Topics in Translation – serie

The global/local distinction has changed significantly, and the topic has been heatedly debated in literary and cultural as well as translation scholarship. In this age of globalisation, the traditional definition of translation has been altered. In the present anthology, translation is viewed as a cultural and political practice, and accordingly translation studies is based on a heightened awareness of global/local tensions in translation and of its moderating and transforming impact on local cultural paradigms. All the essays in this anthology deal with issues of translation from a cultural and theoretic perspective with regard to tensions and conflicts between global and local interests and values. No matter how different their approaches may seem, the essays are thematically integrated to discuss translation in a dialectical framework: either “globalising” Chinese issues internationally, or “localising” general and international issues domestically.

New Trends in Audiovisual Translation is an innovative and interdisciplinary collection of articles written by leading experts in the emerging field of audiovisual translation (AVT). In a highly accessible and engaging way, it introduces readers to some of the main linguistic and cultural challenges that translators encounter when translating films and other audiovisual productions. The chapters in this volume examine translation practices and experiences in various countries, highlighting how AVT plays a crucial role in shaping debates about languages and cultures in a world increasingly dependent on audiovisual media. Through analysing materials which have been dubbed and subtitled like Bridget Jones’s Diary, Forrest Gump, The Simpsons or South Park, the authors raise awareness of current issues in the study of AVT and offer new insights on this complex and vibrant area of the translation discipline.

Translation has been instrumental in opening the door between China and the rest of the world from ancient times to the present day, and has helped facilitate cultural exchange and the sharing of knowledge. This book makes and important contribution to the study of translation into and from Chinese. A wide range of topics are covered, such as Chinese canonization of Buddhism, Chinese cultural identity and authenticity in translation, Chinese poetry, opera, politics and ideology in translation, and the individual contributions made by translators to modernity and globalisation. The analyses and arguments offered by the authors make this book a must read for anyone interested in translation from a Chinese perspective.

This is the fifth revised edition of the best-selling A Practical Guide for Translators. It looks at the profession of translator on the basis of developments over the last few years and encourages both practitioners and buyers of translation services to view translation as a highly-qualified, skilled profession and not just a cost-led word mill. The book is intended principally for those who have little or no practical experience of translation in a commercial environment. It offers comprehensive advice on all aspects relevant to the would-be translator and, whilst intended mainly for those who wish to go freelance, it is also relevant to the staff translator as a guide to organisation of work and time. Advice is given on how to set up as a translator, from the purchase of equipment to the acquisition of clients. The process of translation is discussed from initial enquiry to delivery of the finished product. Hints are given on how to assess requirements, how to charge for work, how to research and use source material, and how to present the finished product. Guidance is given on where to obtain further advice and professional contacts. This revised edition updates practices in the translation profession and considers the impact of web-based translation offerings. Industry and commerce rely heavily on the skills of the human translator and his ability to make intellectual decisions that is, as yet, beyond the capacity of computer-aided translation.

This is the fifth revised edition of the best-selling A Practical Guide for Translators. It looks at the profession of translator on the basis of developments over the last few years and encourages both practitioners and buyers of translation services to view translation as a highly-qualified, skilled profession and not just a cost-led word mill. The book is intended principally for those who have little or no practical experience of translation in a commercial environment. It offers comprehensive advice on all aspects relevant to the would-be translator and, whilst intended mainly for those who wish to go freelance, it is also relevant to the staff translator as a guide to organisation of work and time. Advice is given on how to set up as a translator, from the purchase of equipment to the acquisition of clients. The process of translation is discussed from initial enquiry to delivery of the finished product. Hints are given on how to assess requirements, how to charge for work, how to research and use source material, and how to present the finished product. Guidance is given on where to obtain further advice and professional contacts. This revised edition updates practices in the translation profession and considers the impact of web-based translation offerings. Industry and commerce rely heavily on the skills of the human translator and his ability to make intellectual decisions that is, as yet, beyond the capacity of computer-aided translation.

This collection of essays brings together a decade of writings on translation by leading international translation studies expert, Susan Bassnett. The essays cover a range of topics and will be useful to anyone with an interest in how different cultures communicate. Bassnett draws upon her personal experience to explore issues such as why the same things cannot be expressed in all languages, why translators in war zones risk their lives for their work, whether humour can travel across cultures, why translated menus are often so bad and whether poetry does indeed get lost in translation.

