Филологические науки/ 6.Актуальные проблемы перевода

Зражевська Л.К.

Східноєвропейський університет економіки і менеджменту, Черкаси, Україна

Building Translation

Many people assume that any literate person who knows more than one language can translate. Nothing is farther from the truth. Translation is a talent few people possess, although many think they do. Without an innate aptitude for translation, one can go through the motions of replacing words with their equivalents in another language, but the results are likely to fall short of the intent and flavour of the original. Even the best translation is never a full and true reflection of its source, simply because no two languages in the world, not even the most closely related, are identical in their way of using the words and nuances. The best one can hope for is a rendition close enough to the original not to alter any of its meaning, full enough not to omit any detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, and elegant enough to provide at least some of the stylistic character of the original text. Precisely because there is no such thing as a perfect translation of an original source, translation is always a challenge which requires skill, training and experience. The constant improvements in the computer field have tripled and quadrupled the output of a translator and have made the task of translating much easier.

As far back as the history of language instruction goes, conscientious teachers have sought new and better ways to facilitate and accelerate language learning and teaching. The study of translation and the training of professional translators is without question an integral part of the explosion of both intercultural relations and the transmission of scientific and technological knowledge. The need for a new approach to the process of teaching and learning is certainly felt in translator and interpreter training programs around the world. Translator training mainly revolves around the semantic transfer of words, phrases and whole texts from one language to another. Language seems to have a life of its own. It changes and it stays the same. It is difficult to catch individual speakers of a language in the act of changing it or of preventing it from changing. Language, as the shaping force of a people or a culture or a nation molds all of its individual speakers in more or less uniform ways. The language inside the heads of translators-interpreters seems to have a shape and size and colour and feel that rejects or at least resists other ways of saying things – especially when those other ways come from people outside the group, speakers of different regional dialects of the language or of other languages. The sentence structures and idiomatic expressions of foreign languages seem not only alien but wrong to students. Translation is challenging and at the same time full of possibilities. Students need to be taught translation through various activities.

These needs can also be met, either as a whole or individually, through the following variation activities. Most of these are not innovative. Some are used in most translation programs, others are regular foreign-language course activities adapted for a translation course. But they are useful in focusing on one or more aspects of the skills required of a translator.

Studying published translations. Instead of having students work on the translation, have them analyze, suggest alternatives, and criticize both good and poor translations already published. This activity can also be done after the student himself has translated the text without access to the published version. Comparing his end product and the published product can be enriching.

Translating a translated text. The translated version of a chapter of a novel written by a well-known native-language author can be excellent material for this exercise. The students will use the English translation, for instance, as their source text and translate it into Ukrainian. If, initially, teachers do not tell students where the text is from, there is little risk that they will merely copy the original creation without doing any work of their own. After the students have completed their translation, they will compare it to what the author really wrote. This activity is an excellent exercise, since it allows for an analysis of where certain features of the original text were omitted. Were they lost in the translation of the author's text into the student's foreign language or in the student's translation back into his native language. This can lead into a discussion of the mishaps of translation.

Analyzing the difficulties found in a text without actually translating it. This helps students focus on their own problematic areas and learn to evaluate the difficulty of a text—an important factor when pricing a translation. This activity can center on the technical terms of the text and can thus involve the student with background-information gathering and terminological research.

Comparing different translations of the same text. This activity can be based on students' work or, preferably, published versions of the same text. When possible, it is also interesting to compare translations into different target languages, i.e., the same American poem of an English novel translated into Ukrainian; it is possible to compare sonnets by Shakespeare as translated by Marshak and by various authors.

Reading background material before translating. This can be easily done with news articles. Have students read article about the same subject in the target language before translating his text. This enables him to better understand the context and content, and it gives him the vocabulary necessary for the task.

Comparing various news articles (in the same language) about the same subject from different sources. This involves analysis of the stylistics of the text and the diversity of the public aimed at, as well as discussion of the political and social tendencies of newspapers, journals, magazines.

Translating a text from notes – not using the actual text for reference. Students are allowed to read a text for a limited period of time and are encouraged to take brief notes. They are, then, supposed to rewrite the text in the target language. This exercise aims at assisting students in freeing themselves from the formal linguistic characteristics of the original text and concentrating on the information content. It is essential that students' notes be concise, using phrases, not complete sentences.

References:

1. Korunets I.V. Theory and Practice of Translation / Korunets I.V. – Vinnytsya: Nova Knyha Publishers, 2001. – 448 р.

2. Robinson D. Becoming a Translator. An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Translation / Robinson D. – Routledge: London and New York, 2003. – 301 p.

3. Newmark P. A textbook of translation / Peter Newmark. – N.Y.: Prentice Hall, 1988. – 292 р.