Presentation on Translation 23-Feb-2006

Welcome to our Presentation.

Todays Topics Translation (A to Z)

April 28, 2023 Missile Group 1

Members of the Team• Nahidur Rahman-531• Md. Shah Paran Rahat-541 (Leader)• Md. Aminul Islam Rasel-542• Anwar Murshed Rahat -549• Md. Touhedur Rahman -550



TRANSLATION Definition Evaluation Elements Necessity Teaching Translation Some Example of Ten Tense Problems Solutions


TRANSLATION• Translation:

Translation means convert any language’s sentence into another language. It may be Bengali to English, English to Bengali or another language with simple sentence, complex sentence and compound sentence.


• Translation has played and plays a key role in the development of world culture. It is common to think of culture as national and absolutely distinct. If we begin to examine the impact of literary translation, the possibility of communication beyond anything so confined by geographical location is clear.

The Evaluation of Translation


A Report About Translation Which Made By British Council

A history of world culture from the perspective of translation reveals a constant movement of ideas and forms, of cultures constantly absorbing new influences because of the work of translators. It dispels the assumption that everything starts in the West and undermines the idea of rigid boundaries between East and West. India, China, Iraq and Spain have in different ways shaped European culture. India created ties with the Mediterranean in the sixth century BC and medical theories found in Greek thinkers like Plato and Galen originated from India. In ninth and tenth century Baghdad, the scientific and philosophical works of Ancient Greece were translated into Arabic and this learning spread to Europe via Spain which was virtually a Muslim country from the early eighth century for four hundred years.


The transmission reached it peak through the School of Toledo where translations were made from Arabic to Latin and later to Spanish and helped the scientific and technological development for the European Renaissance. A history of translation charts these intersections. They may be rooted in violent historical conflict and imperial expansions but it is never a simple process of translation for appropriation.


Some of the history of translation is well-charted - the translation of the Bible, the work of missionaries, the Orientalist translators in India - but there remain vast unknown territories. Scholars have recently begun to write about the role of individual translators and of individual translators. Translators like Constance Garnett in England or Gregory Rabassa in the United States have been responsible for transforming writing in English by their respective translations of Russian and Latin American fiction. In the wake of new political freedom in Eastern Europe have come translations of best-selling American and English authors.The history of translation is the history of the crucial but often invisible intersections in world culture.


Another Report About History Of Translation From Internet

"Without translation, there is no history of the world.“ -L. G. Kelly

Studying the history of translation helps those who are interested in translation, literature, and cultural studies to better understand the contribution of translation to civilization and to the development of all cultural and intellectual life. Translation is closely related to progress in that all the awakening periods in the history of nations have started with translations. Translation introduces nations to various perspectives on their paths to modernization and intellectual advancement.


In order to justify translation as an independent discipline, it is necessary to first construct a history of translation. By doing so, we bring to light how the cultural and intellectual interactions between people and civilizations took place throughout history. Regarding this, French theorist Antoine Berman wrote: "The construction of a history of translation is the first task of a modern theory of translation."

Translators through History The ancient Greek word for translator-interpreter is

Hermêneus, directly related to the name of the god Hermes. The verb Hermêneuo means to interpret foreign tongues, translate, explain, expound, put into words, express, describe, write about.


The many further meanings of the Greek word for translator-interpreter (mediator, go-between, deal-broker, marriage-broker) suggest that interpreters almost certainly had to exist during prehistory - the period before writing was even invented.In ancient times, ideas and insights used to be transferred from culture to culture primarily through travelers and tradesmen. Gradually, translation began to play, and continues to play, a key role in the development of world culture. For example, translation has played a major part in the movement of knowledge from Ancient Greece to Persia, from India to Arab nations, from Islam into Christianity, and from Europe to China and Japan.


There have been two great historical examples of how translation introduced one culture to another. One is the translation of the Buddhist scriptures from various Indian languages into Chinese. The second is the translation of Greek philosophical and scientific works from Greek and Syriac into Arabic, thereby introducing them to the Islamic world.A history of world culture from the perspective of translation reveals a constant movement of ideas and forms, and of cultures constantly absorbing new influences because of the work of translators. It dispels the assumption that everything starts in the West and undermines the idea of rigid boundaries between East and West.


