Routledge Applied Linguistics is a series of comprehensive resource books, providing students and researchers with the support they need for advanced study in the core areas of English language and Applied Linguistics.
Each book in the series guides readers through three main sections, enabling them to explore and develop major themes within the discipline: • Section A, Introduction, establishes the key terms and concepts and extends readers’ techniques of analysis through practical application. • Section B, Extension, brings together influential articles, sets them in context, and discusses their contribution to the field. • Section C, Exploration, builds on knowledge gained in the first two sections, setting thoughtful tasks around further illustrative material. This enables readers to engage more actively with the subject matter and encourages them to develop their own research responses. Throughout the book, topics are revisited, extended, interwoven and deconstructed, with the reader’s understanding strengthened by tasks and follow-up questions.
Translation: • examines the theory and practice of translation from a variety of linguistic and cultural angles, including semantics, equivalence, functional linguistics, corpus and cognitive linguistics, text and discourse analysis, gender studies and post- colonialism • draws on a wide range of languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Arabic • explores material from a variety of sources, such as the Internet, advertisements, religious texts, literary and technical texts • gathers together influential readings from the key names in the discipline, including James S. Holmes, George Steiner, Jean-Paul Vinay and Jean Darbelnet, Eugene Nida, Werner Koller and Ernst-August Gutt. Written by experienced teachers and researchers in the field, Translation is an essential resource for students and researchers of English language and Applied Linguistics as well as Translation Studies.
Basil Hatim is Professor of Translation and Linguistics at Heriot Watt University, UK and Professor of English and Translation at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. Jeremy Munday is Deputy Director of the Centre for Translation Studies, University of Surrey, UK. ROUTLEDGE APPLIED LINGUISTICS
SERIES EDITORS
Christopher N. Candlin is Senior Research Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University, Australia, and Professor of Applied Linguistics at the Open University, UK. At Macquarie, he has been Chair of the Department of Linguistics; he established and was Executive Director of the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR); and was foundation Director of the Centre for Language in Social Life (CLSL). He has written or edited over 150 publications and from 2004 will co-edit the new Journal of Applied Linguistics. From 1996 to 2002 he was President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA). He has acted as a consultant in more than 35 countries and as external faculty assessor in 36 universities worldwide.
Ronald Carter is Professor of Modern English Language in the School of English Studies at the University of Nottingham. He has published extensively in applied linguistics, literary studies and language in education, and has written or edited over 40 books and 100 articles in these fields. He has given consultancies in the field of English language education, mainly in conjunction with the British Council, in over 30 countries worldwide, and is editor of the Routledge Interface series and advisory editor to the Routledge English Language Introductions series. He was recently elected a Fellow of the British Academy for Social Sciences and is currently UK Government Advisor for ESOL and Chair of the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL).
FORTHCOMING TITLES IN THE SERIES
Intercultural Communication: An advanced resource book Adrian Holliday, Martin Hyde and John Kullman, Canterbury Christ Church University College, UK
Translation: An advanced resource book Basil Hatim, Heriot-Watt University, UK and the American University of Sharjah, UAE and Jeremy Munday, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
Grammar and Context: An advanced resource book Ann Hewings, Open University and Martin Hewings, University of Birmingham Translation An advanced resource book
Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday First published 2004 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 2004 Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN 0-203-50188-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-57110-X (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0–415–28305–1 (hbk) ISBN 0–415–28306–x (pbk) To Nuria, who came into this world at the same time as this book
and to Sam and Lema, we will make it up to you.
