Traduzione Inglese

1

a.a. 2020/2021Matricole DISPARI

LESSON 2

The three steps of the translation

process

1. Analysis of the source text

2. Mental transfer

3. Re-construction of the message in the target language

it’s a CYCLE: we can go back

The text: Sabatini

Sabatini: pragmatic approach

Subject matter + genre

The author guides the fruition via interpretative contraints

+

The reader is the interpreter

Interpretation depends on 1 respecting the communicative intention of the

author; 2 considering the cultural background, scientific models and

traditions

Binding texts

Semi-binding texts

Slightly binding texts

The text: Sabatini

1. Binding texts: the addreessee’s intentions are explicit

▪ Texts with cognitive function true/false

▪ Prescriptive texts, ex. laws

▪ Instrumental texts, ex. instructions

Lexis: DENOTATIVE, few synonyms; terminology;

2. Semi-binding texts

• Explicative/argumentative function, ex. essays

• Informative but divulgative texts, news articles

3. Slightly binding texts

• Expressive function: art, literature

Examples

VISTA la proposta della CRUI del 19 luglio 2012, prot. n. 710/P/gl, relativa alla proposta di individuazione delle Università sedi delle procedure di abilitazione scientifica nazionale;

VISTO l’esito del sorteggio delle Università sedi delle procedure di abilitazione effettuato in data 20 luglio 2012

DECRETA

Art. 1

Ai sensi degli articoli 3 e 9 del DPR n. 222 del 2011, è indetta la procedura per il conseguimento dell’abilitazione scientifica nazionale alle funzioni di professore universitario di prima e seconda fascia, per ciascun settore concorsuale di cui all’allegato 3 del presente decreto.

Binding

Examples

Pulite i colombi, senza eliminare il fegato, e farciteli

con rigatino, salvia, aglio, sale e pepe. Metteteli in un

alto recipiente di terracotta con la cipolla affettata

grossolanamente, olio, vino e il chiodo di garofano. Poi

cuocete a fuoco lentissimo, cercando di far coincidere

la fine del vino con il perfetto momento di cottura.

?

Examples

Pulite i colombi, senza eliminare il fegato, e farciteli

con rigatino, salvia, aglio, sale e pepe. Metteteli in un

alto recipiente di terracotta con la cipolla affettata

grossolanamente, olio, vino e il chiodo di garofano. Poi

cuocete a fuoco lentissimo, cercando di far coincidere

la fine del vino con il perfetto momento di cottura.

BINDING

Examples

«Lei dovrà firmare molte cose…» Con il dono di una

stilografica Papa Francesco, incontrando ieri il presidente

dell’Anp Mahmoud Abbas, si è fatto promotore dell’intesa

fra Israele e Palestina. «Spero con questa penna di firmare

l’accordo con Israele» ha risposto Abbas, e con l’occasione

ha invitato il Pontefice in Terra Santa, come già aveva fatto

Israele. Proprio ieri Peace Now ha reso noto che rispetto al

2012 la costruzione di nuovi insediamenti israeliani è

aumentata del 70%. («la Repubblica», 18 ottobre 2013)

?

Examples

«Lei dovrà firmare molte cose…» Con il dono di una

stilografica Papa Francesco, incontrando ieri il presidente

dell’Anp Mahmoud Abbas, si è fatto promotore dell’intesa

fra Israele e Palestina. «Spero con questa penna di firmare

l’accordo con Israele» ha risposto Abbas, e con l’occasione

ha invitato il Pontefice in Terra Santa, come già aveva fatto

Israele. Proprio ieri Peace Now ha reso noto che rispetto al

2012 la costruzione di nuovi insediamenti israeliani è

aumentata del 70%. («la Repubblica», 18 ottobre 2013)

SEMI-BINDING

WERLICH

The text

WERLICH: extralinguistic parameters influence the

linguistic ones (purpose, addressee, context)

DOMINANT CONTEXTUAL FOCUS

1. Narrative: action or process THROUGH TIME. Events and

participants are chronologically portrayed through temporal

circumstances or participant roles

4 styles:

Metaphorical style, with expressions outside the field of reference,

Comparative style, more familiar expressions

Technical style

Formal style

The text

WERLICH: extralinguistic parameters influence the

linguistic ones (purpose, addressee, context)

2. descriptive: representation of people, places in a SPATIAL

DIMENSION (matrice cognitiva: percezione dello spazio).