"Translators have invented alphabets, helped build languages and written dictionaries. They have contributed to the emergence of national literatures, the dissemination of knowledge, and the spread of religions. Importers of foreign cultural values and key players at some of the great moments of history, translators and interpreters have played a determining role in the development of their societies and have been fundamental to the unfolding of intellectual history itself." ("Translators through History", Jean Delisle and Judith Woodsworth, John Benjamins Publishing Co., 1995)

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.“ -Sir Winston Churchill


National Translation Movements Major periods in the history of translation tend to

coincide with eras when a major differential or inequality exists - or is perceived to exist - between two cultures or two peoples speaking different languages. One of these peoples perceives the need to absorb greater or higher knowledge from another, whether this knowledge is conceived in political, religious, or scientific terms.

All throughout history, the task accomplished by translators has acquired an extraordinary importance in the development and transmission of the cultural heritage of humankind. European culture, with all of its great wealth of knowledge, could not have been possible without the significant translation efforts of just a handful of countries: China, Greece, Iran, India, Iraq, Spain, and Ireland. The following national translation movements are considered by historians to have played a major role in the developmental path of world culture:


• Prehistory: predominance of interpreting and mediating (marriage-brokers, deal-makers, peace-seekers, etc.)

• Sumerians, Akadians, Assyrians: the need to make laws, creation tales and other scriptures, and economic norms known among peoples using different languages

• Egyptians: the need to communicate with the Hittites and peoples in Southern Egypt

• Greeks: the need to understand Egyptian civilization• Romans: the need to understand Greek civilization• Chinese (Seventh Century AD): the need to understand

Indian civilization, especially Sanskrit and Pali scriptures• Arab and Persian World: (Jundishapur and Baghdad, Eighth

to Tenth Centuries): the need to absorb and integrate Sanskrit, Hebrew, Syriac, and Greek knowledge into Persian and Arabic cultures

• Irish (Eighth Century AD): the need for a decisive mediator between late antiquity and the Western Middle Ages, after the conquest of Spain by the Muslims resulted in the decline of Latin influence in Europe


• Japanese (Ninth to Tenth Centuries): the need to understand and absorb Chinese culture, with Korea as an important intermediary

• Western Middle Ages: the need to reabsorb and integrate Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek knowledge into medieval Europe

• Renaissance: reintegration of Ancient Greek culture in the West

• Conquest and colonization: the need to understand American, African, and Asian languages and dialects

• Age of Enlightenment and Nineteenth Century: decline of Latin, emergence of modern national languages as the measure of human knowledge

• Modern Times: many competing major and minor national languages


The Chang'an School Three of the most accomplished translators of the

Chang'an school each adopted different theories regarding translation. Dao An insisted on a strict literal translation, i.e., that the source text should be translated word by word. The Indian scholar Kumarajiva, on the other hand, took up an opposite view and advocated a completely free translation method for the sake of elegance and intelligibility in the target language.

In his own translation practice, Chinese Buddhist scholar Xuan Zang combined the advantages of both Dao An's respect for the form of the source text, and Kumarajiva's free style of translation. Xuan Zang aimed to achieve an intelligibility of the translation for the target language readers, and developed his criteria that translation "must be truthful and intelligible to the populace." It might be during this period of time that there was the first discussion on literal translation vs. free translation - a core issue of translation theory.


Eventually, the translation of sutras lost importance in China and rulers directed their attention westward. Arabs began to settle in China, with some even becoming mandarins or merchants. Having learned the Chinese language, some of these erudite high officials began translating scientific works from Arabic or European languages. By the eighth century, conversion to Islam had already started in Central Asia.

"We will not wait to achieve progress; we will start where human knowledge has ended."-Mary-Jo McConahay


Plato's Academy The western academic tradition begins with the Greeks.

Plato's Academy, established in Greece during the fourth century BC, was based on the ideological conviction that well-trained philosophers could reliably find truth. At that point in human history, philosophy was on the cutting edge of knowledge. For Plato, education was about turning the mind from "the world of becoming" (the world in all its transitory concerns) to the "world of being" (essences and ideals). It involved a shift of consciousness.The Academy played a critical role not only in the preservation of Greek knowledge, but also of Egyptian knowledge. Fueled by an intense desire to understand the coherent, complete and interrelated system of science, religion, art and philosophy of the Egyptian civilization, legendary Greek thinkers like Pythagoras, Socrates,


Aristotle, Herodotus (later to become known as the 'father of history'), and Plato himself, derived much of their wisdom and knowledge from the science of Ancient Egypt. Greek and Egyptian cultures became intertwined after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.When the Christian emperor Justinian closed Plato's Academy during the holy crusade against classical thought, Christian heresy, and paganism, many of its members were forced into exile. As they fled, they took with them precious scrolls of literature, philosophy, and science. These scholar-refugees journeyed to Persia and other places east, looking for sanctuary under the rule of Sassanid King Khusro I, and in academies like the seventh century Academy of Jundishapur in Persia.


