TRANSLATION THEORY

The ideal translation will be accurate

as to meaning and natural as to the
receptor language forms used. An
intended audience who is unfamiliar
with the source text will readily
understand it. The success of a
translation is measured by how closely
it measures up to these ideals.
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TRANSLATION THEORY

The ideal translation should be

TRANSLATION THEORY

Accurate: reproducing as exactly as

possible the meaning of the source text.
Natural: using natural forms of the
receptor language in a way that is
appropriate to the kind of text being
translated.
Communicative: expressing all aspects of
the meaning in a way that is readily
understandable to the intended audience.
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TRANSLATION THEORY

Translation is a process based on the

theory that it is possible to abstract the
meaning of a text from its forms and
reproduce that meaning with the very
different forms of a second language.

TRANSLATION THEORY

Translation, then, consists of studying the

lexicon, grammatical structure,
communication situation, and cultural
context of the source language text,
analyzing it in order to determine its
meaning, and then reconstructing this same
meaning using the lexicon and
grammatical structure which are
appropriate in the receptor language and its
cultural context. (Larson l998, p. 3)
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TRANSLATION THEORY
SOURCE LANGUAGE

RECEPTOR LANGUAGE

Text to be translated

Discover
the
meaning

Translation

Meaning

Reexpressing
the
meaning

TRANSLATION THEORY
( Newmark ):

1.Semantic translation (ST): author- oriented.

2.Communicative translation (CT) : reader- oriented.
ST : tends to be more complex, more awkward, more
detailed, more concentrated.
CT: is likely to be smoother, simpler, clearer, more
direct, more conventional.
ST is more objective as the source language words as
well as sentences are operative in the form of control.

TRANSLATION THEORY

It is noted that a faithful translator will not

translate word- for- word. A good translator
should have:
- an adequate understanding of source
language.
- an adequate command of the receptor
language.

TRANSLATION THEORY

A translator who takes time to study carefully

the source language text, to write a
grammatical and semantic analysis of it, and
then look for the equivalent way in which the
same message is expected naturally in the
receptor language, will be able to provide an
adequate and sometimes brilliant translation.

TRANSLATION THEORY

A translator is successful if the receptor

language reader do not recognize his work as
translation, but simply a text in the receptor
language for their information and enjoyment.

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TRANSLATION THEORY

PROBLEMS :
1.Word choice: - go through the text
- combine understanding of
the context and knowledge in the field.

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TRANSLATION THEORY

PROBLEMS :
2. Ambiguity in the Nominal Group:
-Order the elements of the nominal groups.
-Analyze the source text carefully.
-Restructure the target text appropriately so
that it may sound natural to the reader

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TRANSLATION THEORY

PROBLEMS :
3. Time reference:
- is based on, among other things, the co-text
of text and the context of the situation.

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TRANSLATION THEORY

WHAT TO DO :
1. Understand the context : it is the initial and
very important step in the process of
translating a text.
( Halliday ): context

may be represented as follows:

-Field of discourse: what is happening
-Tenor of discourse: who is taking part
-Mode of discourse: spoken, written, formal,
informal.
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TRANSLATION THEORY

WHAT TO DO :
2. Understand the grammatical patterns:
-The text : how the wording manifests the meaning
of the text
-The system : + Transitivity
+ Mood, modality
+ Theme, information focus
-The elements : linguistic structures

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TRANSLATION THEORY

WHAT TO DO :
3. Understand the cohesion.
_ Reference
-Substitution
-Ellipsis
-Lexical cohesion
-Conjuction

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TRANSLATION THEORY

Strategies for translators

PREPARATION:
1.Reading the contract
2.Analyzing the contract
3.Reactions of the translators

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TRANSLATION THEORY

Strategies for translators

PREPARATION:
1.Reading the contract
Skimming: read for general ideas
Scanning: read for details

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TRANSLATION THEORY

Strategies for translators

PREPARATION:
Analyzing the contract
_ Analyzing the wording and
language
- What is the contract related to?
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TRANSLATION THEORY

Strategies for translators

PREPARATION:
Reactions of the translators
-Making a list of unknown terms for
later checking their meanings.
-Taking notes of the complicated
sentences.
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TRANSLATION THEORY

Techniques for Sale contract

translation:
-Word for word
-Literal
-Faithful
-Communicative
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TRANSLATION THEORY

