Literary translation

CONTENTS

 

 

INTRODUCTION……………...…………………………………………………..3

 

CHAPTER I. TRANSLATION IS A MEANS OF INTERLINGUAL COMMUNICATION………………………………………………………………5

1.1 Translation Theory. ……………………………………………………………5

1.2 Classification of Translation…………………………………………….……...6

1.3 Main Types Of Translation. …………………………………………………...6

 

CHAPTER II.  LITERARY TRANSLATION AS A SPECIFIC CODING-ENCODING PROCESS…………………………………………………....……..11 
2.1 Literary translation as functional interaction of languages…………………...11

2.2 Context and its role in literary translation…………………………………….12

2.3 Literary translation of words having no correspondence in target language…13

2.4 Culture-Specific Items in Literary Translation……………………………….14

2.5 Literary Translation And Literary Translators………………………………..16

 

CHAPTER III. PHILOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC DIFFICULTIES IN LITERARY TRANSLATION ………………………………………………..19 
3.1 Literary translation of specifically English grammatical forms and constructions………………………………………………………………………19

3.2 Lexical transformations…………………………………………………...…..20

3.3  Grammar Transformations……………………………………………...……23

3.4 Complex Transformations….…………………………………………………24

 

CONCLUSION……...……………………………………………………………27

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY……………….………………………………………………..28

 

APPENDIX A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

Translation is a process and the result of turning a text from one language into another, which means expressing the same by the signs of a different language. Bearing in mind that every sign has two planes (plane of expression and plane of content) the essence of translation could be described as changing the elements of the plane of expression while the plane of content remains constant.

The language of the original text is called "source language", the language into which the text is translated is called "target language" (the corresponding Russian terms are "исходный язык" and "переводящий язык").

One of the main difficulties of translating lies in the fact that the meaning of the whole text is not exhausted by the sum of meanings of its elements. The meaning of a text is made up by words (characterized by their denotative and connotative meanings and stylistic reference), syntactic meaning of sentences and utterances larger than sentences, suprasegmental elements and lexico-semantic connections between words and phrases. That is why this course work has a great importance in studying literary translation.

Topicality of the course work is importance of studying linguistic difficulties of literary translation, as adequate translation of literary texts has a great importance in the field of philology. 

The aim of course work is to analyze the importance of the adequate translation and define linguistic difficulties that are faced in literary translation.

The objectives are: 
- to give a general concept of literary translation;

- to define linguistic difficulties in literary translation;

-to give a classification of linguistic difficulties in literary translation; 
- to determine the ways of solving these problems. 
The subject of course work is translation of literary texts. 
The object of course work is the linguistic difficulties of literary translation. 

The methods of investigation are comparative analysis, descriptive analysis and studying linguistic and methodological literature. 

The theoretical significance is in determining the theoretical statements of defining the linguistical difficulties of literary translation on the basis of native and foreign scientist’s works such as Komissarov V.N., Garbovski N.K., Breus E.V.,etc.

The practical significance is in the fact that the materials of course work can be widely used in teaching process of disciplines as “Theory and practice of translation”, “Translation problems”, “The basis of Translation”. 

The materials under analysis are works of native and foreign scholars in this field, books on the theory and practice of literary translation and supplements for the teachers and students of foreign languages institutes and departments. 

The structure of the course work. The given course work contains Introduction, three parts: Translation Is A Means Of Interlingual Communication, Literary Translation As A Specific Coding-Encoding Process, Philological Analysis Of Linguistic Difficulties In Literary Translation , Conclusion, bibliography and Appendix. In introduction was considered the aim, objectives, subject, object, methods of investigation, theoretical, practical significances and materials under analysis of the course work. In the theoretical part “Literary translation as a specific coding-encoding process” have been considered following questions “Literary translation as functional interaction of languages”, “Context and its role in literary translation”, “Literary translation of words having no correspondence in target language”.

The practical part “Philological analysis of linguistic difficulties in literary translation” consists of two parts: “Literary translation of specifically English grammatical forms and constructions” and “Lexical transformations”.

