Dr. Ibrahim Saad
Much has been written elsewhere about the theory of translation. The focus here, however, is on a generalised linguistic description as the basis for understanding and learning to translate different types of text. A framework for analysing universal text types is provided through the medium of English. It is then shown how this analysis can be used as the basis for re-building the text in another language, in this case Arabic. Moreover, the analysis reveals core examples of each type of text type identified and shows how more and more sophisticated forms occur within the context of each. This obviously has implications for course design and a general path from core to more sophisticated is exemplified.
It is implicit within this approach that the concern is with understanding and transferring the cohesion and coherence of text. The grammatical framework revealed by the textual analysis provides the context for dealing with discrete lexical items and collocations within. Though the languages exemplified here are English and Arabic it is believed that the process outlined has universal application.
The main focus is on working with factual text types. Such text allows trainee translators to transfer information from one language to another with minimal loss or gain at the same time as they are able to improve their control of the languages involved. This foundation is then shown to be the spring-board for dealing with much more complex, creative text typical of the novel and short story, poetry and drama. By its very nature such text demands a much greater personal response on part of the translator.
The book integrates theory and practice and, where appropriate, uses an interactive style which encourages active learning. Examples used in the explanations are followed by Try This tasks. These tasks provide the opportunity for the reader to work through similar examples in order to develop a deeper understanding of the principles being illustrated. To provide immediate feedback solutions are provided in the Key often together with some additional explanation.
Dr. Saad earned his B.A. in English Language and Literature from Cairo University in 1969, his M.Ed. from Manchester University in 1992, M.A. in translation from Salford University, and Ph.D. in translation from Faculty of Arts, Manchester University. He has 21 years' experience teaching English at intermediate and secondary levels in Kuwait, 3 years teaching ESP in Brunei in technical colleges, and one year in Amman, Jordan, as an Assistant Prof, teaching translation at Applied Science University and Jordan University. He is currently working as a Professor (2003-2008) at Ajman University (UAE), teaching Translation.
Language Variation
1.1 Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the idea of language variation as an introduction to how different types of language present different problems for the translator. A central hypothesis is that a piece of literature is a personal production designed to achieve a particular effect or artistic experience. Interacting with such text therefore requires a great deal of personal involvement on the part of the reader or translator. At the other end of the scale, the translation of text which has the purpose of communicating factual information in an impersonal manner involves much less choice on the part of the translator. Learning to translate factual language is an important prerequisite for learning to translate literature.
A sound knowledge of factual language (1.4) can be seen to develop an awareness of a norm from which literary text deviates in order to make a special impact. Further, beginning with more predictable text will enable those who come to translation before they are completely fluent in English, for example, to improve their English reading skills. Such preparation helps translators deal with the greater complexities of literary and other less predictable text. When learning to translate, more predictable text provides a better basis for learning how to improve the quality of the output while at the same time preserving as much as possible of the original information in the source text. The degree to which a translator has succeeded in this task is clearly demonstrable with regard to impersonal, factual writing.
1.2 Language and Choice
Communication is basic to all human communities and, according to McEldowney (1990:13), can be broadly defined as the process by which information is exchanged. She indicates that there are many ways in which communication takes place – through spoken language, through written language, through signs, through sound, through gesture, through facial expression and so on. It is, however, communication through language which is the central concern here.
In the twentieth century, there was continuous exploration of the way language is used and several bodies of theory were developed and applied to linguistic research. Very early on, structural linguistics saw language as a system of structures or signs, a view first put forward in Sassure’s Course in General Linguistics (1916). Amongst other things, Sassure made an important distinction between langue and parole. Langue is the code or the system which language users in a particular speech community use while parole refers to the individual utterances made in the system. Parole indicates those particular formal aspects of the system that individual users choose as appropriate for a particular situation. The linguist, however, was not concerned with describing parole but with describing langue.
In 1957, in Syntactic Structures, Chomsky described language as the knowledge of the system and saw the knowledge of this system as innate and universal. He made a distinction between competence and performance. Competence is defined as the unconscious knowledge of the ideal speaker while performance is the actual use of the language. Again, the linguist was not concerned with performance or actual language use but with trying to create rules to account for linguistic competence
