Chapter 1 Terms

Question 1

Source Language (SL)

Answer 1

language from which one translates

Question 2

Target Language (TL)

Answer 2

language into what one translates

Question 3

Translation Unit (TU)

Answer 3

A unit of thought in language, the smallest portion of a message that can be accurately translated

Question 4

Sign vs Concept

Answer 4

A linguistics sign is formed of an acoustic sound or visual image
Ex. Arbre and Tree are two signs and one concept

Question 5

Delineation of translation units

Answer 5

structural analysis of the text to be translated in order to determine the TUs it encompasses

Question 6

Mistranslation

Answer 6

erroneous or incorrect translation which may or may not make sense in the TL and results from lack of knowledge or a misinterpretation of the SL - may be in a whole word or whole sentence

Question 7

Barbarism

Answer 7

The use of words or expressions not in accordance with the classical standard of a language, especially such as are of foreign origins - inventing or deforming a word
ex. La beaute est ephemera would not be “The” beauty is fleeting

Question 8

Solecism

Answer 8

a type of barbarism involving a violation of the rules of grammar/syntax

Question 9

Overtranslation

Answer 9

occurs when the translator sees more TUs than actually exist
petits poison = peas
small peas - petits poison extra fins

Question 10

Undertranslation

Answer 10

occurs when the translator sees fewer TU than actually exist

Question 11

Retranslation

Answer 11

Checking device in which you retrace from TL back to SL and compare to verify accuracy

Question 12

Deficiency

Answer 12

when a semantic or grammatical concept does not exist in either SL or TL

Question 13

Compensation

Answer 13

an attempt to make up for the deficiency through other means - I.e. the lack of “Tu” in english is compensated by using a nickname

Question 14

Loss vs Gain

Answer 14

when a semantic or structural deficiency in TL cannot be compensated for, whereas gain occurs when an element in SL is added

Question 15

Saving vs Padding

Answer 15

saving is when the SL message can be translated in fewer words, and padding is when it has to be expressed in more words

Question 16

Language levels

Answer 16

determine the type of language in translation; I.e. poetic, prosaic, journalistic, legal

Question 17

Literal vs figurative sense

Answer 17

many words have a concrete meaning and an abstract one

ivresse - literal/figurative “drunk”

Question 18

False cognates

Answer 18

words with the same origin in both Langs but meaning has evolved differently; actuellement (currently) vs actually (en realite)

Question 19

Translation techniques

Answer 19

literal: borrowing, calque and word for word
non literal: transposition, modulation, equivalence and adaptation

Question 20

Borrowing

Answer 20

when a concept first exists in SL but not in TL it is often borrowed in its original form Ex. Fr-En: Mayonnaise
En-Fr: Steak

Question 21

Calque

Answer 21

occurs when instead of being borrowed in its original form, a new concept from SL is translated literally by TL
ex. the cold war –> la guerre froide

Question 22

Literal translation

Answer 22

when there are no structural or semantic obstacles, translate word for word

Question 23

Transposition

Answer 23

change in grammatical categories between SL and TL to surmount obstacle
ex. Maison a vendre = house for sale

vendre –> for sale (verb –> noun)

Question 24

Modulation

Answer 24

occurs when the SL and TL see the same concept from different angles

active vs passive voice. Goldfish example

Question 25

Equivalence

Answer 25

when the TU is an idiomatic expression, cliche, slang et, the translator must understand the context of the situation and then give the appropriate equivalent
ex. quoi de neuf = what’s up

two languages use different metaphors

Question 26

Adaptation

Answer 26

when there are obstacles to translation resulting from cultural differences that cannot be ameliorated, must resort to adaptation.
ex. changing meters to yards

concept foreign to the other language

Question 27

Actuel

Answer 27

category of things that becomes an individual entity to fit into reality - “a Maison”

Question 28

Actualisateur

Answer 28

updated - allows something to go from virtual to actuel - the situation alone can do that
ex. Maison a vendre –> made actuel by la Maison que voicing est a vendre

Question 29

Actualisation

Answer 29

mechanism that transformed virtual –> actuel

Question 30

Affectif

Answer 30

words that reflect or interest Sensibility - opp of intellectual
ex. universal “universally renowned” but intellectuel in “Universal history”

Question 31

Ambivalent

Answer 31

words that can express two contrary directions in the proper ad figurative sense