TRANSLATION EXAM GUIDE

Strategies for a good translation

1. The first step is extensive reading of different translations of different kinds of texts,
since the translating requires active knowledge. In this way the translator can be a
master in a specific context and the process of translation becomes natural.
2. The second stage is having knowledge on both source and target language. Student
should read different genres in both source and target language. By knowing structure
and the lexical parts of speech and their features in a language the process of
translation become so easy and finally acceptable
3. The third step for being a good translator is writing. It is in fact the main job of a
translator.
4. The four step in listening. A good translator should have a good ear for both for both
and source language; in order to understand various expressions, idioms, and specific
vocabulary and their use, and store them in their mind to be used later.

Strategies of translating idioms

Regarding translation strategies, Baker (1192. Pp. 72-77) presents four strategies for
translating idioms:

1. Using an idiom of similar meaning and form

This strategy involves using an idiom in the target language which convey roughly the same
meaning as that of the source language idiom and, in addition, consist in equivalent lexical
item. Examples:

Cuesta un ojo de la cara and Cost an arm and a leg

Think of another example: _________________________________________

2. Using an idiom of similar meaning but dissimilar form

It is often possible to find an idiom or fixed expression in the target language which has a
meaning similar to that of the source idiom or expression, but which consists of differente
lexical iten. Example:

Hijo de tigre sale rayado and Like son like father

Think of another example: _________________________________________

3. Translation by paraphrase

This is by far the most common way of translation idioms when a match cannot be found in
the target language or when it seems inappropriate to use idiomatic language in the target
text because of differences in stylistic preferences of the source and target language. Example

Mas vale pajaro en mano que 100 volando and Its better to have one thing for sure than
many uncertain

Think of another example: _________________________________________

As with single words, an idiom may sometimes be omitted altogether in the target text. This
may be because it has no close match in the target language; its meaning cannot be easily
paraphrased, or for stylistic reasons.

Semantic and communicative Translation

Peter Newmark is a renowned Brithis translation theoris and translator educator. He divided
translation into Communicative and Semantic translation in his work Approaches to
translation which was first published in 1981, discussed different translation way to reach the
goal of equivalence and provide new ideas and approaches for translation practices.
According to his communicative translation theory, translation is a kind of communication
process, and translator should convert the source language (SL) culture into the target
language (TL) cultures as much as they can. During this transplanting process of text from one
culture to another, the translator should try to make the TL reader understand the SL authors
thoughts, and make both the TL and SL reader share common ideas about the text. Genres
that usually use the communicative translation method are news report, textbooks, and public
announcement and many other non- literally works. On the contrary, semantic translation
requires the translator to replicate the original form from the SL to the TL as much as possible.
It regards the original words and phrases as sacred, even if there are some ambiguities and
error in the original text. Semantic translation generally applies to literature, scientific and
technical literature, and other genres that treat the original language and contents as
important as the translated ones.

Semantic translation Analysis from the Pronunciation Level

Semantic translation from the pronunciation level refers to abiding by the pronunciation rules
and adopts the way of transliteration in the translation process. This kind of translation
method is often used in the translation of names and proper nouns. In the magical world of
Harry Potter, there are numerous things that do not exist in the reality. They have their own
special names, of which some are derived from similar words. Some are borrowed from Latin
and French, and some are totally created by the author herself.

Semantic Translation Analysis from the Meaning Level

Semantic translation from the meaning level, as the name implies, means finding
corresponding words directly in the target language in accordance with their meaning in the
original text.

Communicative Translation Analysis

In the application of the communicative translation, translator will translate the original texts
in a way that will be easy to understand by the TL reader. It tries to deliver the original
information accurately in the target language. But when the original information is in conflict
with the communicative purpose, equivalence effect will be chosen as compromise or
mediator. The translation of some magical things in Harry Potter and the other fantasy novels
may have different meanings compared with their original literary meanings. In such cases, the
translators will redefine them based on their shapes, forms or functions in the context so as to
be easily understood by the TL readers. Here are three examples from Harry Potter. The first is
acromantula. In fact, this word does not exist in any language. According to semantic
translation, it should be translated based on its pronunciation, but that will lead readers to
confusion about what it really is. Therefore, the translations decided to use communicative
translation and translated it into xxxx as the animal has eight eyes.

Whats the Difference Between Interpretation and Translation?

Spoken versus written: Interpretation is the transference of meaning between spoken

Real time versus delayed: Interpreting occurs in real time. It happens in person, on the phone,
of trough a television/video service. Because translation involves the written words, it typically
takes place long after a text is created.

Level of accuracy: interpretation and translation demand different levels of accuracy. While
interpreters aim to be completely accurate, its difficult to achieve in a lice conversation. They
may omit some details of the original speech as they interpret into the target language.
Conversely, translators have time to evaluate and revise each word and sentence before
delivering their products so they can achieve a greater level of accuracy and grater fidelity to
the orginal.

FIVE TYPES OF INTERPRETATIONS

Simultaneous: interpreter sits in a booth, listens to the spoken content through headphone,
and speaks the translated words into a microphone.

Consecutive: speaker stops frequently, typically every one to five minutes, to allow the
interpreter to render what was said into the target language.

Whispered: The interpreter sits or stands next to a small target-language audience and
whispers a simultaneous interpretation.

Relay: a source-language interpreter expresses the message to a group of interpreters who

QUALITIES OF AND EFECTIVE INTERPRETER

+Familial with the general subject of the spoken language that is to be interpreted.

+ Intimately familiar with the cultures of both the original language and the target language.

+Extensive vocabulary in the original language and the target language.

+Expresses thoughts clearly and accurately in the target language.

+Excellent note-taking skills (when consecutive interpreting).

