Kinds of Translation

15/4/2024
CHANDRALEKHA K R
Traditional Translation Types
literary non-literary
● the translators were concerned with both 'sense' and ● the emphasis was on sense
style
● Primarily aims at conveying information
● Focuses on conveying the literary nuances, style, accurately and efficiently. This can include
cultural context, and artistic elements of a literary work translation of technical documents, legal texts,
such as novels, poems, plays, and short stories. The scientific papers, business documents, and more.
goal is often to recreate the aesthetic experience of the The focus is on clarity and precision of meaning.
original text.
● Requires a deep understanding of the subject
● Involves capturing the nuances of language, cultural matter and terminology, as well as the ability to
references, and literary devices, which can be convey complex ideas clearly and accurately in
challenging to convey accurately while maintaining another language.
readability and artistic value.
● The non-literary translation takes place in the realms
● literature being a skilled subject does not give definite of Physical Science, Social Science, Journalism, Law,
answer to a question. What I want to say is that in etc. In these disciplines and subjects a definite
literature there is no 'yes' and 'no' type of answer and question has a definite answer. Here we are
instead, there is a variety of approach to study a concerned with the 'meanings' but not with the style.
literary text. Moreover, the language of literature being In non-literary translation content gets precedence
metaphorical (or rhetorical), the translator should try over form. Therefore, while translating political,
to create an appropriate rhetoric in TL text while scientific, economic theories from SL to TL the
translating an SL text. In other words, the TL text must translator is concerned with the transference of
retain the 'feel' of the original SL text. meaning.
20TH Century Advancement effect
● Phonological translation [which is "restricted" translation] the phonology (the sound system) of
the source language text is substituted by an equivalent phonology in the target language.
Original: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Target: "Za kwik braun foks jəmps ovr dhe lezi dɒg."
● Graphological translation [which is "restricted' translation where the graphology of the (SL) text is
substituted by equivalent graphology in the (TL) text]
Original: "LOVE"
Target: "❤"
● Grammatical translation (which is "restricted" translation where the grammar of the source
language text is substituted by equivalent grammar in the target language but the lexis is not
replaced).
Original: "She is going to the store."
Target: "Ella va a la tienda." (Spanish equivalent with the same grammatical structure)
John Dryden’s Theory (Preface to Ovi’d
Epistles)
●(1) metaphrase, or turning an author word by
word and line by line, from one language into
another.
● (2) paraphrase, or translation with latitude, the
Ciceronian 'sense for sense' view of translation.
●(3) imitation, where the translator can abandon
the text of the original as he sees fit.
 THE SEMIOTIC POINT OF VIEW (Roman Jakobson)
● Since language and culture are interlinked, no literary text can be treated in isolation from the culture to which it belongs and again, of
which it is a product. Roman Jakobson divides translation into the following types:
● (1) Intralingual translation: which is an interpretation of verbal signs by means of other signs in the same system.
Paraphrasing or explaining a complex sentence in simpler terms without changing the language. For instance:
Original: "The government's fiscal policy aims to stimulate economic growth through targeted spending measures."
Translation: "The government wants to boost the economy by spending money on specific things."
● (2) Interlingual translation or translation proper: this is interpretation of verbal signs by means of verbal signs in some other linguistic
system.
Example: Translating a text from English to French:
English: "The cat sat on the mat."
French: "Le chat s'est assis sur le tapis."
● (3) Intersemiotic translation or transmutation: this is an interpretation of verbal signs by means of signs of non-verbal sign systems.
Example: Adaptation of a novel into a film. The film uses visual and auditory signs (images, sounds) to convey the meaning of the
original verbal signs (text).
Novel: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Film adaptation: "The Great Gatsby" directed by Baz Luhrmann
 Equivalence
● Equivalence in translation refers to the concept of accurately conveying the meaning, style, and intent of the
source text in the target language while accounting for linguistic, cultural, and contextual differences.
Achieving equivalence ensures that the translation captures the essence of the original text and effectively
communicates it to the target audience.
● But no full equivalence is possible through translation
● It is common knowledge that every synonymy does not produce equivalence and Jakobson states that
intralingual translation resorts to code units to interpret the meaning of a single unit. So 'perfect' may be taken
as the synonym for 'ideal' or 'conveyance' may be synonymous with 'vehicle' but in neither case it would be
complete equivalence, because each unit contains within itself a set of non-transferable associations and
connotations. Hence, Jakobson maintains that all poetic art is technically untranslatable as complete
equivalence is not possible in any of his types
 Central Problem of Translation
● All types of translation involve these three, i.e., loss of meaning, addition of meaning, and finally, skewing
of meaning.