Neither party shall be responsible for

the delay of the delivery provided
that such delay is caused by strikes,
fire, flood, earth quakes, civil
disorders, war, and acts of God.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

Rice to be packed in single new jute bags

of 50kgs net each.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

Where at the time of delivery, the Seller

fails to make availability of the Goods at
the port of loading, the dead freight shall
be for his/her account.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

The certificate of quality, weight and

packing issued by Vinacontrol at
loading port to be final and for the
Sellers account.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

Bags are hand-sewn at mouth with jute

twine thread suitable for handling and
sea transportation.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

Handle: bc xp

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

The risk and title to the Goods

shall pass from the Seller to the
Buyer when the Goods pass the
ship rail.
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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by specific words:

Title: queens s hu

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by omission:

All terms and clauses, which are

not stated in this Contract, will be
referred to the Incoterms 2000.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by omission:

Terms and clauses:Tt c nhng

iu khan

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by omission:

The party on/against whom the

action of law suit is brought shall
bear all costs, charges, fees,
expenses, legal fees arising from
such action.
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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by loan words:

Immediately after dispatch,

The Seller has to inform the
Buyer by fax the following
information: Airway Bill
number, ETD and ETA, quality
of goods shipped and
marking.
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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by loan words:

Delivery of the Goods shall be

made FOB (Mombasa) .

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by a loan words:

Hng s c giao theo iu kin

FOB (cng Mombasa).

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by loan words:

Unless expressly modified by the

parties , FOB , CIF and other
trade terms have the meanings and
obligations ascribed to them in
Incoterms 2000, Pulication 460 of the
International Chamber of Commerce
, Paris .
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TRANSLATION THEORY
Translation by a loan words:

Tr khi c tha thun khc gia cc

bn , FOB , CIF v cc iu kin
thng mi khc c ngha v
nhim v nh c nu trong
Incoterms 2000 , n bn 460 ca
Phng Thng mi quc t , Paris
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TRANSLATION THEORY
Dealing with terms

-Getting references from the

already translated contracts.
- Have a good knowledge of the
field the contract is involved.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Dealing with terms

Negotiating documents shall be

understood as follows.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Dealing with terms

Negotiating documents : Nhng

chng t thanh tan

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Dealing with terms

This contract constitutes the entire

agreement and understanding between the
parties. There are no agreements,
understandings, conditions, reservations or
representations, oral or written, that are not
embodied in this contract or that have not
been superseded by this contract

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TRANSLATION THEORY
Dealing with terms
All contract documents and the clauses of this contract shall be read, if
possible, so as to be consistent. In the event of conflict, the order of
precedence for the provisions and documents which constitute this
agreement is as follow:
- Any alterations typed on the face of the printed Purchase Agreement
- The printed text of the Purchase Agreement itself
- Specifications
- Statement of Work
- Manufacturing Drawings
- The Buyers Special Conditions of Purchase
- The Buyers General Conditions of Purchase

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

_ Two type of sentences:

+ Passive sentences
+ Complicated and lengthy sentences

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

_ Two type of sentences:

+ Passive sentences
Translators should rework or paraphrase the text and change the
passive into active one.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

The Buyer has to be informed by fax the

following information.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

Paraphrased:
The Seller has to inform the Buyer by fax
the following information.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

Payment is required on or before 14 May.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

90% value of each Annexes of this

Contract is to be paid on presentation of
shipping documents.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

No change into passive as the action is

focused on.
90% tr gi ca mi ph lc trong H ny
c thanh tan khi xut trnh cc chng
t giao hng.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level

Complicated and lengthy sentences

divide them into shorter and simple
ones.

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TRANSLATION THEORY
At sentence level
All the equipment and components to be supplied by the S in
accordance with the present Contract shall be delivered in
new strong cases, crates, card board or wrapped in hessian
cloth; or in unpacked conditions as per requirement of each
machine to withstand long distance ocean transhipments and
inland transportation and reasonable of handling and loading;
all appropriate antirust, anticorrosion and protective
measures for the equipment and components shall be applied
with grease coating, oil paper wrapping, thick polyethylene
film or aluminum film wrapping before packing in order to
prevent them from moisture, rain rust, shock, corrosive and
damage, according to the different characteristics and
requirements for the equipment and components so as to
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ensure their safe arrival in ----