Course Description of History &Theories of Translation

University: Ibb University

Faculty: Arts
Department: English
Program title: MA in English
Approval date of course
specification:

I. Course Identification and General Information

1 Course Title: History and Theories of Translation
2 Course Number & Code:
Credit Hours: Theoretical Practical Tutorial Training Total
3
3 3
Study level/year at which this course 1st Semester, 1st year
4
is offered:
5 Pre –requisite (if any): N/A
6 Co –requisite (if any): N/A
Program (s) in which the course is MA in English
7
offered:
8 Language of teaching the course: English
9 Location of teaching the course: Faculty of Arts
10 Prepared By: Dr. Abdul-Kawi Hizam Al-Shamiri
11 Approved By:

II. Course Description:

This is a core course of the MA programme in English (Translation and Intercultural communication). It
provides an overview of translation studies as a discipline and translation theory as a topic within that
discipline.

This module introduces students to the history of translation and current trends in Translation Theory. It
focuses on several core areas that make students critically aware of linguistic, functional,
communicative, cultural, philosophical, historical, social, and professional aspects of translation.

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 III. Professional Information

1- Aims of The Course:

The course aims at:
1- Introducing students to translation studies as separate discipline of knowledge,
2- providing students with a comprehensive introduction to a range of theoretical approaches to
translation,
3- promoting critical thinking about different approaches to translation and applying them in in-
depth analysis of translation case studies,
4- increasing students’ awareness related to the nature of translation and their interest to
independently pursue translation theory issues,
5- enabling students to develop self-assessing and self-correcting techniques in order to monitor
their own progress, and
6- enabling students to deal with translation as linguistic procedure and as socially constructed
and oriented activity.

2-Course Intended learning outcomes (CILOs):

(A) Knowledge and Understanding
After participating in this course, students will be able to:
1- demonstrate an understanding of the emergence of Translation Studies as a discipline,
2- describe in some detail some major past and contemporary trends in translation theory
3- discuss the contribution of translation to civilization and to the development of cultural and
intellectual life.
4- develop a profound understanding and awareness of the wider political, cultural and ethical
context of translation.
5- demonstrate advanced analytical skills.
6- recognize analytical, linguistic and cross-cultural factors affecting interpretation and
translation from English into Arabic and vice versa
7- describe translation strategies and techniques adopted to a given text
8- explain shifts in translations.
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(B) Intellectual Skill

After participating in this course, students will be able to:
1- assess the nature and scope of individual translation tasks,
2- appreciate strengths and weaknesses of a range of translated texts
3- criticise and evaluate different theories of translation
4- choose the translation strategies that best suit the different types of text and the audience to
whom the text is addressed
5- write an advanced academic essay with appropriate citing and referencing
6- examine, judge and translate various works within different cultural and historical contexts.
7- analyse and critically evaluate the main theories of translation including equivalence,
functionalism, and domestication v. foreignisation

(C) Professional and Practical Skills

After participating in this course, students will be able to:

1- Compare and contrast different theories of translation
2- apply basic translation theories to explain the various aspects of translation practice
3- communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, about practical and theoretical aspects of
translation;
4- apply approaches such as that of DTS or 'Skopos Theory' to a body of translation work

(D) General / Transferable Skills

After participating in this course, students will be able to:

1- Work together to produce an essay on a topic in Translation Theory,
2- engage effectively in practical and intellectual debates and problem-solving,
3- justify their decisions and approaches convincingly,
4- engage critically and constructively in oral exchanges of ideas, and
5- Convey information accurately, assertively, clearly and effectively.

