Issues related to translation - Chapter 1

shift of focus between micro-analysis and macro-analysis, between micro-expression and macro-expression, i.e. a constant comparison between the meaning of the single utterances and the meaning of the text as a whole, or, on a larger scale, a constant comparison between the sense of the specific text and the comprehensive sense of the corpus which forms the "intertext," whether or not the translator is aware of this fact. In this context, "intertext" should be understood as the intertextual universe in which a text is located. Translators are advised to use the following strategies in the analysis stage: • Identify beginnings and endings of ideas in the text and the relationships between these ideas. • Identify the "best" meaning that fits into the context; • Identify the structure in the Target Language that "best" represents the original; • Identify transitions between ideas and the "best" connectors in the target language that represent the original. Composing skills At this point, the mental construction resulting from interpretation seeks an outer expression. Osimo (2002) suggests that, in this expression stage, there are two substages. One is aimed at expression, the other at cohesion. The translator, having finished his/her interpretative work, has two needs: first, to externalize the set of impressions caused by the text and translate into speech elements the impressions the mind produced by contact with the prototext; and second, to make this product coherent within itself, i.e., transform the set of speech elements into a text (the metatext). He describes the passage from mental content to written text in these terms: • pinpointing elements useful for discrimination of the content to be expressed from similar contents; • pinpointing redundant elements; • choice of words (lexicalization) and attention to their cohesion (inner links); • choice of grammatical structure(s); • linear order of words; • parts of speech; 15 • sentence complexity; • prepositions and other function words, and • final form. As a novice translator, or a student translator, you are invited to make use of the following basic strategies: • Use correct word order as used in the target language. • Use correct sentence structures as used in the target language. • transmit the ideas of the text in clear sentences in the target language. • Rephrase certain sentences to convey the overall meaning translated; • Make changes to the text as a whole to give it a sense of the original without distorting the original ideas. • Try one or more of the following strategies when facing problems of untranslateability. a. Syntactic strategies: o Shift word order. o Change clause/sentence structure. o Add or change cohesion. b. Semantic strategies: o Use superordinates. o Alter the level of abstraction. o Redistribute the information over more or fewer elements. c. Pragmatic strategies: o Naturalize or exoticize. o Alter the level of explicitness. o Add or omit information. Conclusion This study described the basic skills and strategies that novice translators as well as student translators need to master in their daily experiences with translation tasks. The main skills proposed are: reading comprehension, researching, analytical, and composing skills. The study suggested other sub-skills and strategies for planting one's feet firmly in the land of translation. The skills and strategies presented in this study represent just the basic level for beginners and students. However, advanced and professional translators may find them relevant as well. 16 Unit 4: What Makes a Translator? The "prison of language is only temporarysomeday a merciful guard the perfect translator will come along with his keys and let us out," Wendy Lesser wrote in an article, "The Mysteries of Translation," in the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2002. The following questions remain, however: Who is this translator? What does he do? And what skills should he possess? Simply put, a translator is a person who recreates a text in another language, attempting to keep a delicate balance between being so literal that the text sounds awkward and unnatural in the new language or being so free that the text has become virtually unrecognizable. A translator has to not only translate the words, but also the concepts. In other words, a translator unlocks the prison of language, as Ms. Lesser said, and helps a text break free of its limited original language, culture, and audience. This service is an unfortunately under-appreciated art and craft. To do all the above, a translator must have the following things: a native or near-native level of proficiency in both the source language (the language to be translated from) and the target language (the language to be translated to); the ability to thoroughly understand all that a text says and implies; and excellent writing and editing skills. Ideally, the translator would also have a lot of knowledge about both the source and target language cultures, as this affects word usage and meaning, as well as about the author of the original document and his style of writing. It all sounds rather formidable, certainly, but not impossible. There are, in fact, many excellent practitioners out there who fulfill these hefty requirements, but the tiny number of translated books published in the United States each year reveals the sad fact that few people take up this challenging and stimulating work. If only more people would join the ranks of translators and help unlock the prison of language. I. How to become a translator If you are serious about becoming a translator, you must be able to fulfill the following criteria, at the very least. Translator Prerequisites Your standard of education must be very high; with very few exceptions, a degree is essential, though not necessarily in languages - it is a positive advantage to have qualifications or experience in another subject. Postgraduate training in translation is useful. You must be able to write your own mother tongue impeccably in a style and