TRANSLATION

What is Translation?

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What is Translation?

Introduction

A process of intercultural interaction and communication to produce text as the end product which can function appropriately in required situations and contexts of use is called translation. Translation primarily is the transfer of text, or communication of the interpretation of the text of the source language by equivalent text of the targeted language. The definition of the phenomenon of translation defined by Bell (1991:20) is the replacement of a text represented in a particular language by the equivalent text represented in some different language.

The importance and usage of translation, in different forms, can be observed and felt on a regular basis. Translations are present in many newspapers, books and magazines. The modern society is not only familiar with the standard images and metaphors, but they also employ these to characterize translation. Our culture denotes and constructs translation through figurative usage of various kinds. A finished translation offers the user an authentic image of the parent text because it closely and pertinently bears resemblance to the text which is beyond reach itself.

According to Bell (1987, pp. 403-7), the discussions related to the translation theories are often related to the distinctions between literary texts and non-literary texts, differences between poetry and prose, technical articles or sacred scriptures. To understand the concepts and true nature of translation, the processes and the procedures involved in translation should be focused, not the translation types. Instead of having no theories on translations, there are several of such theories stating the concepts of how, when and why to translate. Translation, as a whole, can be explained by elaborating following major aspects of translation.

Linguistic aspect

Cultural aspect

Equivalency aspect

Philological aspect

Communicative aspect

Socio-semiotic aspect

Discussion

Linguistic aspect of translation

The relations between the original or source text and its translation or target text are quite complex. The most important and popular theory related to linguistic aspects of translation was proposed by Roman Jakobson (1959) who was considered a profound expert on linguistics and anthropology. According to Jakobson the linguistic verbal sign gives meaning to an object. Jakobson also mentioned three means for the interpretation of a lingual signs.

Rewording, defined as the interpretation of lingual signs by other signs from the same source language.

Translation, defined as the interpretation of lingual signs by the signs of another language.

Transmutation, defined as the interpretation of lingual signs by non-lingual signs

These are also known as the three types of translation. Catford published “A Linguistic Theory of Translation” with the opening words “Any theory of translation is drawn upon a theory of language, a general linguistic theory” (1965:1). Translation is not just related to words, but it is about the transformation of the code of one language and its reconstruction through the code of different language thus involving the two equivalent utterances into two separate codes. While translating, the lack of semantic equivalences in the target language does not hinder the transformation of the integral information encoded in the language of the source. Languages typically differ from each other in what they “must” covey ...