5 styles:

Impressionistic descriptions, with hyperbolic style. They convey the writer’s feelings on the phenomena; 1st person point of view;

Metaphorical style, with expressions outside the field of reference,

Comparative style, more familiar expressions

Evocative style, to cause particular emotive reactions

Technical style, vocabulary belonging to the field of use. Non personal;

The text

WERLICH: extralinguistic parameters influence the

linguistic ones (purpose, addressee, context)

3. Instructive: planning of future behaviour : norms, laws, but

also recipes!

The text

WERLICH: extralinguistic parameters influence the

linguistic ones (purpose, addressee, context)

4. Argumentative: convince the addressee to adopt a certain

point of view.

Styles: Informal, ironic (disrespect or contempt), appreciatory

(favourable stance), depreciatory (, persuasive.

4. expository/informative: knowledge and notions organised

through analysis (based on comprehension). Essays,

divulgative works

Analytic exposition, identifying linking phenomenon ‘the spider

has 8 legs’; synthetic exposition, identifying phenomenon ‘one

part of a car is the motor’. Objective point of view

Text types: specialised texts

Right or wrong interpretation : prescriptive, not descriptive

Any text which is not a poetic text (Jakobson)

Any close text (Eco), highly/semi-binding texts (Sabatini)

The level of specialisation of the author

Main distinction

Natural sciences (physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry,

engineering, medicine)

Human Sciences (legal texts, economy, sociology, anthropology,

psicology,history, philosophy)

Different phenomena, different scientific/empirical approach,

different degree of certainty

Text types : specialised texts

Gotti (1991):

Communicative situation

1. specialist --- specialists, use of appropriate

terminology (journal)

2. Specialist --- non specialists, use of accurate

terminology but with a more educational purpose

(manuals)

3. Specialista --- non specialistS, use of everyday

language, divulgative purposes

Text types : specialised texts

Functional requirements of specialised languages

Intention condition: the addresser’s intention is clearly

communicated

Knowledge condition: different levels of knowledge from

addresser to addreessee

Code condition: shared and conventional code which

guides the interpretation

The more conventional the communicative situation, the

less distinctive the style (Sager et al. 1980, in Scarpa 2001 )

Text types: narrative texts

Narrative texts are recent and contemporary, that is why

they are not ‘literature’ yet (Biancolini Decuypère 2002,

13)

1. Texts types:

slightly binding : narrative, theatre, poetry

binding : literary criticism

2. Translation types

Artistic: rewriting, adaptation, author-translator

Literal: only shifts allowed are connected to the change

in linguistic code

Text types: the function of narrative

texts

Argumentative? Rare

Aesthetic/entertainment? Possible

Different microtexts: virtually any kind of

genre/language. Integrated within the macrofunction

Text types: the virtual text

Translation + Adaptation of content: different

market/target

SO

FORMAT: the text has to fit the page, adaptable format

LANGUAGE: formal accuracy + wide accessibility

CULTURE to favour the familiar content

LOCALISATION Esselink (2003), “localization revolves

around combining language and technology to produce a

product that can cross cultural and language barriers.”

Bernal-Merino (2006) , “the process of making a product

linguistically and culturally, but also technically and

legally, appropriate to the target country and language”

LOCALISATION LOCALISATION VS TRANSLATION: part of the distribution

process

Localisation: ‘like translation, but more than that’

Analisys: can we localise the content or will it be too

expensive (too specific)?

Pseudo-translation: sostituzione di stringhe per verificare

la fattibilità e un primo effetto

Report al team su come procedere

Preparation : the PM sends the kit with source material,

databases,etc

Translation : TM e MT + post editing: out of context

strings

Testing : controllo di qualità QA

Language functions

Language is used to reach diverse purposes = interpretation of

the surface structure = interpretation of the force.