register appropriate to the subject and have a flair for research on technical subjects. It goes without saying, that you should have a thorough grasp of the languages in your language combination, you must also be familiar with the culture and customs of the country. The only way to do this is by surrounding yourself with the language, i.e: by living/studying in the country where the language is spoken. German is spoken in 5 countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, 17 Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. There is no substitute for first-hand experience of living in a foreign culture, and as an Irishman living in Berlin, Germany, I can only recommend this course of action. It is best to have a specific field that you specialise in, be it literature, technical, medical, legal. Have invested in a minimum of equipment and software - At a minimum you should have a computer and appropriate word-processing software; fax machine and internet connection; suitable dictionaries, preferably online dictionaries like LEO, which return results at the touch of button, saving you an enormous amount of time searching through printed dictionaries. A telephone; answering machine (and, optionally, a dictating machine); increasingly, today's translators are also using translation memory software and other translation tools. In an office translation environment, the use of the Computer-Aided Translation (CAT)-tool Trados has become the standard. CAT-tools like Trados or Deja vu can cost quite a handful. If funds do not allow, seriously think about taking out a loan to cover start-up expenses. The investment will pay off. While it is not the industry standard, Wordfast also offers a very resourceful alternative as it has the functionality of Trados and Deja vu, but doesn't cost you a penny. Donations, however, are welcome. Produce a well-typed, well-presented curriculum vitae, briefly describing your education, qualifications and the languages from which you translate (source language/s). For Germany, you should usually include a picture of yourself beside your name and address and choose a tabular layout. A translator translates from a source language into a target language. You should translate only into your mother tongue (target language). Make sure you mention any other degrees you may have or relevant work experience. Say how you produce your work (word-processing software) and whether you can communicate by email or fax. Never shy away from asking a friend who works in business or in the language world to take a critical look at your CV before sending it out. It is, after all, your career we're talking about! In fact, if they can help you even more, all the better. If sitting at home all the time does not appeal to you, then you should not rule out the possibility of working as a freelance translator with a 9-5 office job. I myself worked in an office where the majority of translators were freelancers. An online translation forum is a great way of getting your foot in the door. Sign up for e-zines and newsletters. You should send your CV and a short covering letter to possible places of employment: Not just translation companies though, try local exporting/importing firms of whose products/business 18 you have special subject knowledge. If you are a student, there are plenty of companies out there looking to take on apprentices with a view to later full-time employment. A-Z Checklist for Translating Business-like is a word you should not forget! As long as you have an answer to my a-z of questions, and tick them off when you've an answer for each one, then you should be ok. Pre-Translation - You should know... a) Who is the translation for - this can be helpful when determining the register of your translation. b) Is there a contact for queries? Make sure you have records of the contact person's details: name, email, telephone & remember business-like as always. Always keep records. c) Find out if the language has to be translated into a particular variant. UK English or US English? d) Are there particular terms that the translation should include for consistency? e) If working under contract for a translation company, do they have a style guide that you should follow: i.e.: Rules for translating dates etc. f) Are text areas, embedded in tables and images, to be translated as well? If so, knowledge of graphic editing programs is of an advantage. g) Are you required to use a specific word processing software for the translation? h) Are you required to use a specific Computer-Aided Translation (CAT)-tool for the translation e.g. Trados i) Is there a translation memory available for the translation? Double-Checking j) Before delivering: has the translation been double-checked for accuracy, consistency, spelling, font styles the same? k) Does the text sound as if it was translated? If in doubt get someone who doesn't speak the source language to have a quick read through your translation. Delivery l) Where is the translation to be delivered? To the customer's address, Internet address? m) When is the translation deadline? n) How is the translation to be delivered? By fax, email, post? o) Do copies of material sent have to be returned? Charging and Extra Charges p) How will the translation be charged? Time, per word, per sentence? q) Will there be an additional charge for irregular difficulties? r) Will there be an additional charge for research? Specialist terminology? s) Must the translated text be proofread? 