In conclusion it is given a summary of the course work. 

The bibliography contains 15 works of native and foreign scientists that were analyzed during the investigation.

In appendix it is offered an example of literary translation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER I. TRANSLATION IS A MEANS OF INTERLINGUAL COMMUNICATION

 

1.1 Translation Theory.

 

Translation is a means of interlingual communication. The translator makes possible an exchange of information between the users of different languages by producing in the target language (TL or the translating language) a text which has an identical communicative value with the source (or original) text (ST). 

As a kind of practical activities translation (or the practice of translation) is a set of actions performed by the translator while rendering ST into another language. These actions are largely intuitive and the best results are naturally achieved by translators who are best suited for the job, who are well-trained or have a special aptitude, a talent for it. Masterpieces in translation are created by the past masters of the art, true artists in their profession. At its best translation is an art, a creation of a talented, high-skilled professional.

The theory of translation provides the translator with the appropriate tools of analysis and synthesis, makes him aware of what he is to look for in the original text, what type of information he must convey in TT and how he should act to achieve his goal. In the final analysis, however, his trade remains an art. For science gives the translator the tools, but it takes brains, intuition and talent to handle the tools with great proficiency. Translation is a complicated phenomenon involving linguistic, psychological, cultural, literary, ergonomical and other factors.

The core of the translation theory is the general theory of translation which is concerned with the fundamental aspects of translation inherent in the nature of bilingual communication and therefore common to all translation events, irrespective of what languages are involved or what kind of text and under what circumstances was translated. Basically, replacement of ST by TT of the same communicative value is possible because both texts are produced in human speech governed by the same rules and implying the same relationships between language, reality and the human mind. All languages are means of communication, each language is used to externalize and shape human thinking, all language units are meaningful entities related to non-linguistic realities, all speech units convey information to the communicants. In any language communication is made possible through a complicated logical interpretation by the users of the speech units, involving an assessment of the meaning of the language signs against the information derived from the contextual situation, general knowledge, previous experience, various associations and other factors. The general theory of translation deals, so to speak, with translation universals and is the basis for all other theoretical study in this area, since it describes what translation is and what makes it possible.

The general theory of translation describes the basic principles which bold good for each and every translation event. In each particular case, however, the translating process is influenced both by the common basic factors and by a number of specific variables which stem from the actual conditions and modes of the translator's work: the type of original texts he has to cope with, the form in which ST is presented to him and the form in which he is supposed to submit his translation, the specific requirements he may be called upon to meet in his work, etc.

Contemporary translation activities are characterized by a great variety of types, forms and levels of responsibility. The translator has to deal with works of the great authors of the past and of the leading authors of today, with intricacies of science fiction and the accepted stereotypes of detective stories. He must be able to cope with the elegancy of expression of the best masters of literary style and with the tricks and formalistic experiments of modern avant-gardists. The translator has to preserve and fit into a different linguistic and social context a gamut of shades of meaning and stylistic nuances expressed in the original text by a great variety of language devices: neutral and emotional words, archaic words and new coinages, metaphors and similes, foreign borrowings, dialectal, jargon and slang expressions, stilted phrases and obscenities, proverbs and quotations, illiterate or inaccurate speech, and so on and so forth.

The original text may deal with any subject from general philosophical principles or postulates to minute technicalities in some obscure field of human endeavour. The translator has to tackle complicated specialized descriptions and reports on new discoveries in science or technology for which appropriate terms have not yet been invented. His duty is to translate diplomatic representations and policy statements, scientific dissertations and brilliant satires, maintenance instructions and after-dinner speeches, etc.

Translating a play the translator must bear in mind the requirements of theatrical presentation, and dubbing a film he must see to it that his translation fits the movement of the speakers' lips. The translator may be called upon to make his translation in the shortest possible time, while taking a meal or against the background noise of loud voices or rattling type-writers. In simultaneous interpretation the translator is expected to keep pace with the fastest speakers, to understand all kinds of foreign accents and defective pronunciation, to guess what the speaker meant to say but failed to express due to his inadequate proficiency in the language he speaks.