Peter Newmark's fourth book on translation, a collection of his articles in The Linguist, is addressed to a wide readership. He discusses the force of translation in public life, instancing health and social services, art galleries, operas, light magazines and even gives some hints on the translation of erotica. The major part of these paragraphs is concerned with straight translation topics such as economics texts and short stories, as well as procedures for translating quotations, symbols, phrasal verbs and nouns, synonymous sound effects in language, repetition and keywords. The subordination of translation not just to source or target language but to logic, the facts, ideas of right and wrong, as well as the translator's ideology, is also discussed. However controversial, the author always provides an abundance of examples for the reader to test his ideas.

This book presents an interesting new perspective on the study of the lexicon, examining ways in which insights from translation and language learning can be viewed as complementary. The contributors bring together a range of expertise including research on the mental lexicon, second language acquisition research, translation studies and practice, terminology, language teaching and lexicography. The lexicon, often considered to be the poor relation of grammar, has recently received more attention from theoretical and applied linguists. This book is a part of the trend to explore the rich potential of this field for the benefit of the translator or lexicographer, as well as the language learner and the teacher.

During the latter half of this century, particular attention has been paid to translating. The progress and change of perspective in this field of knowledge have been spectacular, moving from a scientific and prescriptive vision of translation to a descriptive one, which, in turn, has given way to the interaction between translation and culture. The starting point of this book is the idea that language is not neutral and that, insofar as language is the translator's tool, the act of translating is not neutral either. Translation shapes the way in which a given society receives a work, an author, a literature, or a culture; therefore it is necessary to locate the subversive aspects of translations in the larger framework of social interaction. Translating can never be neutral, as it is charged with ideology and 'games of power'. The most attractive feature of this anthology is that in the essays we can see how norms vary from one culture to another, how a 'strong' society may wish to alter those of a 'weaker' one through translation, or how the canon can be modified. Translation as a political or manipulative action will be much less dangerous if we are aware of its consequences. This book will help us to reflect on this problem.

Translation Studies is currently one of the fastest growing interdisciplinary subjects in the world. Constructing Cultures brings together for the first time the work of the two translator/scholars who are regarded as founders of this major field of study. This collection of essays continues to develop some of the principal research lines that both have been pursuing in recent years, most specifically the cultural turn in Translation Studies. Among topics discussed are Chinese and Western theories of translation, the limits of translatability, when is a translation not a translation, why cultures develop certain genres at certain times, what is the relationship between Translation Studies and Cultural Studies. Some essays are genre specific, focusing on theatre translation or the translating of poetry, others are devoted to specific case studies, and consider the fortunes of such major writers as Virgil or Brecht in English. Written in the accessible, jargon-free style that characterises the work of Bassnett and Lefevere, this collection of essays will be invaluable to anyone interested in translation and comparative cultural studies.

Translation Studies is currently one of the fastest growing interdisciplinary subjects in the world. Constructing Cultures brings together for the first time the work of the two translator/scholars who are regarded as founders of this major field of study. This collection of essays continues to develop some of the principal research lines that both have been pursuing in recent years, most specifically the cultural turn in Translation Studies. Among topics discussed are Chinese and Western theories of translation, the limits of translatability, when is a translation not a translation, why cultures develop certain genres at certain times, what is the relationship between Translation Studies and Cultural Studies. Some essays are genre specific, focusing on theatre translation or the translating of poetry, others are devoted to specific case studies, and consider the fortunes of such major writers as Virgil or Brecht in English. Written in the accessible, jargon-free style that characterises the work of Bassnett and Lefevere, this collection of essays will be invaluable to anyone interested in translation and comparative cultural studies.