19 t) Will VAT be applicable? Payment u) How and when is payment to be made? v) When is payment to be made? w) What method of payment is to be used? Bank transfer, cheque? Liability and Compensation x) Is the translation to remain confidential? y) Does your indemnity insurance, and you will need indemnity insurance, cover all possibilities? z) Is the early termination of a job subject to compensation? And that's it! If you can answer these questions then you're one step closer to becoming a professional. II. How to be a real translator When people hear the word translator it is common to hear the sentence “AH! That is a very easy professional you just get a dictionary and translates the words.” What probably the person, or better yet the people, that makes this sort of comment doesn’t know what really lies behind a real translation and a meaningful one. The real translation is that one that cares for the roots of the text that was written. It is that one that cares for the cultural aspect of what it is being said and above all it is that one that cares to spread the real idea, the original idea of the text. In order to reach a good translation with good results the translator has to follow some basic steps: first interpret the main idea and the concepts which the writer cared for, second the translator has to have a semantic understanding to obtain a good level of his/her work and third try to get the main idea of the original to be able to pass it to the translation. If the translator is able to compare the original with the translation and obtain the same idea that means that the work was well accomplished and that the respect to the original was kept. If the translator lacks the perfect term to relate to the original it is best to keep searching in order to maintain the initial idea of the writer, that’s why translation is a constant research and also a constant study of terms as well as a study of language itself. Keeping the right idea and the right track isn’t easy, but it is a duty of a reliable translator. The results of a translation should be addressed to culture and ideas not only to the literal translation of words. For this the translators have to be determined to be close to the original and to reproduce accurately what is being said in the original. Switching words to give the right idea is a very good way of keeping track of the original; versatility is part of the skills of a good translator. Sometimes it is necessary to use the original word in a first attempt until the best word is found to replace the original one without losing the idea neither the sense. 20 The direct connection between the two versions is the key for a good translation, and also a good manner not to lose the sense of the main idea It is also important to bare in mind that the language is a source of communication used to transmit the ideas, so we as translators have to make the best use of it in order to keep the sense of the original. A good use of the language brings a good translated work. A constant study is requested in order to keep the possibilities and the diversities of a translation. Being a good translator is admitting the limitations and fighting to surpass them in a way that the results are well reached. Unit 5: Polishing Your Translation Style If you do not already have one, start by developing a translation methodology. A methodology, especially one that suits your work style, will enable you to translate more efficiently and accurately. For illustration purposes, I have included below the translation methodology that I use for Japanese to English translations. • Read the original carefully • Research the subject • Translate the work • Ask the questions • Compare with the original • Edit (proof) the translation • Sleep on the product Read the Original Wrap yourself around the translation. Read the original text thoroughly paying attention to the style of writing employed by the author. Is the author’s style light-hearted, heavy, positive, forceful, truthful, or sincere etcetera? To rephrase, determine where the author is “coming from.” Once you have successfully put yourself in the authors mind, emulate the author’s style in the translation. This simple act will make your product an extension of the author’s works-you will be lending your linguistic skill to the author’s style. This, indeed, is professional translation. It is smooth, seamless and natural-it does not have that "This have been translated" hue. Research the Subject Not enough can be said about research-good research. Less than 60 minutes of research on the translation subject really does make all the difference to the finished product. Use the internet extensively. You can quite literally find anything on the Internet, and it does not require a great amount of skill, either. Research free dictionaries, encyclopedias, informational 21 sites, case studies and white papers. Look for recent articles on the translation subject you will be translating. Another great resource that should not be over looked is academic resources. The added bonus of doing your home work at this crucial stage is that you will have the opportunity to resolve any issues you discovered in the source text while doing your research. Of course, I would be remiss in my duties as a professional if I did not provide the obligatory warning. The Internet is the greatest resource since the invention of the library the world has ever know-with one flaw. Anyone can publish anything without the due process (authentication) that goes into publishing books. You need to use the internet wisely! Corroborate your research with multiple, trusted sources. Do the research and you will be a good translator. But, you want to be in a class by yourself, right? a) Research the author Researching the translation subject will definitely go a long way to improving your style- researching the author will provide luster to your style. Get an insight to the author's life. Search for the author by name, research biographies or autobiographies, and research other work that has already been published by the author. Knowing your author will provide in-depth knowledge about his or her own private and personal feelings, reflections and experiences. Sound like a lot of work? Yes, but trust me, it is well worth it. And, there may be a silver lining in all this for you. Many authors build on previous works, which, if you were to find a translated copy of, could make for easy going. Researching the author of a super computer translation project turned up 17 pages (total of 49 pages) of translated material that only required minor modifications. Easiest Japanese to English translation any body ever did! Moral of the story: Research the author. b) Authoritative knowledge Authoritative knowledge is the technical, or subject matter, expertise one possesses in a specific field. Specializing in specific fields in which you are genuinely an expert on terminology, in both languages, adds weight to your style. Think for a moment. Have you ever tried to write about a topic that you had little or no knowledge of in your native language? Although you had no problem with the language, it was not easy, right? And the finished product probably lacked natural flow and conviction that comes with knowledge and experience. This is the power of authoritative knowledge. Establish an authoritative translation style-limit yourself to your natural area of technical, or subject matter, expertise, and beef up on those fields where you want to be an expert. 