Contents
Series Editors’ Preface xiii Acknowledgements xv How to use this book xvii
SECTION A INTRODUCTION 1
Unit 1 What is translation? 3 Unit 2 Translation strategies 10 Unit 3 The unit of translation 17 Unit 4 Translation shifts 26 Unit 5 The analysis of meaning 34 Unit 6 Dynamic equivalence and the receptor of the message 40 Unit 7 Textual pragmatics and equivalence 48 Unit 8 Translation and relevance 57 Unit 9 Text type in translation 67 Unit 10 Text register in translation 76 Unit 11 Text, genre and discourse shifts in translation 86 Unit 12 Agents of power in translation 93 Unit 13 Ideology and translation 102 Unit 14 Translation in the information technology era 112
SECTION BEXTENSION 121
Unit 1 What is translation? 123 Unit 2 Translation strategies 132 Unit 3 The unit of translation 136 Unit 4 Translation shifts 142 Unit 5 The analysis of meaning 152 Unit 6 Dynamic equivalence and the receptor of the message 160 Unit 7 Textual pragmatics and equivalence 169 Unit 8 Translation and relevance 176 Unit 9 Text type in translation 181 Unit 10 Text register in translation 187 Unit 11 Text, genre and discourse shifts in translation 192 Unit 12 Agents of power in translation 200 Unit 13 Ideology and translation 206 Unit 14 Translation in the information technology era 213
vii Contents
SECTION C EXPLORATION 219
Unit 1 What is translation? 221 Unit 2 Translation strategies 226 Unit 3 The unit of translation 231 Unit 4 Translation shifts 238 Unit 5 The analysis of meaning 243 Unit 6 Dynamic equivalence and the receptor of the message 253 Unit 7 Textual pragmatics and equivalence 264 Unit 8 Translation and relevance 272 Unit 9 Text type in translation 281 Unit 10 Text register in translation 287 Unit 11 Text, genre and discourse shifts in translation 295 Unit 12 Agents of power in translation 304 Unit 13 Ideology and translation 313 Unit 14 Translation in the information technology era 321
Developing words and cultures – some concluding remarks 329 Further reading 331 Glossary 334 Bibliography 354 Index 364
viii
Contents cross-referenced
Section A: Introduction
Unit 1 What is translation? 3 Unit 2 Translation strategies 10
Unit 3 The unit of translation 17
Unit 4 Translation shifts 26
Unit 5 The analysis of meaning 34
Unit 6 Dynamic equivalence and the receptor of the message 40
Unit 7 Textual pragmatics and equivalence 48
Unit 8 Translation and relevance 57
Unit 9 Text type in translation 67
Unit 10 Text register in translation 76
Unit 11 Text, genre and discourse shifts in translation 86
Unit 12 Agents of power in translation 93
Unit 13 Ideology and translation 102
Unit 14 Translation in the information technology era 112
x Section B: Extension Section C: Exploration
What is translation? 123 What is translation? 221 Translation strategies 132 Translation strategies 226
The unit of translation 136 The unit of translation 231
Translation shifts 142 Translation shifts 238
The analysis of meaning 152 The analysis of meaning 243
Dynamic equivalence and the Dynamic equivalence and the receptor of the message 160 receptor of the message 253
Textual pragmatics and equivalence 169 Textual pragmatics and equivalence 264
Translation and relevance 176 Translation and relevance 272
Text type in translation 181 Text type in translation 281
Text register in translation 187 Text register in translation 287
Text, genre and discourse shifts Text, genre and discourse shifts in translation 192 in translation 295
Agents of power in translation 200 Agents of power in translation 304
Ideology and translation 206 Ideology and translation 313
Translation in the information Translation in the information technology era 213 technology era 321
xi
Series Editors’ Preface
This series provides a comprehensive guide to a number of key areas in the field of applied linguistics. Applied linguistics is a rich, vibrant, diverse and essentially interdisciplinary field. It is now more important than ever that books in the field provide up-to-date maps of ever changing territory.
The books in this series are designed to give key insights into core areas. The design of the books ensures, through key readings, that the history and development of a subject is recognised while, through key questions and tasks, integrating under- standings of the topics, concepts and practices that make up its essentially inter- disciplinary fabric. The pedagogic structure of each book ensures that readers are given opportunities to think, discuss, engage in tasks, draw on their own experience, reflect, research and to read and critically re-read key documents.
Each book has three main sections, each made up of approximately 10 units:
A: An Introduction section:in which the key terms and concepts are introduced, including introductory activities and reflective tasks, designed to establish key understandings, terminology, techniques of analysis and the skills appropriate to the theme and the discipline.
B: An Extension section:in which selected core readings are introduced (usually edited from the original) from existing books and articles, together with annotations and commentary, where appropriate. Each reading is introduced, annotated and commented on in the context of the whole book, and research/follow-up questions and tasks are added to enable fuller understanding of both theory and practice. In some cases, readings are short and synoptic and incorporated within a more general exposition.