The Great Library At Alexandria During the Greco-Roman era, the intellectual

leadership shifted from Athens to Alexandria. Alexander the Great's dream of unifying the world sparked the idea of constructing a great library, which would gather the cultures and civilizations of the whole world. The location of this great library was Alexandria, Egypt, at the crossroads of the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. In this historical moment, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was built on a site near the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.The Great Library at Alexandria was the first recorded attempt at making a collection of all the world's recorded knowledge.


It was founded by the Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter around 300 BCE, whose great ambition was to possess all known world literature. Later, Ptolemy II Philadelphus gave it the mission of procuring a copy of every book that existed.In addition to the acquisition of the bulk of Greek literature and a lot of the knowledge of Ancient Egypt, there is evidence that the The Great Library also incorporated the written works of other nations, including Buddhist writings and works from the Jewish, Babylonian, Zoroastrian, and the newly emergent Roman traditions. Ancient historians claim that the library's 700,000 book collection was so comprehensive that no manuscript was available in any library worldwide that was not available in Alexandria. Demetrius of Phaleron, a student of Aristotle, was the first recorded librarian at Alexandria between 290 - 282 BC. According to Aristeas, writing 100 years after the library's inception,


Ptolemy I delegated Demetrius the job of gathering books and scrolls, and of supervising a massive effort to translate works from other cultures into Greek. Because there was a large Jewish community living in Alexandria at the time, Demetrius made his first job the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek (the 'Septuagint') for which the Library hired 72 rabbis.Ptolemy III Euregetes wrote to all the world's sovereigns asking to borrow their books in order to copy them. As the Greeks lent him the texts he copied them, kept the originals, and sent the copies back. In doing so he forfeited the rich deposit he had laid down, but he had the originals. Ships arriving at Alexandria were searched for books and the same copy and return procedure was inflicted. Works were not accepted as originals without rigorous textual criticism and comparison to other copies of the same work. In this way scribal mistakes could be routed out.The Great Library at Alexandria was founded at a unique place and time which allowed its scholars to draw on the deductive techniques of Aristotle and Greek thought, in order to apply these methods to the knowledges of Greece,


Egypt, Macedonia, Babylonia, and beyond. The location of Alexandria as a center of trade and major exporter of writing material offered vast opportunities for the amassing of information from different cultures and schools of thought.

Alexandria, together with the Lyceum Academy, and the library at Pergamon, were the prototypes for medieval monasteries and universities. The methods of research, study, and information storage and organization developed in the Library are much the same as those being used today. It was mainly due to the Great Alexandria Library that scholarship in Alexandria flourished, for it was based upon thorough study and an understanding of the value of a past heritage that was deemed worthy of preservation.


ELEMENTS OF TRANSLATION One sentence or translation is formed according to

“SVOCA” rule. “SVOCA” refers,• S = Subject• V = Verb• O = Object• C = Complement• A = Adverbial ( Time, Manner, Reason, Place)• Example: We the people of all walks of life of

Bangladesh selected justice Alhaz Mohammed Latifur Rahaman, the chief advisor of caretaker Government at 6.pm Monday on 14th October in 2001 at in the national parliament neutrally for holding a free faire and peaceful election.

( SVOCA remarked by different color)


Necessities Of Translation

1. Converting sentence in one language to another language.

2. Expressing own comments to other person.3. For communication with others.4. For making sentence with correctly.5. For learning grammar appropriately.6. Correspondence data to another person, media &

over the country. 7. For making sentence with correctly.8. For learning grammar appropriately.


A Report on Necessities Of Translation

This is why we need interpreters and translators - to help us overcome racial, cultural and language barriers. I am happy to see you here at this seminar on "Globalize Economies, Globalize Languages – The Importance of Translation".

Globalize Economies From a busy entrepot during the colonial era of

yester-years, to a global city in modern times of today, Singapore has always been an economy and society that is well-connected to the global community. As a multi-racial and multi-lingual people, Singaporeans have a good appreciation of cross-cultural differences and have leveraged well on these differences to bring about progress and prosperity. Even so, we cannot stand still.


