Main types of translating activity: Translation and Interpreting

The necessity of professional translation in modern world is evident in all spheres of life, and construction is not an exception. The high-quality translation of texts on construction is necessary both for owners of construction companies and for ordinary people wishing to read a competent translation of an instruction to construction materials. Oral translation is even more demanded in the sphere of construction. Often, oral translation is necessary during business negotiations; with its help the process of signing contracts becomes considerably easier.

Nowadays translation of construction texts becomes widely required due to the economic development and attraction of foreign investors in the field of construction. Technical translators working in various foreign companies, due to the increasing volumes of translations, are forced to solve various problems arising while translating. These difficulties are caused by the fact that the level of knowledge in the given theme does not correspond to the desired, particularly, lexical features of construction texts translation have not been investigated enough. In this respect, studying the peculiarities of construction texts translation as one of the types of informative translation is of current importance.

A.V. Feodorov defines translation as:

1) a process in the form of a mental act and consisting in the fact that a speech product (a text or an utterance) arisen in one – source – language (SL) is recreated in another – target – language (TL); 2) the result of this process, i.e. a new speech product (a text or an utterance) in TL [1].

A.V. Feodorov points out that there are two general aspects of all kinds of translating activity:

1) the purpose of translation is to convey to the reader (or the listener), who does not know the SL, the given text as closely as possible (or with the content of an utterance);

2) to translate means to express truly and completely by means of one language what has been expressed earlier by means of another language.

Real translation activity is carried out by translators in various conditions; the texts being translated are various in subjects, language, genre; translations are carried out in the written or oral forms; there are different requirements to translators concerning accuracy, completeness of translation, etc. Certain kinds of translation require special knowledge and skills from the translator.

V.N. Komissarov suggests two basic classifications of translation types: the first is based on the character of the texts translated, and the second on the character of speech actions of the translator during the process of translating. The first classification is connected with the genre-and-stylistic features of the original text, the second – with the psycholinguistic features of speech actions in the written and oral forms. In the genre-and-style classification of translation, depending on the genre and stylistic features of the original, two functional types of translation - aesthetic (literary) translation and informative (special) translation are distinguished [2].

Informative translation is translation of texts with the basic function of reporting any data, information transfer; thus the artistic or aesthetic effect on the reader is excluded. All materials of scientific, business, political, social character belong to such texts [3]. Hence, translation of texts on construction may be referred to the second type of translation according to the genre-and-style classification. In informative translation, subtypes of translation differ on the basis of the subject matter of the texts translated and belong to various functional styles of the source language. Thus, functional-stylistic features of original texts define the special features of such texts translation.

L.K. Latyshev distinguishes three types of texts: pragmatic texts (focused on the content), texts focused on addressing or appealing and artistic texts (focused on the form) [4].

To the type of the texts focused on the content, L.K. Latyshev refers press accounts and comments, reports, commercial and business correspondence, goods specifications, operational manuals of technical devices, patent descriptions, diplomas, official documents, educational and special literature of all types, researches, reports, treatises, special texts of the humanities, natural sciences and technology.

L.K. Latyshev notes that “in the texts focused on the content, the important thing, first of all, is the appropriateness of the form for expression of the given content and its ability to produce the necessary effect; while in the texts focused on the form, first of all, the form including aesthetic and creative aspects is important. A text focused on the content is analyzed in respect of the conventional relations determined by semantics, grammar, and stylistics and taking into account its translation in another language.”

Different researchers define the language of the texts focused on the content differently: the science language, special language, language for special purposes, professional language, etc.

The special subjects and special purposes of communication make experts use the professional language which practically isn't connected with the national identity of its carriers and should not depend on a socioeconomic formation, ideology and mentality.

In the field of construction, pragmatic texts (focused on the content) of scientific-technical and official styles are used. Within the limits of each functional style, there are some language features which considerably influence on the process and result of translation.