IV. Course Content:

1 – Course Topics/Items:
Number Practical Number
week Theoretical Topics hours Topics hours Reference
1-3
10 Holmes, J. S., in L.Venuti (ed.)
Introduction: (2000), pp. 172-85.
- Aims and tasks of the course Jakobson, R. in L. Venuti (ed.)
- Why theories of translation matter (2000), pp. 113- 18.
- The concept of translation
 - Roman Jacobson: Types of translation
- Translation & interpretation:
Similarities & differences
- What is translation studies?
Hatim, Basil, (2015), chapter 1
- Holmes's 'map' of translation studies
- Developments since the 1970s: Bassnett. S (1991)
James S. Holmes Baker, M ( 1992)
Mary Snell-Hornby
Mona Baker
Susan Bassnett
Weissbort, D, & Eysteinsson, A
History of Translation: Western (2006)
Perspective Baker, M. (ed.) (1 997a).

- After Babel Bassnett, S. (1 991). chapter 2.

- The 'word-for-word' vs. 'sense-for-
Long, L, 63-76
sense' debate: Cicero & Horace
- Saint Jerome and the Vulgate
- the Middle Ages and Early Bible
translations (equivalence must be
understood as sameness)
- The vitalization of the vernacular:
The Reformation and Bible
translation: Martin Luther, William
Tyndale
- Printing: a turning point in translation
4-5
(Early attempts at systematic
translation theory)
- the Renaissance
- the seventeenth century:
• Sir John Denham
• Abraham Cowley
• John Dryden
• Alexander Pope ,
- The Eighteenth Century
• Translator as painter
• Tytler’s three basic principles
• Translation: From margin to
10
centre
- Romanticism, Post-Romanticism,
The Victorians.
• Translation: Art or science
 • The notion of untranslatability

History of Translation: Arabic

perspective

- Translation in the pre-Islam era

- Translation during the rise of Islam
- The concept of translation in Islam
6 - The Ummayad period
- The Abbaside period
- Translation of the Holy Quraan
- The role of translation in shaping the
development of ideas and science,
and the spread of knowledge.

Students’ seminars, Discussion,

Research points & Assignments

- What is the status of translation in

the Arab world? Why?
- Is there any
translation/interpreting activity in
Yemen?
- How would you evaluate
translation offices’ translations in
Yemen?
- How many universities offer
'translation studies' (or similar)
courses? In what ways do they differ
7 from or resemble each other? Is a
postgraduate qualification a
prerequisite for working as a
professional translator in Yemen?
- What do you conclude is the
status of translation studies in Yemeni
universities?
- What specific research in
translation studies is being carried out
in Yemen/ Arab countries?
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- Is the work being carried out by
isolated researchers or by larger and
CO-ordinated groups? How, if at all,
would it fit in with Holmes's 'map' of
translation studies?
 - Trace the history of translation
and translation studies in Yemen
/Arab world.
- Has the focus been mainly on the
theory or on the practice of
translation? Why do you think this is
so?
- Describe the role of translation in
Western and Arabic civilizations

8 • Mid-Term Test

Bassnett, S. Translation Studies,

9 1991
•

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 The concept of Equivalence

- Necessity of Translation Equivalence

- categorization of Equivalence
- Types of non-equivalence at word
level
• Lexical meaning, Propositional
vs. expressive meaning,
Presupposed meaning, Evoked
meaning Jakobson, R., in L. Venuti (ed.)
- Types of non-equivalence above (2000), pp. 113- 18.
word level
Koller, W., in A. Chesterman (ed.)
• collocations, idioms, fixed (1989), pp. 99-1 04.
expressions, culture-specific
concepts, concept not lexicalized Newmark, P, (1988)
in the target language, etc. Nida, E. (1964a)

- Common strategies for dealing with Nida, E. and C. Taber, 1969)

non-equivalence at word level:
• translation by a more general
word, translation by a less
expressive word, translation by a
cultural substitution, translation
by a loan word, translation by
paraphrase, translation by
omission etc.