As the global socio-political and economic environment continues to evolve, we will have to upgrade and adapt. And this applies to our translation and interpretation industry too.

Translation and Interpretation Hub The potential worth of the global translation and

interpretation industry is huge. It is projected to cross S$20 billion by 2007. By comparison, our industry is still very small, estimated at only about S$8 million per year, employing about 550 full time translators and interpreters, and about 500 free-lancers and part-timers.

We can certainly do more, and do better. As a small country with not much natural resources, Singapore does not have much natural advantage to speak of. However, translation and interpretation is one area where we do have some natural advantage for us to build on.


We enjoy close proximity to expanding economies of China, India and other East Asian countries. English, the most widely used language in the global village, is also our working language here. Just last week, the Wall Street Institute ranked Singapore first in the proficient use of English, among seven Asian countries.

Given our multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment, we should leverage on our multi-lingual capabilities, cross-cultural understanding, well-developed information infrastructure, and a stable socio-political and open economic climate to position Singapore as a leading hub for quality translation and interpretation services.

If we succeed in raising the overall level of professionalism and quality of our translation and interpretation industry, we should be able to create many more good paying jobs for our people.


To harness the concerted efforts of key partners – our educational institutions, Government agencies, business enterprises and the union, the multi-agency Translation and Interpretation Steering Committee was initiated in 2004 by IE Singapore at the suggestion of the then-Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo.

The mandate of the committee is to set directions for the development of translation and interpretation capabilities in Singapore. Chaired by Nan yang Technological University's Professor Su Gunning, its members include the Economic Development Board, IE Singapore, and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, SPRING Singapore and several industry players.

The Committee has formulated several strategies. Today, we are ready to implement some of them.


First, Professionalism and Education Translation and interpretation is not just about mastering

multi-languages. More importantly, it is about understanding the meaning, and social and cultural nuances behind words and phrases. For example, translating the saying "Out-of-Sight, Out-of-Mind" can be tricky if one does not understand the context.

The critical success factor in growing this industry is therefore not about how to automate the process or exploit leading edge technology, but how to develop and upgrade manpower, how to expand the talent pool to meet growing demands for good translation and interpretation services.

Our first and immediate priority is to apply our minds and put more efforts into structured education and training. This is the only way we can enhance the linguistic capabilities, cross-cultural sensitivities, and translation and interpretation competency of our talent pool.


I am therefore very happy to learn that the Division of Chinese of the Nan yang Technological University, in collaboration with the Beijing Foreign Studies University, will be offering an eight-month Graduate Diploma in Translation and Interpretation.

Nan yang Technological University is well recognized for its advocacy on multi-culturally. It is strong in the study of Chinese language and culture. The inclusion of a two-month immersion programmer in China as part of the Graduate Diploma Programmer will go a long way in further enhancing the ability and sensitivity of its graduates to different cultural nuances and extra-linguistic aspects of communications.

This Graduate Diploma Programmer is but a good start. NTU will not stop here. It is working with the Singapore Interpreters' and Translators' Union (SITU) to develop short and customized courses for working adults who wish to pursue a career in translation or interpretation. This will help attract new entrants, and upgrade existing manpower in the industry.


Government Support Our government agencies are likewise committed to

lend their support. As more Singapore-based companies increase their engagements in China and the region, the demand for effectively multi-lingual and multi-cultural employees will increase.

IE Singapore has therefore decided to sponsor companies, especially those who are involved with international business development, to sharpen their employees' linguistic capabilities. IE Singapore, through its Manpower for Internationalization Programmer, will offer sponsorship for up to half the cost of Nut’s Graduate Diploma Programmer.

At the same time, SPRING Singapore is looking at another initiative – the setting up of an accreditation system as a way forward for the industry.


Private Sector Support The private sector will have a major role to play too.

The Steering Committee has recommended the formation of an association – the Singapore Translators Association (STA) – to drive the development of the translation and interpretation industry. A pro-temp committee, consisting of private and public sector translation practitioners, and researchers from the academia, has since early 2004, begun preparation for the formation of the STA with the support of IE Singapore.

The STA will spearhead the development of the industry, establish and promote industry standards, create greater public awareness, and facilitate national and international market development. We look forward to the formal registration of the STA by September 2005.


Union Support The labor movement, through SITU, is also lending its

strong voice and support too. SITU has worked hard to enhance the scheme of service for interpreters and translators in the public sector.

Looking ahead, the challenges facing the SITU would include – attracting and retaining talented members, training and upgrading of members, and raising of the members' professionalism.