In consecutive interpretation he is expected to listen to long speeches, taking the necessary notes, and then to produce his translation in full or compressed form, giving all the details or only the main ideas.In some cases the users will be satisfied even with the most general idea of the meaning of the original, in other cases the translator may be taken to task for the slightest omission or minor error.

 

1.2 Classification of Translation.

 

There are some criteria for classifying translation:

1. The first one is based on who does the translation. These days translation may be done by a human translator or by computer.
2. Form of speech: according to this criterion, translation as a written form, sight translation (or translation-at-sight, on-sight translation) as the oral translation of written text, and interpreting as oral translation of oral discourse are differentiated. This criterion also involves subtitling, that is visual translation involving the superimposition of written text onto the screen, and dubbing, or the replacement of the original speech by a voice track which attempts to follow as closely as possible the timing, phrasing and lip movements of the original dialogue.
3. Source text perception: a translator can see or hear the text.
4. Time lapse between the source text perception and translation: consecutive and simultaneous interpreting.
5. Number of languages in translation situation: one-way or two-way translation.
6. Direction of translation: direct translation, that is, translation into the mother-tongue, and inverse translation, or translation into a foreign language.
7. Methods of interpreting: note-taking interpretation, phrase-by-phrase interpretation
8. Functional style and genre of the text: literary works and informative texts.

 

1.3 Main Types Of Translation.

 

Though the basic characteristics of translation can be observed in all translation events, different types of translation can be singled out depending on the predominant communicative function of the source text or the form of speech involved in the translation process. Thus we can distinguish between literary and informative translation, on the one hand, and between written and oral translation (or interpretation), on the other hand.

Informative translation is rendering into the target language non-literary texts, the main purpose of which is to convey a certain amount of ideas, to inform the reader. However, if the source text is of some length, its translation can be listed as literary or informative only as an approximation. Literary works are known to fall into a number of genres. Literary translations may be subdivided in the same way, as each genre calls for a specific arrangement and makes use of specific artistic means to impress the reader. Translators of prose, poetry or plays have their own problems. Each of these forms of literary activities comprises a number of subgenres and the translator may specialize in one or some of them in accordance with his talents and experience.

A number of subdivisions can be also suggested for informative translations, though the principles of classification here are somewhat different. Here we may single out translations of scientific and technical texts, of newspaper materials, of official papers and some other types of texts such as public speeches, political and propaganda materials, advertisements, etc., which are, so to speak, intermediate, in that there is a certain balance between the expressive and referential functions, between reasoning and emotional appeal.

As the names suggest, in written translation the source text is in written form, as is the target text. In oral translation or interpretation the interpreter listens to the oral presentation of the original and translates it as an oral message in TL. As a result, in the first case the Receptor of the translation can read it while in the second case he hears it.

There are also some intermediate types. The interpreter rendering his translation by word of mouth may have the text of the original in front of him and translate it "at sight". A written translation can be made of the original recorded on the magnetic tape that can be replayed as many times as is necessary for the translator to grasp the original meaning. The translator can dictate his "at sight" translation of a written text to the typist or a short-hand writer with TR getting the translation in written form.

These are all, however, modifications of the two main types of translation. The line of demarcation between written and oral translation is drawn not only because of their forms but also because of the sets of conditions in which the process takes place. The first is continuous, the other momentary. In written translation the original can be read and re-read as many times as the translator may need or like. The same goes for the final product. The translator can re-read his translation, compare it to the original, make the necessary corrections or start his work all over again. He can come back to the preceding part of the original or get the information he needs from the subsequent messages. These are most favourable conditions and here we can expect the best performance and the highest level of equivalence. That is why in theoretical discussions we have usually examples from written translations where the translating process can be observed in all its aspects.

The conditions of oral translation impose a number of important restrictions on the translator's performance. Here the interpreter receives a fragment of the original only once and for a short period of time. His translation is also a one-time act with no possibility of any return to the original or any subsequent corrections. This creates additional problems and the users have sometimes to be content with a lower level of equivalence.

