UNIT 1

AN INTRODUCTION TO
TRANSLATION THEORY
Chapter 1
Translation as a Science and Translation as an Art. A Practical Approach
Objectives

■ O1. To dive into the history of translation, from Roman times to the
present.
■ O2. To reflect upon why translation is considered both a science and
an art.
■ O3. To learn about the origin and evolution of Translation Studies.
■ O4. To understand that translation is not just the act of transforming
words from one language to another, but also a task that depends on
other disciplines and requires constant updating.
 1. INTRODUCTION

2. A REVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF TRANSLATION

3. TRANSLATION STUDIES

4. PRACTICE
1. Introduction

Types of translation

Translation as a science
and as an art
Translation- as old as human
kind
•Translation Studies (a modern concept)

Roman Jakobson’s translation

types (1959)
•Intralingual, interlingual and
intersemiotic
Interlingual Intralingual Intersemiotic
L2-L1 L1/L1 Verbal/ non-
L1-L2 verbal signs
Common L2/L2
Standard (+ rewording, Limitless
Best-known rephrasing…) possibilities
AVT AD & SLI
Religious translation Translation & ideology

Science
Art

- Communication
Translation & - Learning
power - Politics
- Literature
 2. A review of the history of translation

Roman times

Middle Ages

Renaissance

17th century

18th century

Romanticism

19th century

20th century
 ROMAN TIMES & MIDDLE AGES

Cicero St Jerome Middle Ages

•Word for word •Latin •Philosophers &

•Sense for Vulgate theologicians
sense •Word for •Translation in education
word •Vernacular
(religion) vs languages/literatures
sense for •Roger Bacon (need for
sense foreign-language training)
(other texts)
 RENAISSANCE

The invention of the printing press/vernacular languages…

• William Caxton

Martin Luther
• The importance of the reader’s perception of the TT

Juan Luis Vives

• The didactics of translation and pedagogical uses

Etienne Dolet
• Five principles of translation theory (SL sense, L2/L1 knowledge,
natural & fluent, and avoid literal tr. and Latinate forms)
 17th century
Scientists Sir John Abraham John Dryden
• Lingua franca Denham Cowley • 3 translation
• Vernacular • Transation as an • Freer types/methods
languages art (beyond ling. translations that • Metaphrase
• Poet and transfer) can keep the • WforW
translator- • Pessimistic view essence/spirit • Paraphrase
equals on the existence • S4S
of really good • Imitation
translations
• Free TT
 18th century
Alexander Fraser Johann Wolfgang August Wilhelm von
Tytler von Goethe Schlegel
• 3 general rules of • Defense of literality to • Translation viewed as a
translation keep the spirit of the mechanical or a creative
• Complete transcript of text (unnatural ling. task where the
ideas forms) translator was a visible
• Similar style • Natural TTs would lose genius who enriched the
the spirit (mere TT
• Fluent & natural TT
versions)
• Foreign/Domestic
 Romanticism
Friedrich Schleiermacher Wilhem von Humboldt
•Methods •Untranslatability (every
•Reader-to-author (TT close to language divides reality in
the SL, read as a translation) different ways) vs
• Author-to-reader •translation as a universal tool
(naturalisation of SL ling. of communication (the
elements) universal connection of ideas
allows translation to occur)
 19th century

Percy • Impossible to
produce good
Bysshe translations—
artifice (‘free’
Shelley versions)

• Elitist view of
Mathew translation
Arnold (learned
readers)

Industrial • The translator

relegated to
revolution + the position of
a technician
nationalism
Walter Benjamin Eugene Nida
• Translation as an art form (at • Translation as a science
the level of prose or poetry) • Formal and dynamic
• “Pure language” (languages equivalence (translation
have a common core approaches)
translators need to find and
reproduce)

XX CENTURY

Great linguistic theories Psycholinguistics, NLP

• Chomsky, Jakobson, Discourse • Translation process, translator
Analysis… training and CAT tools
• Translation as a process (not
only as a product)
 Functionalist • Communicative purpose

THE END OF THE XX CENTURY

• The reality of the social
views context

Cultural • Translation as a political

and cultural weapon
studies • To mirror or distort

• Translation as an exact art

George • A hermeneutic activity
consisting of 4 parts: trust,
Steiner aggression, incorporation
and restitution
 3.
TRANSLATION
STUDIES (TS)
TS A discipline with a scientific status
of its own

A transversal science (sociol.,

ethnogr., ling., hto., psycho., philos.,
compar. Lit., terminol., aesthe. etc.)