Conclusion In conclusion, translation and interpretation is not just

about academic skills. It is about providing the vital linguistic and cultural link between persons and communities of different races, cultures and languages. So that we can communicate better and understand one another more effectively.

With the concerted efforts and initiatives of the various partners, I am confident that we can further professionalize and promote the translation and interpretation industry in Singapore into a new growth sector in our economy.


The Art of Translation• Translation, which word comes from two

words Transport and Slate. Translation are two types.

Verb Obvious Verb silent Verb obvious are two types Active Passive Active will be Literally and Passive will

be Verbally.


According to Present Indefinite TensePresent Indefinite tense

Active PassiveBengali

Meaning English Form Bengali

Meaning English Form

‡g‡b Pwj Abide ‡g‡b Pjv nq Is abode

we‡jvc mvab Kwi

Abolish we‡jvc mvab Kwi

Is abolished

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vwK

Abstain ‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vwK

Is abstained


According to Present Continuous tense

Present Continuous TenseActive Passive

Bengali Meaning

English Form Bengali Meaning

English Form

‡g‡b PjwQ Is abiding ‡g‡b Pjv n‡PQ Is being abode

we‡jvc mvab KiwQ

Is abolishing we‡jvc mvab Kiv n‡PQ

is being abolished

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKwQ

Is abstaining ‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKv n‡PQ

Is being abstained


PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Present Perfect TenseActive Passive

Bengali Meaning


English Form

‡g‡b PwjqvwQ

Has abode ‡g‡b Pjv wM‡q‡Q

Has been abode

we‡jvc mvab KwiqvwQ

Has abolished we‡jvc mvab Kiv wM‡q‡Q

Has been abolished

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vwKqvwQ

Has abstained ‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKv wM‡q‡Q

Has been abstained


PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Present Perfect Continuous TenseActive Passive

‡g‡b PjwQ Has been abode ‡g‡b Pjv n‡PQ Has been being abode

we‡jvc mvab KiwQ

Has been abolished

we‡jvc mvab Kiv n‡PQ

Has been being abolished

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKwQ

Has been abstained

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKv n‡PQ

Has been being abstained


PAST INDEFINITE TENSEPast Indefinite Tense




‡g‡b Pjjvg Abode ‡g‡b Pjv nj Was abode

we‡jvc mvab Kijvg

Abolished we‡jvc mvab Kiv nj

Was abolished

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKjvg

Abstained ‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKv ‡Mj

Was abstained


PAST CONTINUOUS TENSEPast Continuous Tense




‡g‡b PjwQjvg

Was abiding ‡g‡b PjwPQj

Was being abode

we‡jvc mvab KiwQjvg

Was abolishing we‡jvc mvab Kiv nwPQj

Was being abolished

‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKwQjvg

Was abstaining ‡Kvbe¯‘ †_‡K weiZ _vKv nwPQj

Was being abstained


PAST PERFECT TENSEPast Perfect Tense




‡g‡b PwjqvwQ‡j

Had abode ‡g‡b Pjv n‡qwQj

Had been abode

we‡jvc mvab K‡iwQ‡j

Had abolished we‡jvc mvab Kiv n‡qwQj

Had been abolished

MÖnb K‡iwQ‡j

Had accepted MÖnb Kivn‡qwQj

Had been accepted


PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Past Perfect Continuous TenseActive Passive

Bengali Meaning


English Form

‡g‡b PjwQj Had been abode

‡g‡b PjwPQj Had been being abode

we‡jvc mvab KiwQj

Had been abolished

we‡jvc mvab Kiv nwPQj

Had been being abolished

MÖnb KiwQj Had been accepted

MÖnb Kiv nwPQj

Had been being accepted


FUTURE INDEFINITE TENSEFuture Indefinite Tense

Active Passive

Bengali Meaning


English Form

‡g‡b Pje Will abide ‡g‡b Pjv n‡e Will be abode

we‡jvc mvab Kie

Will abolish we‡jvc mvab Kiv n‡e

Will be abolished

MÖnb Kie Will accept MÖnb Kiv n‡e

Will be accepted


FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSEFuture Continuous Tense




‡g‡b Pj†Z _vKe

Will be abiding ‡g‡b Pjv Will be being abode

we‡jvc mvab Ki‡Z _vKe

Will be abolishing

n‡Z _vK‡e Will be being abolished

MÖnb Ki‡Z _vKe

Will be accepting

MÖnb Kiv n‡Z _vK‡e

Will be being accepted


Teaching TranslationProblems and Solutions

Introductionvery translation activity has one or more specific purposes and whichever they may be; the main aim of translation is to serve as a cross-cultural bilingual communication vehicle among peoples. In the past few decades, this activity has developed because of rising international trade, increased migration, globalization, the recognition of linguistic minorities, and the expansion of the mass media and technology. For this reason, the translator plays an important role as a bilingual or multi-lingual cross-cultural transmitter of culture and truths by attempting to interpret concepts and speech in a variety of texts as faithfully and accurately as possible.


