MODULE 3

FOREIGNIZATION AND DOMESTICATION

INTRODUCTION

 Aside from knowing the source language well, it must be clear to a translator the purpose of
translating the text. Culture and conventions of language must be taken into account in doing
translation, however, a translator should bear in mind that when the readers read his
translation, they should feel that they are not reading it as a translation. But since culture is one
of the things to be considered in doing translation, there are instances that some words don’t
have equivalence in other languages because it’s not part of their language. In this module, you
will learn foreignization and domestication to produce a comprehensive translation with the
same impact to readers.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Translate an excerpt article using foreignization;
2. Translate English idiomatic expressions using domestication; and
3. Use foreignization and domestication to translate a quote from a novel.

FOREIGNIZATION

Translate the following words in English.

Bikol Words English Translation

1. Kuya Elder Brother

2. pasma Spasm

3. namanhikan Courtship

Translating words to another language is difficult especially if the words are not part of the
culture or not being practiced by your target readers. This is where Foreignization becomes
useful. Aleksandra Święcicka (2017) defined foreignization as “retaining the culture-
specific items of the original, like personal names, national cuisine, historical
figures, streets or local institutions”.

Source: https://termcoord.eu/2017/05/foreignization-or-domestication/
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.1
Translate the excerpt of article written by Toni Calvento in 2015 in English using
Foreignization.

HANGGA’T NATATAMASA mo ang kalayaan ng sarili mong bansa hindi mo dapat

kalimutan ang mga bayaning nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay para lang sa kapakanan ng
susunod na henerasyon.

Ngayong araw ay pinagdiriwang natin ang ‘Rizal day’. Ito ay ang paggunita natin sa

kamatayan ng ating pambansang bayani na si Jose Rizal.

Si Jose Protasio Mercado Rizal o mas kilala natin bilang Jose Rizal ay anak
nina Francisco Mercado at Teodora Alonso noong Hunyo 19, 1861 sa Calamba, Laguna.

May siyam siyang kapatid na babae at isang kapatid na lalaki. Noong 1849 ay ginamit
na ng kanyang pamilya ang apelyidong Rizal matapos iutos ni Governor General
Narciso Claveria na kailangan ng mga Pilipino ang Kastilang pangalan para sa census.

Bata pa lamang si Rizal ay nagpakita na siya ng kakaibang talino. Alam niya na ang
alpabeto sa edad na tatlo at marunong na siya magsulat sa edad na lima.

Source: Tony Calvento (Pilipino Star Ngayon ). December 29, 2015. “Pag-alala kay
Rizal”. Retrieved on July 3, 2020 from https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-
ngayon/opinyon/2015/12/29/1537506/pag-alala-kay-rizal

As we enjoy our freedom in this country, one must not forget those
who have laid down their lives for the sake of the next generation.

Today, we celebrate “Rizal Day”. On this day, we commemorate the

ultimate sacrifice made by one of our National Heroes, Jose Rizal.

Jose Protasio Mercado Rizal, also known as Jose Rizal, son of

Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, born in 19 th day of June 1861,
Calamba, Laguna.

He has 9 sisters and a brother. In 1849, his family used the surname
Rizal after it was ordered by Governor General Narciso Claveria who
asserts that Filipinos must have a Spanish surname for compliance with
census.

Rizal already showed great intellect since childhood. He already knows

the alphabet at the age of 3 and he already knows how to write at the
DOMESTICATION

Have you read texts that you need to Google the foreign words because we don’t have it in our
culture or we don’t practice it? Having this in your translation can be minimized through
domestication. Domestication lessens the strangeness of a foreign text to the target readers by
introducing the common words which are familiar to them.  Go back to the Activator activity for
example; if a Western text will be translated in Filipino with the character of an older brother,
we call the character as “Kuya” to domesticate it instead of calling the character by name.

Source: https://termcoord.eu/2017/05/foreignization-or-domestication/

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.2

Translate the idiomatic expression practicing domestication. You may send a
copy of your translation through Messenger (picture, file, or recording) or
email for critiquing. A recorded feedback will be sent to you after checking.

“If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Domestication of the expression:

“Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may

dahilan.”
SUMMARY OF KEY CONCEPTS

● Domestication lessens the strangeness of a foreign text to the target readers by

introducing the common words which are familiar to them.
● Foreignization retains the culture-specific items of the source text.

ASSIGNMENT

Translate the quote from “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel considering
domestication and foreignization.

Source Text Target Text

“Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we Lahat tayo ay may
can't strike them all by ourselves; we need oxygen and a angking galing ngunit
candle to help. In this case, the oxygen for example, would hindi natin ito kayang
come from the breath of the person you love; the candle mailabas na walang
would be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound tulong sa ibang tao.
that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. Parang isang posporo
For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A na kailangan ng hangin
pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes para ito’y lumiyab. Ang
by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it. Each hangin na ito’y
person has to discover what will set off those explosions in maaaring galling sa
order to live, since the combustion that occurs when one of taong minamahal mo;
them is ignited is what nourishes the soul. That fire, in short, ang kandila naman ay
is its food. If one doesn't find out in time what will set off maaaring pagkain,
these explosions, the box of matches dampens, and not a musika, salita o tinig na
single match will ever be lighted.” magpapaliyab satin.
Humina man ang apoy,
maglalagablab muli ito
sa pamamagitan ng
― Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate bagong pagsabog ng
Source:  https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1172473 emosyon. Lahat ng tao
-como-agua-para-chocolate kailangan malaman
kung ano ang
makakapagpaLiyab ng
kanilang damdamin
 para makapagpatuloy sa
buhay. Ang hindi
makakahanap ng
makakapagpalagablab
ng kanilang apoy ay
tuloy na itong hihina
hanggang sa ito’y
mawala ng tuluyan.

REFERENCE

Aleksandra Święcicka. (2017). Foreignization or Domestication?. Retrieved on July 3, 2020 from https://termcoord.eu/2017/05/foreignization-or-domestication/