Evolution of the concept of

Equivalence

- Roman Jacobson: the nature of Newmark, P (1988)

linguistic meaning and equivalence Nida, E.(1 964a)
10 - Nida: Formal and dynamic Jacobson, R, in L. Venuti (ed.)
equivalence and the principle of (2000)

10 equivalent effect
- Newmark: semantic and
communicative translation
- Translation Approaches
 The Translation Shift Approach
- The translation shift approach:
comparative-descriptive model of
translation shifts:
11 • Vinay and Darbelnet's model
• Catford and translation 'shifts'
• Van Leuven-Zwart's comparative-
descriptive model of translation
shifts
Functional theories of translation:
 Text type theory: Skopos theory;
translation-oriented text analysis
• Reiss’ equivalence at text
level
• Holz-Manteri's theory of
12
translational action: a
communicative process
involving a series of players.
• Vermeer's skopos theory of
translation
• Nord's translation-oriented
text analysis
Systems theories
- Even-Zohar's polysystem theory
- Toury’s descriptive translation
13 studies
10
14 The Cultural turn in Translation
- Translation as rewriting
Catford, J. , (1965)
Fawcett, F, (1 997), chapters 4
and 5.
Leuven-Zwart, K. van (1989 and
1990)
Hatim, Basil,:2001). Chap 2
Nord, C.(1988)
Nord, C. (1997)
Reiss, K. in A. Chesterman (ed.)
(1989). pp. 105-1 5.
Reiss, K, , in L. Venuti (ed.)
(2000). pp. 160-7 I.
Vermeer, H., in L. Venuti (ed.)
(2000), pp. 22 1-32.
Chesterman, A. (1997) chapter 3.
Even-Zohar, 1., in L. Venuti (ed.)
(2000). pp. 192-7.)
Gentzler, E. (1993) chapter 5.
Hermans, T. (ed.) (1985a)
Hermans, T. (1999) chaps 6 - 8.
Toury, G., in L. Venuti (ed.)
(2000), pp. 198-2 l I.
Toury, G., 1995)
Bassnett, S. Translation Studies.
Bassnett, S. and A. Lefevere (eds)
1990)
 Bassnett, S. and H. Trivedi (eds)
- ideology and translation 1999).
Lefevere, A.,1992a)
- Translation and gender
- Postcolonial translation theory Spivak, G., in L. Venuti (ed.)
(2000), pp. 3974 16.
Hatim, Basil, (2001). Chap 10

- Seminars
15

16 Final exam

Total

:Teaching strategies of the course -2

lectures
1

2 Questioning and Discussion: discussion not only with the tutor but with each other
In-class Presentations
Frequent in-class presentations by students based on their current research interests, followed by
3
critiques. A minimum of two presentations will be expected from each student during the
course.). In-class Presentations start from week 4
Problem-Based Learning—Guided Design: students tackle a problem by dividing it into a series of
4 prescribed steps (e.g. identify the problem, state the goal, list constraints, etc.) to be resolved in
.order
Group Learning—Teamwork : Students work together in teams, collaborating to complete a
5
problem or project

3-Schedule of Assessment Tasks for Students during the Semester:

Proportion of Final
No. Assessment Method Week Due Mark
Assessment
1 Presentations & in-class participation 1-14 10 10%
2 Attendance 1-14 5 5%
3 Midterm exam 7 20 20%
4 10 Research Paper 4-10 15 15%
5 Final exam 14 50 50%
Total 100 100%
 V. Students’ Support
Office Hours Academic Advice Hours Other Procedures
Hour/Week 1 N/A NA

VI. Learning Resources

Required Textbooks -1
1- Hatim, Basil, Teaching and Researching Translation (Harlow, Longman:2001).
2- Munday, Jeremy, IntroducingTranslation Studies: Theories and applications (London and New York: Routledge, 2001)