If translating is a discourse operation interposing between language and thought (Delisle, 1980), we should accept that in the art or skill of translating we are inexorably going to come across assorted and numerous obstacles. Delisle (1981) illustrates what a subtle form of torture translation is:

Translation is an arduous job that mortifies you, puts you in a state of despair at times, but also an enriching and indispensable work, that demands honesty and modesty.


In the words of Nida and Taber (1974): Translating consists of reproducing, in the target language,

the nearest equivalent to the message in the source language, in the first place in the semantic aspect and, in the second place, in the stylistic aspect.

To a great extent, the quality of translation will depend on the quality of the translator, i.e. on her/his knowledge, skills, training, cultural background, expertise, and even mood! Newmark (1995b) distinguishes some essential characteristics that any good translator should have:

• Reading comprehension ability in a foreign language • Knowledge of the subject • Sensitivity to language (both mother tongue and foreign

language) • Competence to write the target language dexterously,

clearly, economically and resourcefully


Apart from the previously mentioned aspects, it is relevant to emphasize the necessity for sound linguistic knowledge of both the SL and the TL, an essential condition, yet not the only one, to begin swimming up the streams of professional translation. However, neither knowing languages nor being efficiently bilingual is enough to become a translator. For more than twenty years, translation theorists have been pointing this out, and yet many people believe and claim that knowing two or more languages is identical to knowing how to translate properly. We must banish this idea. Delisle (1980) states it clearly:

Linguistic competence is a necessary condition, but not yet sufficient for the professional practice of translation.


In addition to reading comprehension ability, the knowledge of specialized subjects derived from specialized training and a wide cultural background, and the global vision of cross-cultural and interlingual communication, it is a must to learn how to handle the strategic and tactical tools for a good translating performance. Hence the importance of a didactic translation approach: A methodology that allows the development of an effective and efficient transfer process from one language to another. As is widely known by those committed to the field, translation as a formal professional activity with a theoretical background is relatively new. Thus, a number of terms have recently been coined for the subject called Translation Theory ("Translatology" in Canada, "Traductología" in Spain, "Translation Studies" in Belgium and the Netherlands). This discipline being so new, little has been done in terms of academic training in higher education in Chile to devise didactic methods and procedures to teach or learn how to translate. I quite agree with William Weaver, the translator of The name of the Rose,


who claims that "Translation is something you learn only by doing." Nonetheless, we teachers may facilitate our own task and that of our students if we take advantage of the appropriate tools and strategies. Cognition sciences have provided us with simple but very useful ideas about meaningful learning, i.e. a positive approach to learning that comes from the relationship between previous knowledge and new knowledge.

• This cognitive approach perfectly applies to the transfer process of ideas from one language to another, which obviously implies a lot more than the simple reproduction model. In the preparatory phase of a translation, cognition, in the form of self-consciousness and self-confidence, plays a very important role, inasmuch as this period implies conscious mental activities, where translating problems are detected and analyzed, and information and knowledge are accumulated (Kussmaul, 1995).


From the psychological and social point of view, the translator, whose profile should be that of an intellectual worker with professional training characteristics such as the above-mentioned, will be more successful if her/his social-affective development is given more emphasis, for s/he may be better prepared for cooperative work, and s/he may reach a higher tolerance level, showing respect, self-criticism and sensitivity.


The Global Approach

With regard to the principal approaches to a translation text, the most renowned translation theorists (Delisle, Newmark, Nida, Nord, Kussmaul) are in agreement on the following aspects: Firstly, there is comprehension and interpretation of texts which implies the management of the approach principles to various types of texts, considering the textual, referential, cohesion and naturalness levels. This competence includes reading comprehension and message interpretation (encoding and decoding). Secondly, re-wording is also important. It means the application of the various strategies for the restitution process of the message (re-coding) by choosing the appropriate method(s), techniques and procedures.


