Unit 9 Aids and Tools of Translation
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UNIT 9 AIDS AND TOOLS OF TRANSLATION Structure 9.0 Objectives 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Definition and Scope of Dictionaries 9.2.1 What is a Dictionary? 9.2.2 Types of Dictionaries 9.3 Dictionaries with Specific Objectives 9.3.1 Special Dictionaries 9.3.2 Trans-lingual Dictionaries 9.3.3 Subject Dictionaries 9.4 Grammars 9.5 Use of Dictionaries and Grammars for Translation 9.6 Definition and Scope of Encyclopaedias 9.6.1 General Encyclopaedias 9.6.2 Special Encyclopaedias 9.7 Other Reference Sources 9.7.1 Geographical Sources (Maps etc.) 9.7.2 Biographical Sources 9.7.3 Handbooks, Manuals etc. 9.7.4 Others 9.8 Use of Encyclopaedias & Reference Sources for Translation 9.9 Let Us Sum Up 9.10 Key Words 9.11 Answers to Exercises 9.0 OBJECTIVES The purpose of this unit is to introduce you to various aids and tools of translation which will help you in translating any piece of work. After working through this unit, you will be able to describe several types of reference books; differentiate between various kinds of aids and tools used for translation; pick up a particular aid for tracing required information; and make proper use of the reference tools for translating a piece of work. 9.1 INTRODUCTION Translation is the art of rendering the writings of one language into another language. The art of translation lies not only in conveying the literal sense but also in translating the feelings, thought, character and spirit of the work by using apt words so that it is equal in quality to the original work. In order to achieve this, it becomes necessaryjo , have mastery of both the source language and the target language. In addition the translator also needs to have knowledge of the subject of the work she is translating. In addition to the linguistic problems, s/he may find it difficult to understand the subject of discussion, due to which translation is impossible or becomes faulty. What should a translator do in all such cases. Send the faulty or incomplete translation to the vetter and expect hirnlher to complete the job? When we talk about the responsibilities of the translator, we also include the vetter in its purview. Afterall someone has to do the job. In such circumstances the translator and/or vetter should be able to consult reference . I 1 I. re - ~ ~ ~- 1-- - - -1. 1 I . .I . n~ - Theoretical Background 11 can producc an acceptable text in the target language. In this unit, we intend to define and explain the scope of dictionaries, encyclopaedias, atlases and grammars introduce you to different types of reference tools used for translating a enumerate the uses of these tools by giving examples a suggest ways and means of solving the problems faced by the translator by making proper use of appropriate reference tools. Let us examine these one by one 9.2 DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF DICTIONARIES A dictionary is the most widely known and used reference source. Almost all school children are taught to use a dictionary to help them in finding meanings of difficult words and pursuing independent studies. It is one of the most common reference sources referred to hy people. The word 'dictionary' is derived from the medieval Latin word 'dictionarium' - a collection of words. It originates from the term 'diction' meaning 'a mode of expression'. It deals with the collection of general words either of a language or special terms of a particular subject. It usually defines terms and gives their alternate or variant spellings, pronunciation parts of speech and inflections, meanings, usage etc. Some dictionaries give the derivation and history of words too. The words are arranged in some definite order, usually alphabetical order. In a nutshell, a dictionary deals with words. 9.2.1 What is a Dictionary? You have surely seen a dictionary. It is used widely by all- students and scholars alike. It is a reference book seen in evcry home. We refer to the dictionary, whenever we have problems. What do we look for in a dictionary? We can find the meaning of a difficult word. In addition to the meaning of a wordf we get other semantic information pertaining to the meaning- its synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic usages etc. We also look up the pronunciation of a word. Dictionaries provide some grammatical information such as the gender of a word, the class it belongs to (noun, adjective, verb etc.), the correct usage of the word (comprise + noun is the correct form; 'comprise of' is an error), alternate spellings of a particular word etc. Good dictionaries provide information about the contcxts in which a word occurs (i.e. the usage of a particular word). Thus we can find out if the usage 'mail' can be used as a verb in the meaning of sending something through post as in 'mail it to the customers'. Dictionaries also give information of socio-linguistic