2- Essential References

1- Baker, Mona (ed.) The Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Part II: History and Translation (London and
New York: Routledge, 1 997a).
2- Bassnett, S. and A. Lefevere (eds) Translation, History and Culture (London and New York: Pinter, 1990)
3- Bassnett, S. and H. Trivedi (eds) Postcolonial Translation: Theory and Practice (London and New York: Pinter,1999).
4- Bassnett, Susan, Translation Studies (London and New York: Routledge, 1 991).
5- Catford, J. , A Linguistic Theory of Translation (London: Oxford University Press, 1965). See also extract ('Translation
shifts') in L.Venuti (ed.) (2000). pp. 14 1-7.
6- Chesterman, A. Memes of Translation (Amsterdam and Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins,1997) .
7- Daniel Weissbort And Astradur Eysteinsson (Eds), Translation— Theory And Practice: A Historical Reader (Oxford:
Oxford University Press 2006).
8- Even-Zohar, 1. 'The position of translated literature within the literary polysystem', in L. Venuti (ed.) (2000). pp. 192-
7.)
9- Fawcett, F, Translation and Language: Linguistic Approaches Explained (Manchester: St Jerome, 1 997), chapters 4
and 5.
10- Gentzler, E. Contemporary Translation Theories (London and New York: Routledge, 1993).
11- Hatim, Basil & Ian Mason, The Translator as Communicator (London: Routledge, 1997)
12- Hatim, Basil & Ian, Mason, Discourse and the Translator (London: Longman,1990).
13- Hatim, Basil Communication across Cultures: Translation Theory and Contrastive Text Linguistics (Exeter: University
of Exeter Press, 1996).
14- Hermans, T. (ed.) The Manipulation of Literature (Beckenham: Croom Helm. (1985a)
15- Hermans, T. Translation in Systems (Manchester: St Jerome,1999) chapters 6 - 8.
16- Holmes, James S. ‘The Name and Nature of Translation Studies’, in Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and
Translation Studies (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1988),
17- Kuhiwczak, Piotr and Littau, Karin, A Companion to Translation Studies (Toronto: Multilingual Matters Ltd, 2007)
18- Lefevere, A. Translation, Rewriting and the Manipulation of Literary Fame. (London and New York: Routledge,1992a)
19- Leuven-Zwart, K. van 'Translation and original: similarities and dissimilarities, I and II', Target 1.2: 15 1-8 1 and
Target 2.1 : 69-95. (1989 and 1990)
20- Long, Lynne, History and Translation, in Kuhiwczak, P and Littau, K, (2007), pp, 63-76
21- Newmark, Peter, Approaches to Translation (Oxford and New York: Pergamon, 1988).
22- Nida, E. Toward a Science of Translating ( Leiden: E. j. Brill, 1 964a),
23- Niranjana, T. Siting Translation: History, Post-structuralism, and the Colonial Context (Berkeley, CA: University of
10 California Press, 1992).
24- Nord, C. Text Analysis in Translation: Theory, Methodology and Didactic Application of a Model for Translation-
Oriented Text Analysis (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1988)
25- Nord, C. Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functionalist Approaches Explained (Manchester: St Jerome, 1997)
26- Reiss, K, Type, kind and individuality of text: decision making in translation, translated by S. Kitron, in L. Venuti (ed.)
(2000). pp. 160-7 I.
 27- Reiss, K. Text types, translation types and translation assessment, translated by A. Chesterman, in A. Chesterman (ed.)
(1989). pp. 105-1 5.
28- Simon, S. Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission (London and New York:
Routledge,1996).
29- Snell-Hornby, Mary Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach (Amsterdam: Benjamins, 1988).
30- Spivak, G. 'The politics of translation', in L. Venuti (ed.) (2000), pp. 3974 16.
31- Toury, G. (197812000) 'The nature and role of norms in literary translation', in L. Venuti (ed.) (2000), pp. 198-2 l I.
32- Toury, G. Descriptive Translation Studies - And Beyond (Amsterdam and Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins, 1995)
33- Venuti, Lawrence (ed.), The Translation Studies Reader (London: Routledge, 2000),
34- Vermeer, H. ‘Skopos and commission in translational action’, in L. Venuti (ed.) (2000), pp. 22 1-32.

3- Recommended Books and Reference Materials

4- Electronic Materials and Web Sites etc.

5- Other Learning Material

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