Translation Theories

     Translation is the expression in another

language (or the target language) of what

has been expressed in another, source

language, preserving semantic and stylistic

equivalences.

T he above definitions also stress the significance of

‘equivalence’ which underlies the following definitions,

among others: given by Meetham and Hudson (1972) and

Catford (1965):

Translation is the replacement of a text in

one language by a replacement of an

equivalent text in a second language.

(Meetham and Hudson, 1972: 713)

Translation is the replacement of textual

material in one language (SL) by equivalent

textual material in another language (TL).

(Catford, 1965: 20)

     On the other hand, functionalists view translation

differently:

Translation is the production of a functional

target text maintaining a relationship with a

given source text that is specified according

to the intended or demanded function of the

target text.

(Nord, in shutttleworth and Cowie,2007:182)

N ord, however, distinguishes between two senses of

translation: wide and narrow.

Translation is, in a narrow sense, any

translational action where a source text is

transferred into a target culture and language.

According to the form and presentation of

the source text and to the correctibility of

the target text we distinguish between oral

translation ( = ‘interpreting’ ) and

written translation (= ‘translation’ in the

narrow sense). (Nord, 2007: 141)

      Widening the above definitions, Sager maintains that

translation should reflect the environment in which the

professional translation activity takes place:

Translation is an extremely motivated

industrial activity, supported by information

technology, which is diversified in response

to the particular needs of this form of

communication. (Sager, 1994: 293)

I n a similar vein, Koller describes translation as a ‘textprocessing

activity and simultaneously highlights the

significance of ‘equivalence’:

Translation can be understood as the result

of a text-processing activity, by means of

which a source-language text is transposed

into a target-language text.. Between the

resulting text in L2 (the target-language

text) and the source text L1 (the sourcelanguage

text) there exists a relationship

which can be designated as translational, or

equivalence relation.

(Koller, 1995: 196)

    Amongst the above definitions, Nida and Taber's may

serve as a basis for our concept of translation as a TL

product which is as semantically accurate, grammatically

correct, stylistically effective and textually coherent as the

SL text. In other words, the translator's main attention

should not be focused only on the accurate semantic

transference of SL message into the TL, but also on the

appropriate syntax and diction in the TL, which are

explicitly the translator's (not the source author's) domain

of activity which displays his true competence. Indeed,

according to Wilss (1969:95

competence," "is aptly assessed in transfer situations that

require at least some degree of adaptation to new and

challenging textual demands." He describes such situations

as "accommodatory situations" which need "structural

adjustment" (ibid) and generally textual manipulation. In

point of fact, the competent translator performs multiple

tasks with inevitable intricacies of performance. His

approach to translating expressive, emotive or expository

texts in particular is deemed to be creativity-oriented, that

is, hermeneutic/manipulation rather than routine-oriented.

In the latter approach, SL words are mechanically replaced

by their TL equivalents, albeit one-to-one equivalence

rarely, if ever, exists between languages, as will be

explicated in Chapter Five below.

      There has been a plethora of definitions which E. Nida

(1964: 161-164) has elaborately surveyed . He rightly

elucidates:

Definitions of proper translating are almost

as numerous and varied as the persons who

have undertaken to discuss the subject.

This diversity is in a sense quite

understandable; for there are vast

differences in the materials translated, in

the purpose of the publication, and in the

needs of the prospective audience (161).

      Nevertheless, a definition which is not confined to the

mere transference of meaning is furnished by Nida and

Taber (1969: 12) who postulate

Translation consists in reproducing in the

receptor language the closest natural

equivalent of the source language message,

first in terms of

terms of

Bell (1991: 5-6) seems to have pursued the same line of

emphasis on meaning and style in his translation of the

definition given by the French theorist, Dubois (1974) :


taken from
Translation Theories, Strategies

And

Basic Theoretical Issues

By

Prof. A. B. As-Safi

Petra University

souce : http://www.uop.edu.jo/download/research/members/424_2061_A.B..pdf