+Quick decision making skills (generally there is no time to asses which variant is best)

Translation and technology

User friendly tools brought by the technology have enormously facilitated what translator
translate or localize in the projects for which they are responsible. In the past, a translator
would translate by using a pen and paper or a typewriter. So the translation volume was low.
However no a new term instead of translation is popular, namely localization, which is a
prerequisite for the products to be sim shipped all over the world.
This new field of practice on translation studies requires further research and studies and as a
result todays academics and translator circles deal with this topic by taking into account
theoretical and practical points. Thanks to the technology, the work style of translator has
changed into using cat/electronic tools which inspire them to deal with the increase
productivity. Besides, the arrival of technological tools provides a new insight into to the
traditional translation theories or practices. Considering the need of translation trainees in a
twenty first century, it is now time to the traditional models or at least to integrate them into
the technology. Indeed, what essentially matters today is to adopt more coordinated
collaborative models, which can increase the productivities on the translators/localizers and
companies side. In addition, especially the most well known functional theory of translation
studies, Skopos Theory must be integrated into the new setting. Here we suggest a new term,
thats the technology integrated Skopos Theory. We live the digital age now and nothing can
be the same as it did in the past.

Translations project

Imagine you work for a translation company. You are asked to translate 10 books from English
into Spanish. Each book has between 250 and 400 pages. You only have a month to finish the
translation process. What resource would you need? What strategies would you use to
guarantee the translation of the documents? How many people would do you need? what
would be their responsibilities? How much money would you charge?

Figurative language translation

As an attempt to point out disparity between literal and figurative language, Kane (op.cit: 295)
includes that literal language is simple, clear and straightforward. Intentions are openly
expressed via literal language; it employs words in their true meaning. Whereas figurative
language involves that words has been extended to take a larger or even dissimilar sense from
the one which it usually suggests. More explicitly, unlike literal language, figurative language
uses new extra words meaning that noticeably different from ordinary.

Metaphors

As far as literally translation is concerned, metaphors are associated with indirectness which
largely contributes to the difficulty of translation. Any literary translator has to suffer twice
when rendering metaphors from source to target language. First he has to look for their
intended meaning within the original text. Second, he has to find out corresponding
metaphors meaning and effect in the target text (Al Hasnawi, 2007, p. 3). The immediate
concern in here has to do whit the fuzzy nature of metaphors which dictates the complexity of
translating them. Literary translators are thus requirement to grasp the metaphors original
meaning and appropriately place it in the target.

Techniques of translating figures of speech

Morneau (1993) state five techniques for translating metaphors: (cited in Alhasnawi, 2007:6):

1- Tranlate the metaphor exactly, word-for-word.

2- Re-phrase the metaphor as a simile. This helps some of the time, but only in language where
metaphor is rarely o never used. So translating the metaphor in the ship plowed through the
waves to the form of a simile The ship moved through the wave like a plow is an example of
this kind.
3. Translate the metaphor into an equivalent metaphor in the target language, for example,
the metaphor the ship ravaged through the waves rendered into the ship pushed through
the waves like a battering ram

4- Translate the metaphor using literal language. This, of course, gets the point across, but
destroys the imagery of the metaphor the ship move through the wave slowly powerfully
and with difficulty.

5- Use metaphor but provide all the necessary referents so that any listener will understand it.
In effect, you most explain the metaphor to those who might not understand it. Like, the ship
move through the wave, slowly and powerfully like a plow being pulled through the hard
earth

Examples:

Me arm de valor. Gather your courage. The meaning of the verb armarse is to equip with
weapon, but when we utter this expression, we do not refer to the this literal meaning, but to
the figurative one that establishes relation between the courage and the terms related to war.

Esta persona es un pozo de sabidura.- This person is a fount of wisdom, fountain of

Saltar a la fama.- Raise to fame, become famous. Although in Spanish language the verb saltar
means to jump, people do not literally jump to fame.

Saltarse las reglas.- Break the rules.

Remover cielo y tierra.- Move heaven and earth, move the earth and the sky. We move
heaven and earth when we do the impossible in order to reach a goal.

Echar por tierra.- Destroy, wreak. This expression is a good example to understand that
sometimes we cannot translate literally from one language to another. Echar por tierra literally
means to express or scatter something on the ground, but the actual meaning is to destroy or
to wreck.

TRANSLATION EXERCISE

What is wrong with this translation?

1- Mitsubishi launched the rover vehicle Pajero 4WD in Spain

2- The Iltalian mineral water company promoted their water Traficante in Spain

3- Braniff International airways slogan fly in leather How would you translate this into
Spanish?

4- An American T-Shirt designer printed shirts for the Spanis market to promote the visit of
the Pope. Instead of I saw the Pope (El papa), the shirt read I Saw the Potatoe

TRANSLATE THIS INTO SPANISH

Turtles in Amazon Level 3

People put thousands of tiny turtles into large water- filled containers. The Peruvian turtles
waited to be release into the wild. This was part of effort to conserve the species on the verge
of extinction.

Staff from Perus National Service Of Natural Areas Protected by the state released 17,000
babies turtles into the Amazon. This was part of an ongoing program to increase numbers.

A once thriving population has been under pressure in recent years due to development and
logging in the region. Perus government classified the animal as vulnerable and official hope
that this mass release will give the little turtle a fighting chance.

Difficult word: on the verge of (Close to) thriving (prospering), logging (cutting down trees),
mass (all at once), fighting chance (a chance to succeed if you fight for it)

Qualities of a quality translator

1- A translator must be a good writer.

2- A translator must be familiar with the culture as well as the language they are translating
from.

3- A good translator is up to date with their own culture and language.

4. Translator must be familiar with the subject area.

5. Translator is a research whiz.