Allusions are often translated literally while their connotative and pragmatic meaning is largely ignored. This frequently leads to culture bumps, in other words, to puzzling or impenetrable wordings. Culture Bumps discusses this problem and how to deal with a culture-specific, source-text allusion in such a way that readers of the target text can understand the function and meaning of the allusive passage. The main focus is on translators and readers as active participants in the communicative process, and the book contains interviews with professional translators as well as empirical data on the responses of real readers. Examples provide teachers who want to take up the problem in translation classes with materials from contemporary English texts, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as a flowchart of translation strategies. The conclusion recommends that translators should take the needs of readers into account when choosing translation strategies for allusions, and that university-level language teaching and translator training should pay more attention to the biculturalisation of students

Pragmatics, often defined as the study of language use and language users, sets out to explain what people wish to achieve and how they go about achieving it in using language. Such a study is clearly of direct relevance to an understanding of translation and translators. The thirteen chapters in this volume show how translation – skill, art, process and product – is affected by pragmatic factors such as the acts performed by people when they use language, how writers try to be polite, relevant and cooperative, the distinctions they make between what their readers may already know and what is likely to be new to them, what is presupposed and what is openly affirmed, time and space, how they refer to things and make their discourse coherent, how issues may be hedged or attempts made to produce in readers of the translation effects equivalent to those stimulated in readers of the original. Particular attention is paid to legal, political, humorous, poetic and other literary texts.

The aim of this book is to present a specific framework for dealing with recurring translation problems in a number of genres that are frequently translated. On the basis of illustrative sample texts, the decisions taken in the production of the target texts are commented on in the light of the specified translation assignments. The texts are grouped according to types and genres and the annotations provide a detailed account of relevant translation decision-making processes. The readership of this book is primarily students of translation and novices in the field. The texts, and in particular, the annotations, may be used by translator trainers in classroom situations. Practising translators may also find this book helpful. By focusing on recurring translation problems and illustrating the translation strategies applied, the book demonstrates that critical reflection on a translation assignment will help translators make informed decisions.

During the last thirty years, the field of translation has exploded with multiple new theories. Contemporary Translation Theories examines five of new approaches – the translation workshop, the science of translation, translation studies, polysystem theory, and deconstruction – all of which began in the mid -1960s and continue to be influential today.

During the last thirty years, the field of translation has exploded with multiple new theories. Contemporary Translation Theories examines five of new approaches – the translation workshop, the science of translation, translation studies, polysystem theory, and deconstruction – all of which began in the mid -1960s and continue to be influential today.

The Interpreter’s Resource provides a comprehensive overview of interpreting at the start of the twenty first century. As well as explaining the different types of interpreting and their uses, it contains a number of Codes of Ethics, information on Community Interpreting around the world and detailed coverage of international organisations, which employ interpreters.

In this book, both beginning and experienced translators will find pragmatic techniques for dealing with problems of literary translation, whatever the original language. Certain challenges and certain themes recur in translation, whatever the language pair. This guide proposes to help the translator navigate through them. Written in a witty and easy to read style, the book’s hands-on approach will make it accessible to translators of any background. A significant portion of this Practical Guide is devoted to the question of how to go about finding an outlet for one’s translations.

The Internet is accelerating globalization by exposing organizations and individuals to global audiences. This in turn is driving teletranslation and teleinterpretation, new types of multilingual support, which are functional in digital communications environments. The book describes teletranslation and teleinterpretation by exploring a number of key emerging contexts for language professionals.

Translation is intercultural communication in its purest form.  Its power in forming and/or deforming cultural identities has only recently been acknowledged, given the attention it deserves.  The chapters in this unique volume assess translation from Arabic into other languages from different perspectives: the politics, economics, ethics, and poetics of translating from Arabic; a language often neglected in western mainstream translation studies.

This book takes a linguistic approach to translation issues, looking first at the structural view of language that explains the difficulty of translation and at theories of cultural non-equivalence. A subsequent chapter on text types, readership and the translator's role completes the theoretical framework. The linguistic levels of analysis are then discussed in ascending order, from morpheme up to sentence, while a summarising chapter considers various translation types and strategies, again considered in relation to text type, author and reader.

This volume addresses the methods and motives for translating the central texts of the world’s religions and investigates a wide range of translation challenges specific to the unique nature of these writings. Translation theory underpins the methodology for the analysis of a variety of scriptures and brings important and sensitive issues of translation to the fore.

Translation and film adaptation of theatre have received little study. In filling that gap, this book draws on the experiences of theatrical translators and on movie versions of plays from various countries. It also offers insights into such concerns as the translation of bilingual plays and the choice between subtitling and dubbing of film.