There are two main kinds of oral translation — consecutive and simultaneous. Interpreting requirements – depending on the type of interpreting one is engaged in – can range from simple, general conversation, to highly technical exposes and discussions. In consecutive translation the translating starts after the original speech or some part of it has been completed. Here the interpreter's strategy and the final results depend, to a great extent, on the length of the segment to be translated. If the segment is just a sentence or two the interpreter closely follows the original speech. As often as not, however, the interpreter is expected to translate a long speech which has lasted for scores of minutes or even longer. In this case he has to remember a great number of messages and keep them in mind until he begins his translation. To make this possible the interpreter has to take notes of the original messages, various systems of notation having been suggested for the purpose. The study of, and practice in, such notation is the integral part of the interpreter's training as are special exercises to develop his memory.

Sometimes the interpreter is set a time limit to give his rendering, which means that he will have to reduce his translation considerably, selecting and reproducing the most important parts of the original and dispensing with the rest. This implies the ability to make a judgement on the relative value of various messages and to generalize or compress the received information. The interpreter must obviously be a good and quickwitted thinker.

In simultaneous interpretation the interpreter is supposed to be able to give his translation while the speaker is uttering the original message. This can be achieved with a special radio or telephone-type equipment. The interpreter receives the original speech through his earphones and simultaneously talks into the microphone which transmits his translation to the listeners. This type of translation involves a number of psycholinguistic problems, both of theoretical and practical nature.

This is a highly specialized form of interpreting, which requires a special aptitude. The interpreter has to be able to listen to the speaker and repeat the same words in a different language almost at the same time. This takes a great deal of training and experience, and is paid at a higher rate than consecutive.

Simultaneous interpretation may be required for such things as business or professional conferences, training seminars, or presentations. A simultaneous interpretation longer than two hours requires at least two interpreters to allow for rest periods.

The communicative situation consists of several elements:

A speaker or writer (an author) makes a meaningful utterance called the text and addresses it to the listener, reader, or receptor, who understands the purport of the text and reacts to it.   

The translation situation doubles the elements of communication. The receptor of the original text in turn becomes a translator who makes a translated text, or target text intended for the receptor speaking another language:

The source text is the text to be translated. The target text is the end-product,  the translated text.

For the translation to be adequate and effective, the target text should be equivalent to the source text. Indeed, when reading tragedies by Shakespeare in Russian, the receptor is but seldom aware that the words s/he sees in the text were not written by Shakespeare but by some other person, a translator. The form of the target text is new but the purport and the content are very close to the original. Paradoxically, the better a translator's work, the less his/her work is observed. The translated text is attributed to the author speaking another language and this text is used everywhere as if it were the original.

Thus translation unifies two different language speech acts in one communicative situation. It can be defined as a special type of communication intended to convey information between the participants speaking two different languages. As E. Nida and C. Taber put it, “translating consists of reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language meaning and secondly in terms of style.”

 

 

CHAPTER II.  LITERARY TRANSLATION AS A SPECIFIC CODING-ENCODING PROCESS

 
 
2.1 Literary translation as functional interaction of languages

 

Usually when people speak about translation they are seldom specific about the meaning. The presumption is quite natural - everybody understands the meaning of the word. However, to describe translation intuitive understanding is not sufficient - what one needs is a definition. Translation means both a process and a result, and when defining translation we are interested in both its aspects. 

In order to explain translation it is important to compare the original (source) text and the resulting (target) one. Every language is characterized by a specific structure of its lexico-grammatical fields and has its own lexical, morphological and syntactic systems. It may result in lack of coincidence between the means of expressing the same content in SL (source language) and TL (target language).

That is why good practical knowledge of the two languages is quite necessary but not sufficient for translating. Besides this knowledge one must possess a number of skills and be guided by a number of principles worked out by the theory of translation. These principles are connected both with linguistic and extra linguistic aspects. In translation we deal with two languages (two codes) and to verify the information they give us about the extra linguistic objects (and concepts) we should consider extra linguistic situation, and background information.