scholarly journals A HYBRID TRANSLATION THEORY FOR EU TEXTS

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilelmini Sosoni
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Prima Facie ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Discourse Community ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
Textual Features ◽  
To Come ◽  
Neutral Ground

EU texts are produced by way of multilingual negotiation in a supranational multicultural discourse community, where there is no linguistically neutral ground and where the internationalisation of concepts and ideas is a sine qua non. As a result, they are idiosyncratic texts, reflecting specific textual features. Their translation in the current 23 official EU languages is equally idiosyncratic and challenging, to say the least, especially since it is shaped under the EU’s overwhelming cultural and linguistic diversity, the constraints of its policy of multilingualism, and the subsequent policy of linguistic equality which states that all languages are equal, or ‘equally authentic’ (Wagner, Bech, Martinez 2002, 7), and that translations are not really translations but language versions. In other words, in the framework of EU translation, the terms source text (ST) and target text (TT) cease to exist, while the prima facie illusory notion of ‘equivalence’ seems to resurface—though altered in nature—and dominate the translation practice. It thus goes without saying that in the case of EU texts and their translation a tailor-made theoretical framework is required where many classic concepts of Translation Studies (TS), such as ST, TT and equivalence need to be re-evaluated and redefined, and at the same time functionalist approaches and the postmodernist concepts of intertextuality, hybridity and in-betweenness need to come to the fore. The proposed translation theory for EU texts flaunts the feature inherent in their production, it is—just like them—hybrid.

scholarly journals Translator’s Subjectivity in Eco-Translatology

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
Wang Jun
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Process ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Selective Adaptation ◽  
Ecological Environment ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Adaptive Selection ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
Culture And Communication

This paper aims to examine translator’s subjectivity from the perspective of eco translatology. Translator’s subjectivity emphasizes the subjective initiative of translators in the process of translation. However, the identity of translators is invisible in the viewpoints of traditional translation theories, which means that translation is studied with either writer or text as the center. Eco translatology, a new translation theory brought forth by Hu Gengshen, assumes that translators should be placed at the central position during translation practice since translation is actually the cyclical alternation of adaptation and selection in the ecological environment of translation which involves elements such as author, source text, translator, target text, reader, and publisher. According to eco translatology, translators, as the center of translation, are allowed to make selective adaptation and adaptive selection so as to keep the balance and harmony of the ecological environment. Selective adaptation means that translators are supposed to select the text of which they are capable for translation. Adaptive selection means that translators are allowed to make adaptations to the target text based on other factors in the ecological environment of translation. Translator’s subjectivity, namely translator centeredness, is shown in the continuous process of adaptation and selection, and embodied in the three dimensional transformations of language, culture and communication.

Theory of Translation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael N. Forster
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Traditional Conception ◽  
Source Language ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Way

Herder’s theory of translation not only ultimately inspired but is also superior to the most important current theories of translation, those of Berman and Venuti. It is superior to them largely because it continues a traditional conception that faithfully re-expressing the meaning of the source text is a central criterion of success in translation. Like his hermeneutics, Herder’s translation theory rests on his philosophy of language and his principle of radical mental difference. He develops a number of important principles here, including a principle that the way to achieve semantic faithfulness in the face of conceptual differences is to “bend” word-usages in the target language in order to reproduce those in the source language, and a principle that translation must also strive for musical faithfulness. His translation theory not only inspired Schleiermacher’s but also made possible the extraordinary improvements in translation practice that occurred in the generation after him.

scholarly journals Developing shared communication practices: A study of BELF in multinational team meetings

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-153
Author(s):  
Tone Holt Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Meetings ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Communication Practices

AbstractA growing number of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) adopt English as their official corporate language. Research on English used as a business lingua franca (BELF) in such contexts shows how its use is negotiated, context dependent, and influenced by cultural and linguistic diversity. Multinational teams (MNTs) are legion within MNCs, and need to find efficient ways of communicating across their diversity, in particular in demanding and complex interactions such as meetings. This case study uses non-participant observation and interviews to study how one MNT has developed shared BELF communication practices for meetings. It examines the BELF communication practices in both the MNC context and at the team level. The analysis of the data shows that team members were highly aware of the challenges posed by cultural and linguistic diversity, and how they developed their local communication practices by processes of developing common ground, building trust, and good leadership.