For example, lexical and grammatical features of scientific-technical materials and, first of all, terminology and special vocabulary in scientific-technical style. The style of business documents has definite purposes of communications, general for the given style laws and language characteristics. First of all, the specific terminology and phraseology prevail, and the characteristic feature is the academism of means of expression which accelerates the process of phraseological units formation, which are typical for this style. Academism of means of expression underlies other feature of English official documents, i.e. presence of a significant amount of archaic words and expressions.

T.A. Kazakova lists informativity among the prominent features of scientific-technical style (content-richness), as well as logicality (strict sequence, accurate connection between the basic idea and details), accuracy, objectivity, understandability and clarity [5].

T.A. Kazakova distinguishes the following features of scientific-technical texts:

1) use of scientific and technical terminology and so-called special vocabulary;

2) words and word-combinations which do not possess the property of a term to identify concepts and objects in a certain area, but are used almost exclusively in the given sphere of communication, selected by the narrow circle of experts, habitual for them, allowing them not to think about the way of thought expression and to concentrate on the subject matter;

3) prevalence of clichés;

4) not only terminological and special vocabulary is used in scientific and technical materials; there are a lot of general words used in any functional style. While translating such lexical units the translator of scientific-technical literature faces with the same difficulties and applies the same techniques to their overcoming as translators working in other areas.

In the widest sense of the word, construction is a kind of human activity aimed at creation of buildings, engineering constructions (bridges, roads, airdromes), and facilities accompanying them (engineering networks, small architectural forms, garages, etc.). Nowadays construction represents a difficult and many-sided process combining technical, economic, legal, and social aspects. The basic stages of construction are land allotment, designing, project coordination by authorities, process of erection of a building or a facility, putting into operation. Experts who participate in working out and realization of construction projects should create effective mechanisms of planning, budgeting, document circulation, timely delivery of building materials, logistics, safety on a workplace, etc. Besides, it is necessary for them to take into account ecological consequences of the work.

Based on the purposes and plans of construction, translation of the following types of texts is necessary in the field of construction:

1) Organizational part of construction: contracts, correspondence with contractors and supervising bodies, reports of meetings, the HR department documentation (duty regulations, resumes, explanatory notes), formal notices and management orders; feasibility reports;

2) Technical part of construction: specifications, drawings, rules and descriptions of an order of work, method statements, operational manuals of monitoring instruments, installation of heating systems, ventilation, air-conditioning;

3) Material support of construction: orders for delivery, descriptions of products and materials, including safety passports, reports of inspectors, audit and test plans, and punch lists;

4) Health, safety and environment: materials for courses and instructing of the personnel, rules and instructions, safety rules; projects on estimation of environmental influence, descriptions of actions for preservation of the environment, correspondence with supervising bodies;

5) Construction as a technical science: scientific and popular scientific articles and books, textbooks.

Hence, special language of construction is a verbal language with use of non-verbal means (pictures, drawings, schemes and etc.); language with a constant, traditional tendency to its internationalization which carries out epistemic, cognitive and communicative functions [6].

Within the limits of the translation process description, translation transformations are considered to be ways of translation which the translator can use while translating various original texts when dictionary equivalents are absent or can't be used in a certain context conditions. Depending on the character of SL units which are considered initial in transformations, translation transformations are subdivided into lexical and grammatical. Besides, there are complex lexical and grammatical transformations where transformations either concern lexical and grammatical units of the original simultaneously, or they are interleveled, i.e. carry out transition from lexical units to grammatical and in the reverse order.

The basic types of lexical transformations applied in translation process include the following translation techniques: transcription and a transliteration, calque, lexical-semantic replacements (specification, generalization, modulation)

There are some criteria for classifying translation:

1) The first one is based on who does the translation. These days translation may be done by a human translator or by computer.

