Bible Society. Tytler, A. F. (1790), Essay on the principles of translation, JMDent, London Ulrych, M. (1999), Focus on the translator in a multidisciplinary perspective, Ed. Unipress, Padova Venuti, L. (2000), The Translation Studies Reader ,Routledge, London

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