C: An Exploration section:in which further samples and illustrative materials are provided with an emphasis, where appropriate, on more open-ended, student- centred activities and tasks, designed to support readers and users in undertaking their own locally relevant research projects. Tasks are designed for work in groups or for individuals working on their own.
This book also contains a glossary and a detailed, thematically organised A–Z guide to the main terms used in the book which lays the ground for further work
xiii Series editors’ preface in the discipline. There are also annotated guides to further reading and extensive bibliographies.
The target audience for the series is upper undergraduates and postgraduates on language, applied linguistics, translation and communication studies programmes as well as teachers and researchers in professional development and distance learn- ing programmes. High-quality applied research resources are also much needed for teachers of EFL/ESL and foreign language students at higher education colleges and universities worldwide. The books in the Routledge Applied Linguistics series are aimed at the individual reader, the student in a group and at teachers building courses and seminar programmes.
We hope that the books in this series meet these needs and continue to provide support over many years.
THE EDITORS
Professor Christopher N. Candlin and Professor Ronald Carter are the series editors. Both have extensive experience of publishing titles in the fields relevant to this series. Between them they have written and edited over one hundred books and two hundred academic papers in the broad field of applied linguistics. Chris Candlin was president of AILA (International Association for Applied Linguistics) from 1997–2002 and Ron Carter is Chair of BAAL (British Association for Applied Linguistics) from 2003–6.
Professor Christopher N. Candlin, Senior Research Professor Department of Linguistics, Division of Linguistics and Psychology Macquarie University Sydney NSW 2109 Australia and Professor of Applied Linguistics Faculty of Education and Language Studies The Open University Walton Hall Milton Keynes MK7 6AA UK
Professor Ronald Carter School of English Studies University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2RD UK xiv Acknowledgements
Many people have helped us in the course of writing this book. Our thanks go to, amongst others, Dunstan Brown, Stephen Hutchings, Margaret Lang, Ana Cristina Llompart, Charles Mann, Michael O’Shea and Anat Vernitski. To series editors Chris Candlin and Ron Carter for their detailed comments on various stages. To Louisa Semlyen, Christy Kirkpatrick and Kate Parker at Routledge for their patience, support and hard work, and to copyeditor Kristina Wischenkämper for her keen attention to detail. To the Department of Linguistic, Cultural and Translation Studies, University of Surrey, for allowing one of the authors a period of teaching relief from January to June 2002. We are grateful to the copyright holders of the following texts for permission to reproduce extracts in Section B: R. Jakobson, ‘On Linguistic Aspects of Translation’, in R. A. Brower (ed.) On Translation, Harvard University Press. Reproduced by permission of The Roman Jakobson Trust u/w/o Krystyna Pomorska Jakobson. J. S. Holmes, ‘The Name and Nature of Translation Studies’, in J. S. Holmes, Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and Translation Studies, Rodopi, 1988. Reproduced by permission of Rodopi BV. G. Steiner, After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation,3rd edition,Oxford University Press, 1998. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press. J.-P.Vinay and J. Darbelnet, Comparative Stylistics of French and English, pp 20–27, John Benjamins, 1995. Reproduced by permission of John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam/Philadelphia. www.benjamins.com. J. C. Catford, A Linguistic Theory of Translation, Oxford University Press, 1965. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press. M. L. Larson, Meaning-Based Translation, 2nd edition, University Press of America, 1998. Reproduced by permission of the University Press of America. E. A. Nida, ‘Science of Translation’, in Language 45, 3, 1969. Reproduced by permission of the Linguistic Society of America. E. A. Nida, Toward a Science of Translating, Brill Academic Publishers, 1964 (reprint 2003). Reproduced by permission of Brill Academic Publishers. W. Koller, ‘The Concept of Equivalence and the Object of Translation Studies, in Target 7:2, 1995. Reproduced by permission of John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam/Philadelphia. www.benjamins.com. J. Levy´,‘Translation as a Decision Process’,in To Honour Roman Jakobson II,Mouton de Gruyter, 1967. Reproduced by permission of Mouton de Gruyter.