Among the most frequently used procedures for the restoration of ideas contained in a translation unit, a translator may resort to transfer, cultural or functional equivalent, synonymy, transposition, modulation, compensation, reduction and expansion or amplification (See Newmark, P., 1995: A Textbook of Translation). These skills constitute the essence of translating competence and should most strongly emphasized in the training prospective translators. For this purpose, it is also indispensable to make effective use of different types of documentation: Parallel texts, monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, encyclopedias, term data base, informants, other sources. And thirdly, translation theorists give great importance to the assessment of the result, i.e. evidencing the capacity to confront the translated text with the original text, being able to assess earnings and losses and showing self-correction capacity. It is the accurate revision of the output that will definitely result in a final translation of higher quality.


The Specific Approaches According to most translation theorists, the specific approaches to text translation tend to be similar. On the one hand, it is necessary to use one or more translating approaches or models. On the other, there is always a way of approaching an SL text, whether the translator chooses the author-centered traditional model, the text-centered structuralistic model or the cognitive reader-centered model. Depending on their training, translators will adopt one model or another, but many will tend to tend to an eclectic integration of the three approaches. Translators should be aware of the fact that incorrect comprehension of a text considerably decreases the quality of the translation. We must, therefore, use reading comprehension strategies for translation (underlining words, detecting translation difficulties, contextualizing lexical items—never isolating them -, adapting, analyzing, and so on.) Finding solutions to dilemmas is a constant in the work of the translator.


A Translation Methodology: A Cooperative Work Procedure This methodology, consisting of a step-by-step procedure workshop, (stages may sometimes be sequential and successive, sometimes, alternated) has proven quite successful in my classes in terms of students' motivation, productivity and the quality of their work. However, I do think that this methodology can be improved.

• The teacher makes a selection of the material to be translated. Texts must be chosen according to previously defined objectives for translation practice, taking into account the degree of difficulty of the texts (semantic, cultural, stylistic, etc.), the topic or the specific knowledge area (science and technology; social, institutional, economic and/or political topics; and literary or philosophical works), the translation problems to be solved, and so on.


• After browsing through the text (scan reading and/or skim reading), the students, assisted by their teacher, should identify the source, the norm, the type of text, the register, the style and the readership of the text selected. It is a kind of game of the imagination in which the text is real but the client and her/his needs are imaginary.

• The students should read the whole text at least twice: The first reading will be comprehensive and general, to become acquainted with the topic and to understand the original, always bearing in mind that meaning is context-determined.

• The second reading must be a "deep" reading, placing emphasis on items where translation problems may appear. In other words, this is what I have called "reading with translation intention," i.e. doing pre-editing and assessing the quality of the writing in the original text, s/he should be entitled to amend them in her/his version if too obvious or else consult the client or an expert in case of doubt. When doing this "reading with translation intention


" students should first underline unknown terms and then they should mentally confront potential translation difficulties in the text with suitable translation procedures.

• The teacher then divides the text into as many segments as students in the group. Depending on the degree of difficulty and the length of the text, these segments may be paragraphs, columns, pages or even whole chapters. Then, each student is assigned a fair portion of the text. The segment distribution order should rotate so that a different student begins a translation unit every time.

• If the topic is already quite familiar to the students, they do a preliminary translation. As this is the first approach to the text, it will probably lack naturalness, since students tend to transfer SL units of translation to TL units of translation ("one-to-one translation," Newmark, 1995a). This first approach can often be made orally and suggested annotations may be written in the margins.


• If the topic is completely unknown to the students, they should consult complementary literature. In other words, before beginning the transfer process, they should resort to various documentation sources, especially parallel texts (those which are similar in nature and style) in the language of the original. This allows them to achieve a deeper understanding of the topic under study.

• Once the "one-to-one" version is accomplished, the students do a second version of their own translation—this time a written draft—handling the most suitable translation strategies and procedures and being faithful in the transfer of ideas.

• With the original text in front of her/him and being careful to follow the same correlative order of the SL text, each student reads out her/his own version of the translated text, making the necessary pauses between sentences.


• The students and the teacher follow the reading of each text attentively. As a monitoring activity, everybody should feel free to stop the reading at the end of a given sentence and have the reading of the segment repeated, when the situation warrants comments, suggestions, questions, contributions, etc. The students have to "defend" their work against criticism.

• During this procedure, the students and the teacher need to set up all necessary conventions with regard to the homogeneity of the terms and the coherence and cohesion of the final version.