Translating Milan Kundera uses new archival research to view the wider cultural scope of the translation issue involving the controversies surrounding Kundera’s translated novels. It focuses on the language of the novels, Kundera’s ‘lost’ works, writing as translation, interpretation, exile, censorship and the social responses to translated fiction in the Anglophone world.

Since the late 1970s, scholarly interest in the translation of children’s books has increased at a rapid pace. Research across a number of disciplines has contributed to a developing knowledge and understanding of the cross-cultural transformation and reception of children’s literature. The purpose of this Reader is to reflect the diversity and originality of approaches to the subject by gathering together, for the first time, a range of journal articles and chapters on translation for children published during the last thirty years. From an investigation of linguistic features specific to translation for children, to accounts of the travels of international classics such as the Grimm Brothers’ Household Tales or Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio, to a model of narrative communication with the child reader in translated texts and, not least, the long-neglected comments of professional translators, these essays offer new insights into the challenges and difference of translating for the young.

Since the late 1970s, scholarly interest in the translation of children’s books has increased at a rapid pace. Research across a number of disciplines has contributed to a developing knowledge and understanding of the cross-cultural transformation and reception of children’s literature. The purpose of this Reader is to reflect the diversity and originality of approaches to the subject by gathering together, for the first time, a range of journal articles and chapters on translation for children published during the last thirty years. From an investigation of linguistic features specific to translation for children, to accounts of the travels of international classics such as the Grimm Brothers’ Household Tales or Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio, to a model of narrative communication with the child reader in translated texts and, not least, the long-neglected comments of professional translators, these essays offer new insights into the challenges and difference of translating for the young.

This is a sequel to the author’s best-selling A Practical Guide for Translators first published in 1993 and now in its 4th edition. Managing Translation Services looks at how to successfully make the change from being a single freelance translator to developing a translation company offering a range of value added services. The book is intended principally for those who presently work as a freelance translator with all the inherent limitations this presents in terms of income and being reliant on the limited range of skills that the individual can offer. While some business skills will have been accumulated by virtue of working in a commercial environment, the transition from being responsible for oneself and taking the bold step of employing additional resources can be quite daunting. However, the opportunities this offers in terms of income and personal satisfaction are considerable. This book considers the initial Ssteps towards business development, exploiting these opportunities and the rewards they can offer. Advice is given on setting up a translation business, organisational development, what a business plan needs to consider for successful growth, how quality management needs to be approached, managing human resources, customer relations and other topics. The book provides a wealth of ready-made examples of quality procedures, forms that support business management and sources of further information. It also considers an exit strategy and related long-term planning when disposing of the business. Managing Translation Services is based on the many years of experience gained by the author working as a staff translator, freelance translator, university lecturer in translation studies, and former head of an award-winning, ISO 9001 accredited company. As a result, it covers a range of management issues relating to providing professional translation services.

The translation of law has played an integral part in the interaction among nations in history and is playing a greater role in our increasingly interconnected world today. The book investigates legal translation in its many facets as an intellectual pursuit and a profession. It examines legal translation from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering theoretical and practical grounds and linguistic as well as legal issues. It analyses legal translation competence and various types of legal texts including contracts, statutes and multilateral legal instruments, presents a comparative analysis of the Common Law and the Civil Law and examines the case law from Canada, Hong Kong and the European Court of Justice. It attempts to demonstrate that translating law is a complex act that can enrich law, culture and human experience as a whole.

A Companion to Translation Studies is the first work of its kind. It provides an authoritative guide to key approaches in translation studies. All of the essays are specially commissioned for this collection, and written by leading international experts in the field. The book is divided into nine specialist areas: culture, philosophy, linguistics, history, literary, gender, theatre and opera, screen, and politics. Contributors include Susan Bassnett, Gunilla Anderman and Christina Schäffner. Each chapter gives an in-depth account of theoretical concepts, issues and debates which define a field within translation studies, mapping out past trends and suggesting how research might develop in the future. In their general introduction the editors illustrate how translation studies has developed as a broad interdisciplinary field. Accompanied by an extensive bibliography, this book provides an ideal entry point for students and scholars exploring the multifaceted and fast-developing discipline of translation studies.