● Hence, total translation is a myth.

● The translator becomes the 'de- coder' of the SL text and 're-coder' of the TL text. And between 'de-coding' and
're-coding' falls the shadow.
 J C Catford’s Classification
● J.C. Catford makes a classification of translation in terms of extent, level and ranks.

● The destination between 'full' and 'partial' translation is made in terms of extent.

● In a 'full' translation, every part of the SL text is replaced by the material in the TL text

● In a partial translation, some part or parts of the SL text are left untranslated: they are simply transferred to and
incorporated in the TL text

● He defines 'total' translation as "replacement of SL grammar and lexis by equivalent TL grammar and lexis
with consequential, replacement of SL phonology/graphology by (non-equivalent) TL phonology/graphology

● A restricted translation is that where the SL textual material is replaced by equivalent TL textual material at one
level only
 J C Catford’s Classification Continues
● Catford further suggests another type of equivalence in translation which connects the rank in a grammatical
hierarchy with the translation formed. This is called 'rank-bound' translation.

● In 'rank-bound' translation, the selection of TL equivalents is made at the same rank. A 'word-rank-bound'
translation is necessary for showing the differences between the source language and the target language in the
construction of higher-rank units.

● The rank-bound' translation is often considered as bad translation, because it uses TL equivalents which are not
proper to their position in the text of the target language, and they are not justified by the inter-changeability of
the texts in the source language and the target language in one and the same position.

● The 'unbounded' translation is considered as 'free' translation, where equivalents shift freely up and down the
rank scale. Word-for-word' translation is a 'rank-bound' translation. A 'literal' translation lies between the
'rank-bound' and 'free' translation. 'Literal' translation aims to be lexically 'word-for-word.

● 'Graphological translation' is 'restricted translation' where the graphology of the source language text is
substituted by equivalent graphology in the target language. The equivalence is based on the relationship to the
same graphic substance.
 Transliteration
● Transliteration is the process of converting text from one script or alphabet into another script or alphabet.
Unlike translation, which involves conveying the meaning of words or phrases from one language to another,
transliteration focuses on representing the sounds of words using the characters of another script.

● Transliteration helps in accurately pronouncing words from one language in another language's script, without
necessarily understanding the meaning of the words. It is commonly used in fields such as linguistics, language
learning, and international communication to facilitate accurate pronunciation and transcription of words
across different writing systems.

● Transliteration is different from graphological translation. As Catford rightly says, "In transliteration, SL
graphological units are replaced by TL graphological units; but these are not translation equivalents, since they
are not selected on the basis of relationship to the same graphic substance.“

● Example: എന്താ േവണ്ടത്? entha vendathu?

● In principle, the process of setting up a transliteration- system involves three steps: (1) SL letters are replaced
by SL phonological units; this is the normal literate process of converting from the written to the spoken
medium. (2) The SL phonological units are translated into TL phonological units. (3) The TL phonological
units are converted into TL letters, or other graphological units
 Some other Translations
● 'Grammatical' translation is 'restricted' translation where the grammar of the source language text is substituted
by equivalent grammar in the target language, but the lexis is not replaced.