This example also shows the importance of the TRANSLATION UNIT :

THE MINIMAL UNIT OF MEANING

Ulrich 1992, 31

Language functions

Successful communication: the message is appropriately understood

AND ITS FUNCTION ACCURATELY AND APPROPRIATELY TRANSLATED

Language is used to reach DIFFERENT purposes = interpretation of

the surface structure = interpretation of the force =

COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION DETECTED

Austin’s speech acts (1962):

Locutionary – literal meaning

Illocutionary – communicative force. The use of a sentence to

express an attitude with a certain function or "force," called an

illocutionary force.

Perlocutionary – effect/reaction in the addressee/recipient

Loc+illoc+perloc= speech act

Searle’s taxonomy of speech

acts (microfunctions)

1. Representatives: represent a state of affairs (Stating, telling,

insisting)

2. Expressives: conveying the speaker’s attitude (Deploring,

admiring);

3. Verdictives: evaluations (Assessing, estimating);

4. Directives: influencing the addressees’ actions (Ordering, requesting, warning,prohibiting, daring)

5. Commissives: addressee’s commitment (Promising, vowing, pledging);

6. Declarations: the utterance creates the action (Blessing, baptizing, dismissing).

Co-text + context

Identifying microfunctions= identifying text type

Why do we need to understand the acts beyond their literal

(i.e. made of words) level? TO INTERPRET THE DEEP MEANING

OF THE UTTERANCE, IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO RECREATE IT IN

TRANSLATION.

Translator as : 1 addressee; 2 addresser.

1 Notion of translation unit: the smallest unit of meaning.

Careful how small you choose it!

2 awareness of the appropriate form requested by the TL to

express a certain speech act

Macrofunctions

Macrofunctions (Jakobson 1960)

Emotive F.: internal states and emotions of the addresser (1st p. I, interjections, personal style)

Conative f.: aims at influencing the internal states and emotions of the addressee (2nd p. you, vocative & imperative

Referential f.: informative function (3rd p., objects, events, facts in the context; nominalisation, premodification, passives, stative verbs; less formal, 1st p.p. & dynamic active verbs)

Poetic f.: aesthetic f., the form of the message (sound-effect, rhythm, figurative language, phonological resemblance) as a crucial part of the message meaning & force

• Examples: political slogans, ads, sayings.

Phatic f.: between the addresser and the addressee (opening and checking the channel of communication)

• Examples: Can you hear me?, Well, here we are. I see.

Metalingual f.: “attention on the code to clarify or re-negotiate it” (Ulrich 29), e.g. what do you mean?

Macrofunctions and texts types

Emotive/expressive function = expressive texts = author-centered.

creative texts. The style of the author matters

Referential/informative function = informative texts = content-

centered.

the information matters

Conative/vocative function = vocative texts = reader-centered.

the form is oriented towards the reader, not towards the author

One might be predominant, but others may also be present

Text types and translation

strategies

Expressive text: source language oriented

Informative text: text oriented

Vocative text: target language oriented

Rhetorical functions

Once the predominnat discourse genre/text type and function have

been established, the RHETORICAL STRATEGIES which CREATE the

desired effect.

Ex.Persuasion: via narration, via description, via arguing

Rhetorical functions : one at a time, more than one within the

same text

Predominant function = dominant contextual focus, Well-defined

language markers

Expository texts:

Descriptive texts: focused on objects and relations in space

Narrative texts : events and relations in time.

people-oriented, event-oriented

Argumentative texts: relations between concepts, overt or covert

argumentation

Instructive texts: establishing future behaviour

Advertisements, with option

Legal texts, no option

So…

Understanding the dominant contextual focus = understand

how the text is manipulated & its main language markers

TRANSLATIONS HAVE TO CONVEY THE SUBTLETIES

Correct function = “creation and reception of coherent

discourse and successful communication and translation”

(Ulrich 1992, 64)

TRANSLATORS INTERPRET AND RECREATE