Source Text Source Language Text ST

1. Source Text Source Language Text ST Target Text Target Language Text TT Translation is the rendering of a Source Language text into a Target Language text. But translation is not a merely automatic substitution of linguistic structures. “Translation is an incredibly broad notion, which can be understood in many different ways” Mark Shuttleworth, Dictionary of Translation Studies (1997)

2. Some definitions • Traducere: trans (al di là) + ducere (portare) • Translation is the transfer of a meaning, a semantic core from one linguistic code to another

3. Consider the following italian words: • Ciao • Pronto • Prego • English equivalents?

4. Pronto? Pronto. Parla Mary, potrei parlare con Susan Pronto? Si, cara Allora andiamo Hello? Hello, this is Mary, could I speak to Susan please? Are you ready? Yes, I am Right, then let’s go

5. Potrebbe passarmi quel libro per favore? Prego? Vorrei leggere quel libro Prego Grazie Prego Could you give me that book please? Sorry? I would like to read that book Here you are Thank you You’re welcome

6. Prego? Vorrei comprare un libro Prego, dopo di lei Can I help you? I’d like to buy a book After you

7. Language Use Structure Context and culture (situation) (register) Phonology Graphology Lexicon Grammar Style Linguistic Variations Communicative Functions

8. LESSON 1Translationstrategies(C. Taylor, LanguagetoLanguage, OUP, pp. 47-64) • J.L. Malone, The Science of Linguistics in the Art of Translation • Using examples from several language Malone provides a list of NINE translation strategies, i.e. nine different ways to deal with the differences between Source Language and Target Language at structural and lexical level.

9. 9 TRANSLATION STRATEGIES • Equation • Substitution • Convergence • Divergence • Amplification • Diffusion • Reordering • Reduction • Condensation

10. In general terms EQUATION refers to the default situation whereby a term is translated with its one-to-one equivalent (e.g. GENTLE = GENTILE) Lorenzo fermò la macchina evideunuomo… Lorenzo stopped the car and saw a man…

11. Equation LOAN WORDS • Culturally specific words are often loan words: Italians play rugby or squash The English eat lasagna or pesto • This also happens when the equivalent terms exist: Italians play volley (pallavolo) The English buy rucola (rocket) corner/calcio d’angolo

12. Equation Never take equation for granted: the same word may not mean the same thing in two languages • false-friends: • actually = effettivamente (NON attualmente) • eventually = alla fine (NON eventualmente) • effectively = efficacemente (NON effettivamente)

13. Equation • CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: • the experience evoked by a word may not be the same in TL and SL > spaghetti, caffé… > città/paese ≠ city/town > REALTA’ > REALITY? …

14. Equation ...in this case the English equivalent has a too high level of abstraction: • L’arte come imitazione della realtà/Artasimitation of REALITY? • La realtà è dura/REALITY? is hard • La sua malattia è una realtà/HerillnessisA REALITY? • Progettichediventanorealtà/ Plans becomingREALITY? • Spesso non vediamo la realtà... /we often don’t see REALITY? • Ha il senso della realtà /He has a sense of REALITY? • Bisogna tenere presente la realtà locale/We must keeplocalREALITY in mind?

15. L’arte come imitazione della realtà/Art asimitationofNATURE • La realtà è dura/LIFEis hard • La sua malattia è una realtà/HerillnessisGENUINE • Progettichediventanorealtà/Plans which are REALISED • Spesso non vediamo la realtà /Often we don’t see THINGS • Ha il senso della realtà /HeisREALISTIC • Bisogna tenere presente la realtà locale/WemustkeeplocalNEEDS in mind • La realtà economica/The economicSITUATION

16. Equation CALQUE The TL adapts the SL term to its own morphological framework: e.g.: dribblare, formattare radice inglese + suffisso italiano e.g.: bravo! parola italiana + assenza di concordanza in numero e genere (come in inglese)

17. Calque is used too often in everyday language… • EX.: • Ti ho taggato in una foto • Ho appena uploadato un file • Ti mando una mail • Any other examples?...

18. Fixedequation The Holy Bible = La Sacra Bibbia ≠ La Santa Bibbia ≠The Sacred Bible No smoking = Vietato fumare ≠ Non si fuma Burning bush = roveto (≠ cespuglio) ardente

19. SUBSTITUTIONthe antithesisofequation GRAMMAR Gulliver’s travels I viaggi di Gulliver Farò in modo che si convinca a venire I’ll try to get her to come I want you to know that … Voglio che tu sappia che…

20. SUBSTITUTION SEMANTICS • La goccia che fa traboccare il vaso • The straw that broke the camel’s back PRAGMATICS • Do not lean out • E’ pericoloso sporgersi

21. DIVERGENCE (one-to-many) panna vetro Cream glass Crema bicchiere If it should happen should it happen Se dovesse succedere If it were to happen Were it to happen

22. She saw a beautiful dress in the window • She opened the window • She lowered the window NIENTE Non ho niente da dire Niente male Niente scherzi Non hanno un bel niente I have nothing to say Not bad No messing about! They have nothing at all

23. CONVERGENCE (many-to-one) Commercialista Accountant Ragioniere Contabile Tu Lei You Voi

24. AMPLIFICATION • Swansea is the birthplace of Dylan Thomas • Swansea è il luogo natale del famoso scrittore e poeta Dylan Thomas • Display • Esporre ben in vista

25. REDUCTION • Carta geografica • Map • Psychologist Raymond Carpenter, PhD • Lo psicologo Raymond Carpenter

26. DIFFUSION • A source text item or utterance is expanded without adding any extra layer of meaning Cheap Weatherwise The nineteen century sex role system

27. Cheap A buon mercato Weatherwise Per quanto riguarda il tempo The nineteen century sex role system La divisione dei ruoli in base al sesso nel XIX secolo

28. CONDENSATION • A source text item or utterance is contracted without omitting any layer of meaning: To look at guardare To fall in love innamorarsi inseguire To run after

29. REORDERING • Procedures introduced to the re-arrange syntactic units into the most familiar patterns of the target language Black and white Bianco e nero Non è ancora giunto il tempo The time has not yet come Something terrible has happened È successa una disgrazia

30. HIGH PRESSURE • Pressionealta: high bloodpressure • Altapressione: in the meteorological sense

31. According to 1998-2000 figures, 12% of Europe's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is generated by tourism and tourism-related activities and over 20 million jobs have been created in this sector, essentially within Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). > ... e in questo settore sono stati creati più di 20 millioni di posti di lavoro

32. Da questi elenchiappariràevidentissima la minima percentuale delle opere da noi tradotte in confronto al totale annuo delle opere importate. The very small percentage of works translated by us compared to the total number of works imported per yearisclearfrom these lists.

33. A cogliere la mela del biblico albero della conoscenza furono, il 25 aprile 1953, le mani di un bizzarro fisico inglese The hands which, on the 25th of April 1953 picked the apple from the Biblical tree of knowledge belonged to a rather eccentric English physicist.