● Lexical' translation is 'restricted' translation where the lexis of a text is substituted by equivalent lexis in the
target language, but the grammar is not changed

● Some scholars made a distinction between vertical and horizontal translation

Vertical & Horizontal Translation
Vertical Horizontal
● Vertical translation involves translating from a ● Horizontal translation occurs when both the
source language (SL) of higher prestige or value source language (SL) and the target
into the vernacular or native language (TL) that language (TL) have a similar value or
holds special significance. prestige.
● In this type of translation, the source language is ● In this type of translation, there isn't a
often a prestigious language like Latin, and the significant disparity in the status or prestige
translation is into a vernacular language. of the languages involved.
● Example: Translating Latin texts, which were ● Example: Translating between two
considered prestigious and authoritative in the vernacular languages of similar prestige,
medieval period, into vernacular languages such such as translating from Provencal into
as Old English, Middle French, or Middle High Italian or from Norman-French into English
German. These translations aimed to make the during the medieval period. These
content accessible to a wider audience who may translations aimed to bridge linguistic barriers
not understand Latin. between regions or communities without
implying a hierarchy between the languages
involved.
 Various Methods of Translation (Translating Poetry, Seven Strategies and a Blue Print Andre Lefevere )

● 1. Phonemic Translation: This type of translation attempts to reproduce the sound of the source language in
the target language while still providing an acceptable paraphrase of the meaning.
Example: Translating the English phrase "I love you" into French as "Je t'aime," where the phonetic sounds of the
words are preserved in the target language while conveying the same sense.
● 2. Literal Translation: In literal translation, the emphasis is on translating word-for-word, often resulting in
distorted syntax or sense compared to the original.
Example: Translating the Spanish phrase "El gato negro" into English as "The cat black," maintaining a
word-for-word translation but resulting in awkward syntax. A more natural translation would be "The black cat."
● 3. Metrical Translation: In metrical translation, the primary criterion is reproducing the meter or rhythm of
the source language in the target language, sometimes at the expense of literal accuracy.
Example: Translating Shakespeare's sonnets into French alexandrines to maintain the same meter and rhythm,
even if it requires changes to the wording or syntax to fit the poetic structure.
● 4. Poetry into Prose: This involves translating poetry into prose, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original
text without adhering strictly to its poetic form or structure.
Example: Translating a poem by Pablo Neruda into prose, where the emphasis is on conveying the meaning of the
original text without the constraints of poetic structure.
● 5. Rhymed Translation: Rhymed translation involves translating a text while attempting to maintain both the meter
and rhyme scheme of the original, which may lead to distortion or loss of meaning.
Example: Translating a poem by Edgar Allan Poe into a rhymed form in another language, while striving to maintain
both the meter and the rhyme scheme of the original.
● 6. Blank Verse Translation: Blank verse translation involves translating a text into unrhymed verse, often striving
for a more literal translation of the meaning without the constraints of rhyme.
Example: Translating Milton's "Paradise Lost" into blank verse in another language, focusing on a literal translation of
the text's meaning without the constraints of rhyme.
● 7. Interpretation: Interpretation involves retaining the substance of the source text while changing its form to adapt
to a new context or audience.
Example: Translating a classical Greek play into modern English, retaining the themes and substance of the original
but updating the language and form to make it accessible to contemporary audiences. Similarly, producing a loose
adaptation of a Shakespearean play that retains the essence of the story but uses modern language and settings would
also fall under this category.
 Popvic’s Classification
(1) Linguistic equivalence, where there is homogeneity on the linguistic level of both SL and TL texts, i.e.,
word- for-word translation.

● (2) Paradigmatic equivalence, where there is equivalence of 'the elements of a paradigmatic expressive axis,'
i.e., elements of grammar, which Popvic sees as being a higher category than lexical equivalence.

● (3) Stylistic (translational) equivalence, where there is 'functional equivalence of elements in both original
and translation aiming at an expressive identity with an invariant of identical meaning.'

● (4) Textual (syntagmatic) equivalence, where there is equivalence of the syntagmatic structuring of a text,
i.e., equivalence of form and shape.
 Popvic’s Classification
(1) Linguistic equivalence, where there is homogeneity on the linguistic level of both SL and TL texts, i.e.,
word- for-word translation.

● (2) Paradigmatic equivalence, where there is equivalence of 'the elements of a paradigmatic expressive axis,'
i.e., elements of grammar, which Popvic sees as being a higher category than lexical equivalence.

● (3) Stylistic (translational) equivalence, where there is 'functional equivalence of elements in both original
and translation aiming at an expressive identity with an invariant of identical meaning.'

● (4) Textual (syntagmatic) equivalence, where there is equivalence of the syntagmatic structuring of a text,
i.e., equivalence of form and shape.