• As Newmark states, "translation is for discussion" (Newmark, 1995b). Students should then be encouraged to take notes and discuss the (in)convenience of the contributions and comments arising from this analytical reading of each one of the different versions proposed.


• As a metacognitive activity, the students, assisted by the teacher, analyze the translation strategies and procedures used, and discuss the reasons taken into account in the choice of each analyzed criterion: "The ability to discuss translations in an objective way is central to a translator's competence", (Kussmaul, 1995).

• The students hand in the final version of their revised and post-edited segments, which have already been amended in the light of the whole text. The work must be typed, double-spaced and paged according to the original.

• The teacher makes a final revision (second post-edit), gives formative evaluation and makes comments, emphasizes findings, "happy" solutions and creative acts, on the one hand, and analyzes failures and weaknesses in the process, on the other.


In seminars of this kind, I assume that the teacher is understood as a facilitator of the translation task, since the lion's share of the transfer process is accomplished by the students, mainly collectively, but also individually. I therefore consider it valid for students to consult all possible information sources, including the traditional written forms, the "live" sources or informants, e.g. their own teacher (the "client," in this case), experts in the topic, native speakers, translation software, term data bases and the international data processing nets. For this process to be efficiently carried out, the following minimum conditions should be met:

Profile of the Student • Sound linguistic training in the two languages


• Knowledge covering a wide cultural spectrum • High reading comprehension competence and permanent

interest in reading • Adequate use of translation procedures and strategies • Adequate management of documentation sources • Improvement capacity and constant interest in learning • Initiative, creativity, honesty and perseverance • Accuracy, truthfulness, patience and dedication • Capacity for analysis and self-criticism • Ability to maintain constructive interpersonal relationships • Capacity to develop team work • Efficient data processing training at user's level (an

introductory course is NOT enough) • Acquaintance with translation software for MT and MT edition


Profile of the Educator • Sound knowledge of the SL and the TL, translation theory,

transfer procedures, cognition and methodology • Comprehension of what translation is and how it occurs (Bell,

1994) • Permanent interest in reading various kinds of texts • Ability to communicate ideas clearly, empathically and openly • Ability to work out synthesis and interrelationship of ideas • Capacity to create, foster and maintain a warm work

environment, "an atmosphere of sympathetic encouragement" (Kussmaul, 1995)

• Capacity to foster search and research • Accuracy and truthfulness; critical, self-critical and analytical

capacity • Clear assessment criteria


The Infrastructure • Terminological resources (tools to save time and to make

translation more profitable): Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, glossaries, various texts on translation theory and practice, access to international data processing nets, informants, expert and other sources.

• International collaboration via congresses, symposia, seminars, conferences, inquiries through international nets, etc.

• PCs, translation software, printers and printing material, term data bases.

• Appropriate environment: The right place and enough time for reflection: Ideally, a translation laboratory.


• Evaluation As suggested by Kussmaul (1995), it is a good practice to classify the kinds of errors/difficulties. The most frequent types of difficulties arising from translation that I propose to assess in any translation are the following:

• Comprehension, sense and ideas • Lexico-semantic level • Morphosyntactic level • Writing style and register • Spelling and punctuation • Creative solutions to translation problems • Transfer and re-wording (use of translation procedures) • Cohesion and coherence • Assessment of the result and post-edition • Format


Conclusion

Translators—like all "professional professionals"—must undergo permanent training. Their productive capacity, however, should not always be measured or weighed in terms of pages, words or hours done, but rather taking into account the quality of the output or finished work—work that consumes lots of neurons (although it stimulates many others).


The Problems of Learning Translation 1. Lack of vocabulary.2. Unskilled in grammar.3. Tendency of avoiding lessons at

learning English.4. Lack of coherence knowledge.5. Inexpert teacher.6. Unacceptable teaching stile.7. Understanding problem of student.


The Problems of Learning Translation9. Poor quality of grammar book.10. Inadequate cooperation between teachers &

students.11. Insufficient team work among students.12. Students haven’t sharing mentality of their study

among them 13. In spite of teachers ability they don’t provide

student’s lesson for their coaching / private teaching


How to Make Translation Easily?

1. Have to know huge number of vocabulary.

2. Need to know coherence of word.3. Have to know subject verb agreement.4. Learn all the grammatical rules.5. Follow the SVOCA rules.6. Appropriate use of preposition.


Thank you all

Presentation on Translation 23-Feb-2006

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Transcript of Presentation on Translation 23-Feb-2006