Translation Strategies Flashcards
Translation strategies
- Translation involves the transfer of a text from one culture to another. Elements connected with the source culture can cause problems in translation.
Translation Strategies
- list
- Equivalent term
- Addition
- Substraction
- no translation (not in the exam)
- Omission
Equivalent term
- selecting the name of the nearest equivalent function in the target language and, if necessary, prefacing it with the national adjective
- often the foreign institutions is translated once, usually in brackets. Then, in the subsequent text the original foreign language term is used
Bundestinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR)
- equivalent term
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
Addition
Sometimes additional information is needed to make a text fully understandable
- Additions can be signalled through footnotes or simply included in the text
Germany’s Next Topmodel
- Addition
Germany’s Next Topmodel, a German TV show in which young girls compete to fulfil their dream of becoming a professional model
Subtraction
the translator deletes elements of the text because his target readership would not need them
- often cultural knowledge
- “not wanting to insult the intelligence of the reader”
US President Trump
- Subtraction
Trump
Omission
total omission of the specific foreign culture aspect in the translation
- Careful assessment of the function of the cultural element in the source text is needed
- “Information is not helpful for the understanding of the text”
Er hatte zwar auf dem Gymnasium Latein gelernt, aber er hatte inzwischen alles vergessen.
- Omission
He had learned Latin at school, but in the meantime he had forgotten it all.
Eltern von Schülern der Glen Park Elementary School
- Omission
Parents at Glen Park Elementary School