xv Acknowledgements
E.-A. Gutt, ‘Pragmatic Aspects of Translation:Some Relevance-Theory Observa- tions’, in The Pragmatics of Translation, L. Hickey, Multilingual Matters, 1998. Reproduced by permission of Multilingual Matters Ltd. K. Reiss, ‘Text Types, Translation Types and Translation Assessment’, in Andrew Chesterman (ed) Reach ups in Translation Theory, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, 1989. Reproduced by permission of the publisher. M. Gregory, ‘Perspectives on Translation’, in META, XXV.4, 1980. Reproduced by permission of Copibec. C. James, ‘Genre Analysis and the Translator’, in Target 1:1, 1989. Reproduced by permission of John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam/Philadelphia. www.benjamins.com. D. Bruce,‘Translating the Commune:Cultural Politics and the Historical Specificity of the Anarchist Text’,in Traduction, Terminologie, Redaction, No. 1. Reproduced by permission of TTR, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. P. Fawcett, ‘Translation and Power Play’, in The Translator, vol. 1, no. 2, 1995. Reproduced by permission of St Jerome Publishing. T.Niranjana, Siting Translation: History, Post-Structuralism and the Colonial Context, University of California Press © 1991 The Regents of the University of California. Reproduced by permission of University of California Press. D. J. Arnold, L. Balkan, S. Meijer, R. L. Humphreys and L. Sadler, Machine Translation: An Introductory Guide, Blackwells-NCC, 1994. Reproduced by permission of Douglas Arnold.
And to the following for permission to use examples and figures:
Georgetown University Press for Figure C5.1, a series of cup-like objects, from William Labov (1973) ‘The Boundaries of Words and their Meanings’; Laboratoire RALI of the University of Montreal for the parallel concordance of the Canadian Hansard, produced with their TSrali system and used in Text A14.3; Lou Bernard at the British National Corpus for Figures C5.2 and C5.3, sample concordances of handsome and pretty; Milengo for Figure A14.1, The Localization Process; TRADOS for Figure A14.2, the screenshot from the Translator’s Workbench. Copyright © TRADOS Incorporated 2004. Used by Permission. All rights reserved.
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be happy to make the necessary arrangement at the first opportunity. Jeremy Munday and Basil Hatim, February 2004
xvi How to use this book
TRANSLATION
Translation, both commercial and literary, is an activity that is growing phe- nomenally in today’s globalized world. The study of translation, an interdisciplinary field known as Translation Studies, has also developed enormously in the past twenty years. It interfaces with a wide range of other disciplines from linguistics and modern languages to Cultural Studies and postcolonialism. This book attempts to investigate both the practice and the theory of translation in an accessible and systematic way. It is designed specifically with the needs in mind of students of Masters degrees and final year undergraduates in translation or applied linguistics, research students beginning to investigate the field, and practising translators who wish to examine the theory behind the practice. It is hoped that it will also provide useful insights and examples for more experienced researchers.
The book is divided into three sections (A, B and C) and 14 units. Each unit is treated in each of the sections. Section A of each unit introduces the main concepts of each area of translation and presents reflective tasks to encourage the reader to think through the theory. Key concept boxes highlight and summarize the main points.
Section B, the extension stage, then presents one or two readings, which are extracts from key articles or books on the relevant subject. Each reading is accompanied by brief tasks: Before you read aids recall of the Section A concepts, As you read brings out the crucial elements of the reading and After you read recapitulates the main points and prepares for exploration.
Section C is the exploration section. It critiques and develops the previous sections with a series of tasks and projects that at first provide the reader with specific data to investigate and then encourage wider exploration and original research in the reader’s own linguistic and cultural context.
A detailed glossary is supplied at the end covering central terms of Translation Studies, including some from Linguistics and Cultural Studies. These terms are highlighted in bold in the main text for ease of reference. Finally, a full bibliography brings together the theory references. A very focused Further reading list is given at the back of the book for each unit.
xvii How to use this book
The many tasks and text examples are numbered to facilitate cross-reference. The following is illustrative of the format:
Example A2.6a ST French
Couvercle et cuves en polycarbonate. Matériau haute résistance utilisé pour les hublots d’avion. [Lid and bowls in polycarbonate. High resistance material used for aircraft windows.]
A2.6b TT English
Workbowls and lid are made from polycarbonate, the same substance as the windows of Concorde.