22 Translate the Work Finally, an easy task! Really, if you have followed step 1 and step 2, then translating is not only easy, it is enjoyable. Take your translating style to the next level by keeping these simple pieces of advice in the back of your mind when doing translation projects. a) Translate into your Native language Translating into a non-native language will generally suffer from deficiencies in style, and you will make more spelling and grammatical errors. Professional translators know this, and will never translate from their native language into a learned language. For example, I am bilingual having graduated from a Japanese university (economics), and have lived and worked in Japan for the last 15 years. I only do Japanese to English translations (never English to Japanese translation). That is, I only work into English. Should you translate into your learned language, and have an educated native speaker of that language check your work? Two people doing one job-do the native thing! b) Let Stalk Strine Okay, where are we going with this, you ask? And what is this “Strine,” anyway? Strine was first documented by Afferbeck Lauder back in the 1960's. His groundbreaking work - Let Stalk Strine - highlighted the fact that Australians had not only developed their own idioms in English but had, in fact, developed a whole different language. Regional variations within the same language need to be reflected in your translation work. American English is not the same as British English is not the same as Australian English, or South African English for that matter. Many other languages have regional variations: Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. The difference is significant (from a translation point of view), but obviously not that great as to warrant a unique language classification. Professional translators make the effort to be aware of regional language differences. c) Culture does factor into translation A client who is a professor at a Japanese university in Tokyo commissioned me to translate a letter of recommendation to an American graduate school for one of his students. The source text was laden with cultural innuendos of modesty and self deprecation. An example line in the original text read "although this student has a limited breadth and depth of general knowledge, and is not the top student in the class, she is very hard working and makes friend easily." Well now, as a graduate assistant in the admissions department at an American graduate school, it was my job to screen such recommendation letters. I do not need to tell you that such a recommendation would not even make it through to the admissions review board. Yes, culture definitely does matter. And if you need to alter a text significantly in translation, do it! Then explain to the client why you did what you did. Remember, language is defined by culture. 23 d) Know your limits What does this mean? In step 2, I referred to authoritative knowledge. I mention it here again at the risk of being repetitive, but it really does merit repetition. Translation encompasses a huge field of subjects. If you think of all the material that requires translation you will soon realize that this encompasses the collective body of human knowledge. Some people are just incredibly gifted and seem to soak up whatever subject they are exposed to. This is not the case for the rest of us- so, play to your strengths. e) Context is important Disregard for translating “in context” has given rise to the expression "lost in translation." In your native language, most words have multiple meanings, so imagine what all the possibilities are when you have finished translating! Translating with an eye to "in context" is even more important when translating from a language that has relatively few words, such as English, to a language that has a large number of words such as Japanese. For example, the term "translation," which can mean moving information between languages or can mean rendering (data), is definitely a candidate for “lost in translation” translation (work). f) Simple is best Never has an adage been more applicable to the profession of translation-a simple translating style, like writing and just about everything else, is powerful and convincing. Always use succinct, easily understood language that complements the author’s style of writing. Short, well formed sentences that adhere to the rules of grammar and are devoid of complex terms are better. Much better. Slang and clichés do not translate well between most languages. And, you run the risk of being offensive. Adopting a vague translation style definitely does not make for simple translation. A “great show” may not mean "wonderful movie" when translated. Likewise, terms ending in an "ing" suffix can be ambiguous-is it a noun or an adjective? Maybe it is a gerund. I am sure you get the picture-use an alternative where possible. g) What is not written is as important as what is written That is right-read between the lines! Interestingly, this expression in Japanese translates as "read diagonally." Knowledge of the author and authoritative knowledge will provide you with the background information to see past the physical, or written, text. Admittedly, this is d