TRANSLATION STRATEGIES

PRELIMINARIES

Strategy-making process during the

pre-process stages (depends on
effective reading)

Thorough planning of translation

process with a view to obtaining a
definite final product

PRELIMINARIES

Translation strategies central issues in

TS from the Roman times throughout
the mid-twentieth century

Translation strategies pertain to the

prescriptive view of TS

FORM AND CONTENT

R. Jakobson (1959): all cognitive

experience and its classification is
conveyable in any existing language

But: only poetry by definition is

untranslatable the form of words
contribute to the construction of
meaning

FORM AND CONTENT

(HATIM &MUNDAY

2004)

Classical dichotomy:

form vs. content

form vs. style

The sense might be translated while the form

often cannot. This is where we are confronted
with untranslatability (poetry, song,
advertising, punning, etc.)
- rhyme, double meaning - unlikely to be
recreated in TL

FORM AND CONTENT

Proper names can contribute to the

meaning

e.g. Tom Marvolo Riddle (in Harry Potter)

is the anagram of I am Lord Voldemort
(evil character)
in French: Tom Elvis Jedusor anagram
of Je suis Valdomort

LITERAL AND FREE

Another major dichotomy in TS (Cicero

and St Jerome 4th century)

Literal = word-for-word ( translationese)

Free = sense-for-sense

In Classical times: literal translation was

common (from Greek into Latin)

LITERAL AND FREE

Choice depends on text type, audience
and purpose of translation
(compare: Dickens and Twain vs.
instructions and marriage certificate)

Which strategy is favoured in literary

translation?

COMPREHESIBILITY AND TRANSLATABILITY

Related to literal vs. free

Also depends on:
text type (instructional, informative or literary)
purpose (pragmatic/ functional / utilitarian or
for
pleasure)
audience (expectations on comprehensibility)

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES

Vinay & Darbelnet (1958) 7

procedures, in two basic classes of
translation methods:

direct (literal translation)

indirect (oblique translation)

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
A.

Direct (literal) translation:

the SL message can be translated

perfectly into TL, because the message is
based on parallel categories or concepts

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
A.

Direct (literal) translation:

Procedure 1: Borrowing

when a new technique or an unknown concept is

introduced;
it can also be used to create a particular stylistic
effect, for example to introduce an element of
local, SL color to the TL: tortilla, tequila, and
sauna.

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
A. Direct (literal) translation:

Procedure 2: Calque

another form of loan translation: a complete

syntagma (syntactic unit) is borrowed, but its
individual elements are translated literally;

it consists of phrases in direct (literal) translations of

fixed expression in TL (e.g. French: Compliment de la
saison from the English Christmas greeting
compliments of the season)

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
A. Direct (literal) translation:

Procedure 3: Literal Translation

word for word translation, replacement of SL syntactic
structures, normally on the clause or sentence scale, where
the resulting TL is grammatically correct and idiomatic;
the translation has not needed to make any changes other
than those concerning grammatical concord or inflectional
endings
(e.g. E. where are you? F. Ou etes vous?) What about
Romanian?

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
B. Indirect (oblique) translation
- when there are gaps in TL which have
to be filled by some equivalent so that
the meaning or impression is the same;
- when the literally translated message
has another meaning than the SL one.

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
B. Indirect (oblique) translation

Procedure 4: Transposition

replacing one word-class by another without changing the

meaning;
it can also be used within a language, as when rewarding the
phrase, for example He announced that he would return to
He announced his return;
in translation: two types of transposition: obligatory and
optimal;
it is also a change in the grammar (singular to plural; position
of the adjective, changing the word class or part of speech).

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
B. Indirect (oblique) translation

Procedure 5: Modulation

a variation in the message due to a change in the

point of view: seeing something in different light;
It is justified when a literal or transposed translation
results in a form which is not natural;
two types of modulation:

fixed (obligatory)
free (optimal) (e.g. it is not difficult = este simplu).

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
B. Indirect (oblique) translation

Procedure 6: Equivalence

operates at syntagmatic level and affects the whole

message;
usually: the phraseological repertoire of idiom, clichs,
proverbs, nominal or adjectival collocation, etc.
E.g. bookworm = oarece de bibliotec
The early bird catches the worm = Cine se scoal de
diminea departe ajunge.

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES
B. Indirect (oblique) translation

Procedure 7: Adaptation

Cultural differences: the reality in the SL does not

exist or is unacceptable in the TL /culture: creativity
for equivalent effect;

- E.g. it is culturally normal for an English father to

kiss his daughter on the mouth, but a similar action
would be culturally unacceptable in a French text: he
tenderly embraced his daughter)