Multilingualism and the Ideal of Unity in Diversity in the European Union. Key Concepts and Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-282
Author(s):  
Roxana-Maria Nistor-Gâz ◽  
Delia Pop-Flanja
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Tower Of Babel ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Unity In Diversity ◽  
The Ideal

"In a world challenged by cultural diversity, this article aims to look at the great diversity of languages and cultures that coexist within the European Union. Building on the story of the Tower of Babel that explains, from a religious point of view, the cultural and linguistic diversity existing in the European Union, the authors tried to contextualize EU’s motto of “unity in diversity”, interpreted as an ideal involving a lot of effort and sometimes even many conflicts, but one that we should all fight for and strive to maintain. Keywords: linguistic diversity, ethnicity, nation, minority, majority, communication, unity in diversity"

scholarly journals Cultural Empowerment and Language: Teaching Spanish to the Socially Disadvantaged Amazigh Population through the Alehop Programme

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Elvira Molina-Fernández ◽  
Fernando Barragán Medero ◽  
David Pérez-Jorge ◽  
Francisco Oda-Ángel
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
School Life ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Cultural Empowerment

This article describes an action research programme designed to resolve classroom problems, in preschool and primary education, related to the use of Spanish as a hegemonic language in a bilingual context in which students are from the Amazigh culture. The Alehop programme aims to motivate students to learn and the results demonstrate that this classroom innovation is possible. Moreover, the use of everyday life situations and typical problems helps and favours enquiry-based learning. Intercultural school life without violence is shown to be possible. Strategies include giving voice to the students, addressing relevant social issues, and creating an environment of trust and collaboration. An evaluation of the results validates a methodology that encourages cultural and linguistic diversity, and points to a need to respect the autonomy, freedom and human rights of students in politically and economically disadvantaged conditions. Empowerment is linked to the autonomy of students and teachers.

scholarly journals Equiprosodic translation method in Estonian poetry

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 447-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Kristiina Lotman
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Translation Method ◽  
Quantitative Structure ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Artificial System ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
Prosodic Structures ◽  
Estonian Language

Equimetrical translation of verse, which conveys the metre of the source text, should be distinguished from equiprosodic translation of verse, which conveys the versification system of the source text. Equiprosodic translation of verse can rely on the possibilities of natural language (for instance, when presumably Publius Baebius Italicus created the Ilias Latina, he made use of the quantitative structure in Latin), but it can also employ an artificial system (cf., for example, the quantitative verse in Church Slavonic or English). The Estonian language makes it possible to convey the syllabic (based on the number of syllables), accentual (based on the number and configuration of accents) and quantitative (based on the configuration of durations) versification systems. In practice, combined types are most frequent, for instance, the ones in which both the syllable count and the configuration of accents is relevant; in Estonian, versification systems with the participation of all three principles are possible as well. Despite the contrast of quantity in Estonian, the transmission of the quantitative structure of ancient metrics still involves a number of difficulties which result from differences in the prosodic structures. The transmission of purely syllabic versification system has also been problematic: it is hard to perceive such structure as verse in Estonian and therefore it has often been conveyed with the help of different syllabic-accentual or accentual-syllabic verse metres. Although equiprosodic translation is not necessarily equimetrical, in actual translation practice it usually is so.

scholarly journals Automobile Advertising Translation from the Perspective of Newmark’s Theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1535
Author(s):  
Ping Yu ◽  
Xin Li
Keyword(s):  
Translation Theory ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
Semantic Translation ◽  
Intended Effect ◽  
Communicative Translation

This paper mainly discusses the application of Newmark's theories of communicative and semantic translation in automobile advertisement translation. After analyzing the translation examples of automobile advertisement text, title and trademark, the following conclusions are naturally drawn. The combination of communicative and semantic translation can guide translation practice more effectively. Semantic translation theory is preferred for automobile manual translation, while communicative translation theory is more suitable for automobile brand and slogan translation. Therefore, in order to achieve the intended effect of automobile advertisement, it is better to combine semantic translation with communicative translation in automobile advertisement translation.