2) Form of speech: according to this criterion, translation as a written form, sight translation (or translation-at-sight, on-sight translation) as the oral translation of written text, and interpreting as oral translation of oral discourse are differentiated. This criterion also involves subtitling, that is visual translation involving the superimposition of written text onto the screen, and dubbing, or the replacement of the original speech by a voice track which attempts to follow as closely as possible the timing, phrasing and lip movements of the original dialogue.

3) Source text perception: a translator can see or hear the text.

4) Time lapse between the source text perception and translation: consecutive and simultaneous interpreting.

5) Number of languages in translation situation: one-way or two-way translation.

6) Direction of translation: direct translation, that is, translation into the mother-tongue, and inverse translation, or translation into a foreign language.

7) Methods of interpreting: note-taking interpretation, phrase-by-phrase interpretation

8) Functional style and genre of the text: literary works and informative texts.

Translation is not only a linguistic act; it's also a cultural one, an act of communication across cultures. Translation always involves both language and culture simply because the two cannot be separated. Language is culturally embedded: it both expresses and shapes cultural reality, and the meaning of linguistic items can only be understood when considered together with the cultural context in which the linguistic items are used. Translators should pay great attention to differences in kind and degree of conventionalization in the source and target cultures when transferring a text from one culture to another. One of the main characteristics of translation is its 'double-bind situation', where the translator has to link the source text in its cultural context to the target communicative-cultural condition. [1] But what is a practical solution/ procedure to acquire a translation that is successful in cross-cultural communication?

Transference is the process of transferring a SL word to a TL text as a translation procedure. It is the same as Catford's transference, and includes transliteration, which is representing a text written in a different source-language alphabet in a form readable by the target audience. Transference is brief and concise. It emphasizes the culture and excludes the message and doesn't communicate. It blocks comprehension. [2]

Componential Analysis is the splitting up of a lexical unit into its sense components, often one-to-two, -three, or -four translation. [2] The procedure 'Componential Analysis' (CA) excludes the culture and highlights the message. It does not have the pragmatic impact of the original. It is not as economical as the original. [2, c. 97]

What is a suitable procedure to do a successful translation as cross-cultural communication? Transference or CA? Simply there is no clear-cut answer! Newmark believes that using transference or componential analysis depends, firstly, on the particular text-type; secondly, on the requirements of the audience or the client, who may also disregard the usual characteristics of the text type; and thirdly, on the importance of culture-specific words in the text. He believes a translation is normally written and intended for a target-language reader even if the SL text was written for no reader at all, for nothing but its author pleasure.

House believes that the local situational context has to do with the question of who wrote the text, when and why, who is to read it now and for what purpose. And these different questions are reflected in how the text is written, interpreted, translated, and read. The context of the situation is then itself embedded in the larger cultural world. The translator who finds the correct answer to these questions is successful in cross-cultural communication.

The key difference between translation and interpretation lies within the choice of communication channel. Simply put, translation deals with written communication, while interpreting is all about the spoken word

Translators work on written documents, including books, essays, legal documents, medical records, websites, instruction manuals, subtitles for film or TV, or any other form of information in written form. Interpreters, on the other hand, are involved in projects that require live translation; for example conferences and business meetings, medical appointments and legal proceedings

Both translators and interpreters have a deep linguistic and cultural knowledge of their working languages, as well as the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly. It is, however, important to highlight the distinctive features of these two professions

Translators generally work from their home computers, and tend to specialize in a particular field. Good translators have excellent written skills and are usually perfectionists by nature, paying particular attention to the style of the source documents, as well as the accuracy and significance of the terms used within their translations

Unlike translators, interpreters do not provide a word-for-word translation; instead, they transpose spoken messages from one language into another, instantly and accurately. Interpreters work in real-time situations, in direct contact with both the speaker and the audience. They rely primarily on their linguistic expertise acquired through training and experience - a sentence in one language may be rendered an entirely different way in another. Good interpreters are endowed with very quick reflexes, as well as a good memory and speaking voice. An interpreter is often more than an on-demand translator, however - they also act as a facilitator between speaker and listener, both linguistically and diplomatically

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 3216