Bài giảng Translation Theory - Lesson 2: The analysis of a text

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1. INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION Truong Van Anh Sai Gon University, HCMC E-mail: truongvananh@cvseas.edu.vn 1
2. Lesson 2: The analysis of a text Translation theory suggests some criteria and priorities for analyzing a text. + The intention of a text A woman hit him > < We are interested to watch this film. The intention means attitude to the subject matter (what we want). The translator who has to be faithful to the author has to bear the intention of the original in mind throughout his or her work.
3. « problèm trop complexe pour être abordé globalement critique qui a tendance à effacer nuances et details et n'a donc presque plus rien à voir avec la réalité. » “problem too complex to be approached globally criticism that tends to erase nuances and details and has almost nothing to do with reality.”
4. + The intention of the translator Usually, the translator must comply with the intention of the author of the SL text. + The reader/listener and the setting Questions to be asked: - Who is the reader/listener? - Where would the text be found in the TL? - Where will the translation be read? - What is the TL equivalent of the SL in periodical, newspaper, textbook, legal document, etc?
5. + Text styles Following Nida, we distinguish four types of (literary or non - literary) text: - Narrative: a dynamic sequence of events - Description, which is static, with emphasis on linking verbs, adjectives, adjectival nouns. - Discussion, a treatment of ideas, with emphasis on abstract nouns (concepts), verbs of thought, mental activity (“consider”, “argue”, etc.), logical argument and connectives. - Dialogue, with emphasis on colloquialism .
6. + Stylistic scales The degrees of formality are classified: - Officialese - Official - Formal - Neutral - Informal - Colloquial - Slang - Taboo
7. • Phong cách hàn lâm (officialese) • Phong cách nghiêm túc (official) • Phong cách lịch sự (formal) • Phong cách trung lập (neutral) • Phong cách giản dị (informal) • Phong cách hội thoại (Colloquial) • Phong cách tiếng lóng (Slang) • Phong cách cấm kỵ (Taboo)
8. - The consumption of any nutriments whatsoever is categorically prohibited in this establishment. - The consumption of nutriments is prohibited. - You are requested not to consume food in this establishment. - Eating is not allowed here. - Please don’t eat here. - You can’t feed your face here. - Lay off the nosh. - Lay off the fucking nosh.
9. Sự tiêu thụ bất cứ chủng loại thực phẩm nào bị tuyệt đối nghiêm cấm trong cơ sở này. Việc tiêu thụ thực phẩm bị cấm. Yêu cầu bạn không tiêu thụ thực phẩm trong cơ quan này. Cấm ăn uống ở đây. Xin đừng ăn uống ở đây. Cấm không ăn uống, hút sách ở đây. Cấm tiệt trớ có đớp hít gì đấy nhé. Ðếch được đớp hít gì đấy.
10. + The scale of generality or difficulty: - Simple “The floor of the sea is covered with rows of big mountains and deep pits.” - Popular “The floor of the oceans is covered with great mountain chains and deep trenches.” - Neutral (using basic vocabulary only) “A graveyard of animal and plant remains lies buried in the earth’s crust.”
11. - Educated “The latest step on vertebrate evolution was the tool - making man.” - Technical “Critical path analysis is an operational research technique used in management.” - Opaquely technical (comprehensible only to an expert) “Neuraminic acid in the form of its alkali - stable methoxy derivative was first isolated by Klenk from gangliosides.”(Letter to Nature, November 1955, quoted in Quirk, 1984.)
12. + Attitude Degrees of feeling: positive, neutral or negative. The translator has to assess the standards of the writer. Ex: slim / slender – thin – bony/skinny plump – fat - obese
13. + The quality of the writing and the authority of the text The text (SL) may be good or bad. Good text > closely translating (TL) (matching) Bad text > transferring the meaning Good writer > good authority Bad writer > flexible translation * A good translator has to correct bad texts (SL). A translator is responsible for his/her TL text.
14. + Text functions and text categories Three functions: expressive (I), informative (It), vocative (You). Text-categories: serious literature (belle lettres), authoritative statements (speeches or declarations) and personal or intimate writing; Journalism, reporting, scientific and technical papers, general textbooks, most non-literary works; advertising, propaganda, polemical works, popular literature. Most texts include all three functions, with an emphasis on one of the three.
15. + Connotation and denotation Connotation: The meaning which is wider than the core meaning. Denotation: the core meaning Connotative meanings refer to the additional meanings that a word or phrase has beyond its central meaning (= denotative meaning), these meanings show people’s emotions and attitudes towards what the word or phrase refers to. Ex: dragon: an imaginary animal (core meaning); symbol of a king (wider meaning)
16. • denotation a literal meaning of the word • connotation an association (emotional or otherwise) which the word evokes For example: both "woman" and "chick" have the denotation "adult female" in North American society, but "chick" has somewhat negative connotations, while "woman" is neutral. (“Lady” is positive).
17. The translation of metaphors and similes + Metaphor: hidden comparison Ex: She is a Cleopatre. She is a Thi No. Margaret Thatcher is an iron lady. (Hidden: “as” and “like”) + Simile: clear comparison Ex: It is as red as radish. Like father like son.
18. + Reproducing the same image in the TL provided: the image has comparable frequency and currency in the appropriate register. Ex: “His life hangs on a thread”
19. + The translator may replace the image in the SL with a standard in the TL. Image which does not clash with the TL culture, but which, like most stocks metaphors, proverbs, etc., are presumably coined by one person and diffused through popular speech, writing and later media. Obvious examples for one-word metaphors are: “table”, “pillar”
20. + Translation of metaphor by simile, retaining the image. This is the obvious way of modifying the shock of a metaphor, particularly if the TL text is not emotive in character. This procedure can be used to modify any type of word, as well as original complex metaphors.
21. + Translation of metaphor (or simile) by simile plus sense (or occasionally a metaphor plus sense). While this is always a compromise procedure, it has the advantage of combining communicative and semantic translation in addressing itself both to the layman and the expert if there is a risk that the simple transfer of the metaphor will not be understood by most readers. Paradoxically, only the informed reader has a chance of experiencing equivalent - effect through a semantic translation.
22. + Conversion of metaphor to sense. Depending on the type of text, this procedure is common, and is to be preferred to any replacement of an SL by a TL image which is too wide of the sense. Ex: He is as rich as a Jew. Anh ta là Thạch Sùng. (Ẩn dụ) Anh ta giàu như Thạch Sùng (so sánh + ý nghĩa) Anh ta rất giàu (ý nghĩa)
23. Deletion. If the metaphor is redundant, there is a case for its deletion, together with its sense component provided the SL text is not authoritative on “expressive” (that is, primarily an expression of the writer’s personality) Ex: table-tennis or ping-pong He likes playing table-tennis or ping-pong. Anh ta thích chơi bóng bàn.
24. + Same metaphor combined with sense. Occasionally, the translators who transfers an image may wish to ensure that it will be understood by adding a gloss. Ex: He is as rich as a Jew. Anh ta là Thạch Sùng (Ẩn dụ) Anh ta giàu như Thạch Sùng (so sánh) Gloss: Thạch Sùng là người rất giàu có.
25. Summary on metaphor translation Metaphor = Metaphor + sense Metaphor = Simile + sense Metaphor = Sense
26. Good luck!