meaning of words such as slang, jargon, archaic words etc. It gives historical information of where (or which language) it came from, how and when it was coined and what changes took place in form and meaning over the period. As you can observe, a dictionary is a reservoir of a large amount of semantic, grammatical, socio-linguistic and historical information of the words in a particular language. But all persons may not need all the information. A learner would only like to know the meaning of a word and its usage. A writer would like to have socio-linguistic information as slhe would like to use the appropriate word in a particular context. The historical information would be more useful to a linguist or a grammarian. Thus we may have to produce different dictionaries for different groups of users. That leads us to the question of types of dictionaries depending upon factors like age, economy of costs etc. 9.2.2 Types of Dictionaries We can talk about the types of dictionaries from two different angles. One is the approach to making a dictionary - how the words are arranged and presented. The other is the form of the dictionary depending on factors like the user, the size of the book to be printed, coverage etc. i) Dictionaries having different approaches Dictionaries come in different arrangements. What we call a dictionary usually has an alphabetical order of presentation, whereas a Thesaurus presents the words in groups Aids and TOOISof Translation having related meanings. Still one can locate any word from the alphabetical index given. Thus we have four major types of dictionaries as shown below: a) Dictionary or Lexicon b) Thesaurus c) Glossary (or Wordlist) d) Vocabulary Let us discuss these four types one by one. a) Dictionary or Lexicon It is derived from a reek word 'Lexicon' meaning 'dictionary'. Each entry in the Lexicon is known as 'Lexis' meaning 'a word'. Lexicology and Lexicography are two divisions of linguistics. Lexicon meant the totality of words or vocabulary of a language. It was meant chiefly for dictionaries of ancient languages viz. Greek, Latin, Hebrew, etc. But in recent years, the scope of a lexicon has been widened. b) Thesaurus The term 'thesaurus' also has its origin in Greek. It means 'a storehousc' or 'a treasury' or 'a repository'. Peter Mark Roget was the first person to make a 'thesaurus' for English in 1852. Unlike dictionaries, entries are arranged in a classified order in the thesaurus. They are well-known for their collections of synonyms and antonyms. Eg. Roget's 77tesaurus of English Words and Phrases, Dutch New York: St. Martins. 1965. In a thesaurus all words pertaining to a specific concept or context are presented at one place. Thus, words expressing "anger" or words pertaining to "mammals" can be seen at one place. This is a useful tool for writers. In recent years, the word 'thesaurus' has undergone a change. Now, thesauri are compiled in various subjects which resemble synonym dictionaries. Eg. 771esaurusof Tmtile ks.2nd ed. MIT Press, 1969. c) Glossary The word 'glossary' originates from the Latin word 'glossarium' meaning 'a collection of words peculiar to a field of knowledge'. Each entry in a glossary is known as a 'gloss' meaning 'a word', 'a comment', 'an explanation' or 'an interpretation'. It explains techni~alterms of a specific dialect or subject. eg. Comprehensive Glossary of Technical Terms prepared by Central Hindi Directorate. India : Ministry of Education, 1973-74. Glossaries are usually word lists, with or without an e,quivalent in another language and do not provide other semantic/grammatical information. The book mentioned above is a bilingual glossary- English words with Hindi equivalents. d) Vocabulary The name 'vocabulary' originates from a medieval Latin word 'vocabularium'. It is often used for a stock of words and phrases with brief explanations and meanings restricted to a single work or author. The entries are usually arranged in alphabetical order. Eg. Consolidated Basic Hindi Vocabulaty (Classes I to WII) Compiled by Uday Shankar and Jai Narain Kaushik, New Delhi: National, 1982. This is based on the research study undertaken by seven scholars. It incorporates basic, comprehensive, Hindi vocabulary for children from classes one to eight. It ascertains the comprehensibility of students of different grades. The number under each grade and against each word indicates the difficulty in understanding the specific word. It is a very useful book for the teachers, authors and all those who address school children. ii) Combination of Dictionary with Other Reference Sources With the advancement of lexicography as a science, compilers produce dictionaries combining features of two reference books into one. a) Dictionary-cum-Thesaurus Collins has merged two essential reference books into one by combining Collins English Dictionary and New Collins Thesaurus: the CoNitzs Dictionary and lllesaurus in One Theoreileal Background I1 Volume ed.