scholarly journals DIDACTIC ASPECTS OF TRANSLATION THEORIES

2021 ◽  
pp. 10-20
Author(s):  
Tamara Kavytska
Keyword(s):  
Literary Theory ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Linguistic Theory ◽  
Translation Theory ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
Theoretical Generalization ◽  
Translation Pedagogy ◽  
Communicative Theory

The relationship between translation theory and translation pedagogy is undeniable. Translation studies developed, in fact, as a result of analysis and theoretical generalization of both professional and classroom translation activities. However, the views on the role of theory in translation instruction are rather controversial. Moreover, even though numerous studies have given detailed insights into translation theories, there are still issues to consider. Unexplored are didactic aspects of translation theories: to our knowledge, no research has discussed the didactic contribution of translation theorists to translation pedagogy. Hence the purpose of the paper is to carry out a critical analysis of literary, linguistic, communicative, and cognitive translation theories with a view to exploring and interpreting their didactic strengths and weaknesses. The research methodology relies on the analysis of available literature as well as textbooks in translation practice to discover the didactic contribution of translation theories to translation pedagogy. Noteworthy is the fact that every translation theory has contributed to the development of translation pedagogy as a branch of applied linguistics. Among the major gains of literary theory is textual approach to learning and teaching translation. Linguistic theory has provided the theoretical foundations for translation pedagogy and creating textbooks that meet the didactic requirements. Teaching translation from the standpoint of treating it as a process of communication has become the achievement of communicative theory. The gains of cognitive theory include the adoption of a competence-based approach to teaching translation, as well as the intensification of research efforts in the field of translation pedagogy. In addition to progressive aspects, the translation theories had certain shortcomings. Literary theory, for instance, rejected the idea of translation pedagogy because of perception of the activity as art. Linguistic theory overemphasized certain aspects of language in teaching translation and promoted the idea of interlingual equivalence. This idea has led to the absolute predominance of bilingual dictionaries in translation classrooms, which is currently considered unjustified. The concept of communicative equivalence, supported by the advocates of communicative theory, has negatively affected evaluation of classroom translations. Finally, cognitive theory is criticized for its failure to apply its theoretical concepts to the development of translation pedagogy.

Development of an Auditory Passage Comprehension Task for Swedish Primary School Children of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Johanna Carlie ◽  
Birgitta Sahlén ◽  
Jens Nirme ◽  
Ketty Andersson ◽  
Mary Rudner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Comprehension Task ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Language Exposure

Purpose This study reports on the development of an auditory passage comprehension task for Swedish primary school children of cultural and linguistic diversity. It also reports on their performance on the task in quiet and in noise. Method Eighty-eight children aged 7–9 years and showing normal hearing participated. The children were divided into three groups based on presumed language exposure: 13 children were categorized as Swedish-speaking monolinguals, 19 children were categorized as simultaneous bilinguals, and 56 children were categorized as sequential bilinguals. No significant difference in working memory capacity was seen between the three language groups. Two passages and associated multiple-choice questions were developed. During development of the passage comprehension task, steps were taken to reduce the impact of culture-specific prior experience and knowledge on performance. This was achieved by using the story grammar principles, universal topics and plots, and simple language that avoided complex or unusual grammatical structures and words. Results The findings indicate no significant difference between the two passages and similar response distributions. Passage comprehension performance was significantly better in quiet than in noise, regardless of language exposure group. The monolinguals outperformed both simultaneous and sequential bilinguals in both listening conditions. Conclusions Because the task was designed to minimize the effect of cultural knowledge on auditory passage comprehension, this suggests that compared with monolinguals, both simultaneous and sequential bilinguals have a disadvantage in auditory passage comprehension. As expected, the findings demonstrate that noise has a negative effect on auditory passage comprehension. The magnitude of this effect does not relate to language exposure. The developed auditory passage comprehension task seems suitable for assessing auditory passage comprehension in primary school children of linguistic and cultural diversity.

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