1972 JAMES S. HOLMES

“The Name and Nature of
Translation Studies”
Gideon Toury (DTS) TS – a consolidated
•Norms (2012: 63) (inter)discipline
•“the translation of general values
or ideas shared by a community — •Relevant scholars
as to what would count as right or •Scientific journals and
wrong, adequate or inadequate—
into performance ‘instructions’ conferences
appropriate for and applicable to •Professional associations
concrete situations. These
‘instructions’ specify what is •Higher education
prescribed and forbidden, as well programmes+++
as what is tolerated and permitted
in a certain behavioural
dimensión”.
4. Practice
[Source: Widdowson, H. G. (1972). The teaching of “La enseñanza del inglés como una forma de
English as communication. ELT journal, 27(1), 15–19] comunicación”
What I should like to do in this short article is to consider a En este breve artículo me gustaría discutir un problema de la
problem in the teaching of English which has come into enseñanza del inglés que ha adquirido especial importancia en los
particular prominence over the past few years, and to últimos años, así como sugerir un posible modo de resolverlo.
suggest a way in which it might be resolved.
El problema es que los alumnos, y especialmente los alumnos de
The problem is that students, and especially students in países en vías de desarrollo, que han recibido varios años de
developing countries, who have received several years of enseñanza de inglés en su formación académica, suelen tener una
formal English teaching, frequently remain deficient in the habilidad deficiente a la hora de usar realmente el idioma y
ability to actually use the language, and to understand its comprender su utilización en una situación de comunicación normal,
use, in normal communication, whether in the spoken or the ya sea hablada o escrita.
written mode.
Esta cuestión ha adquirido mayor importancia recientemente porque,
The problem has come into prominence in recent years como resultado de un enorme aumento de oportunidades educativas,
because, as a result of an enormous increase in un gran número de alumnos de países en vías de desarrollo está
educational opportunity, large numbers of students in matriculándose en universidades y centros superiores politécnicos y
developing countries are entering universities and technical de formación profesional para cursar asignaturas que solo pueden
institutions to take up subjects which can only be estudiarse de modo correcto si los alumnos son capaces de leer libros
satisfactorily studied if the students are able to read de texto en inglés de manera eficiente. Una lectura eficiente implica
textbooks in English efficiently. Efficient reading involves comprender cómo funciona el idioma en situaciones comunicativas, y
understanding how language operates in communication, es esta comprensión justamente la que los alumnos parecen no
and it is precisely this understanding what students appear adquirir a lo largo de los cursos de aprendizaje de inglés en los
not to acquire during their years of learning English in the centros de educación secundaria.
secondary schools.
[Source: Andrew Marvell (1681). “To his Coy A su amante remilgada A su desdeñosa amada
Mistress”]

Si tuviéramos mundo suficiente y tiempo, Si hubiéramos de sobra tiempo y mundo

Had we but world enough, and time,
Esta timidez, señora, no sería ningún crimen. No fuera ya delito tu vergüenza;
This coyness, Lady, were no crime. Podríamos discurrir en qué manera
We would sit down, and think which way Nos sentaríamos, e imaginaríamos el modo de
Pasear, y aprovechar nuestro largo día amoroso. Dispendiar nuestros días de enamorados.
To walk, and pass our long love’s day. Tú, del índico Ganges en la orilla
Tú por la orilla del índico Ganges
Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side Rubíes encontrarías; yo en la marea Podrías buscar rubíes; yo, junto al Humber
Should’st rubies find: I by the tide Del Humber me lamentaría. Te Quedaría quejoso y te amaría
Of Humber would complain. I would Amaría diez años antes del Diluvio, Desde diez años antes del Diluvio,
Love you ten years before the Flood, Y tú, si gustases, te resistirías Mientras tú bien pudieras rechazarme
And you should, if you please, refuse Hasta la conversión de los judíos. Hasta la conversión de los Judíos.
Till the conversion of the Jews. Mi amor vegetal crecería Y mi amor vegetal se extendería
My vegetable love should grow Más vasto que un imperio, y más despacio. Más amplio que un imperio y más pausado.
Vaster than empires and more slow. Cien años dedicaría a alabar Cien años por lo menos emplearía
A hundred years should go to praise Tus ojos, y a contemplar tu frente; En alabar tus ojos y tu frente;
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; Doscientos para adorar cada pecho, Doscientos de alabanza en cada pecho;
Más treinta mil para el resto. Treinta mil para el resto de tu cuerpo.
Two hundred to adore each breast;
Una era al menos para cada parte, Una Edad en sus miembros cada uno,
But thirty thousand to the rest; Y para el corazón, la edad postrera.
An age at least to every part, Y la última era mostraría tu corazón.
Pues mujer, tú mereces esto y más, Pues, señora, mereces tal tributo,
And the last age should show your heart. Ni yo amara con fuerza más menguada.
Yo en menor grado no podría amar.
For, Lady, you deserve this state;
Nor would I love at lower rate.
 REMEMBER…

LINKS FURTHER READING

- Virtual classroom for ARTICLES/TEXTS:
students of Translation - European Commission (2013). Crowdsourcing
Studies (El Atril del Traductor. on Translation_Studies on translation and
Centro Virtual Cervantes). multilingualism.
- A short history of - European Commission (2011) Lingua Franca:
translation through the ages, Chimera or Reality?
by Marie Lebert.
- The History of BOOKS:
Translation (Language Realm - Grossman, Edith (2010). Why Translation
/Free Translation Matters. New Haven: Yale University Press
Resources). (available online -Biblioteca UNED).
- The Routledge Translation - Venuti Lawrence (2004). The Translation
Studies portal (journals, Studies Reader. London: Routledge (available at
books, links, resources, etc.). Biblioteca Central UNED).
 THANK YOU
For more information and extra resources, visit the virtual course (aLF)