Challenges Facing The Translator English Language Essay

Challenges Facing The Translator English Language EssayThe ain pleasure derived from explanation is the excitement of seeing to solve a yard small problems in the con school schoolbookual matter of a large one. A reading obligates the adapter to take for a total of decisions so that a utter(a) transformation is produced. Such a translation must(prenominal)(prenominal) be write in a way which serves the compar up to(p) attend to as the semen text and be ethnically coherent between the outset and mark expressions. In this essay I will discuss a honk of decisions that the representative must make and making specific references to textual analytic thinking, ethnical mediation and virtually applied reflexions of translation.The translation begins with the reading of the fountain text which allows the transcriber to identify the several key components which will form the foundations of the translation. The transcriber must do a detailed textual summary so th at the goal, proof subscribership and setting of the source text are identified. (Newmark P, 1988) I examine this to be the first gainsay that take cares the arranger as a number of decisions must be made to clarify where the translation will be published, who the translation is going to be orchestrateed at and what the function of the text will be. (Alfano V, 2012)Newmark (1988) states The intention of the text represents the source wrangle writers attitude to the discomfit matter.For the arranger, correspondence what is meant by the pen of the source text is vital as the attitude of the author will suggest the linguistic process function and setting of the hind end text. Bhlers theory of language usableity poop determine a text to occupy an expressive, vocative or instructive function depending on the core thing and status of the author. The challenge for the interpretive program is to determine ones own status at bottom the text in order to identify the lan guage function. Newmark gives examples of the authors status be anonymous he examines that this status ro role be apply for an informative or vocative text depending on its main function. If the main function of the text was to tell the truth, it would suggest that the text takes an informative language function, whereas a text concentrating on the readership would suggest a vocative function. (Newmark P, 1988)During the textual epitome the transcriber must assess the readership I consider this to be a particular challenge for the translator as one must try to assess the level of education, class, age and sex of the readership before determining it to be for an expert reader, uninformed reader or educated layman. (Newmark P, p.13) Depending on the readership the translator may need to make more(prenominal) attention to the readers of the target text than that of the source text. A physical geography textbook aimed at an uninstructed readership would use general vocabulary i n order to aid the readership into meeting the text The floor of the sea is covered with rows of bulky mountains, whereas for the educated layman, the translator may use topic specific vocabulary as on that point is an assumption that the context of the text would be enough for the reader to clutches the key issues The floor of the ocean is covered with great mountain manacles and deep trenches. (Newmark P, p.p.13-14) The variation in style depends on the readership and setting of the target text. Newmark (1988) suggests using Martin Joos and Strevens stylistic scales when assessing the level of formality at bottom the text.The final aspect of the textual compend that I consider to be dispute for the translator is determining the setting of the target text in order to actualize the requirements of the client. The translator must decide what the target text equal is for the source text, and then decide the type of language that must be used to suit the publication. For exam ple, The Guardian watchwordpaper is aimed at an educated upper-middle class readership this meaning that the language used would be educated and scripted in a formal style. The translator in this example does non need to pay particular attention to the readership unless there are cultural discrepancies indoors in the text.This essay has referred to a number of issues that the translator faces before translating into the target language. Here, we can see that it is imperative that the translator makes the correct decisions whilst conducting a textual analysis in order to identify the key features inside the text so that one can appropriately translate into the target language. Following the textual analysis there are further issues which cause concern for the translator. These issues get laid under the heading of cultural mediation a translator must be aware that some expressions, professions and activities are not realised in all(prenominal)(prenominal) language, thus the tra nslator must decide how to translate them. The translation of culture specific references poses a particular issue for the translator as some language may not be translatable, therefore the translator must employ the relevant translation method to suit the problem.During a translation the translator must ask oneself whether the words in the source language are transferable in the target language. The translation of cultural words such as les pieds noirs and les maghrbins cannot be literally translated as they create no meaning in the target language. Cultural and descriptive equivalents can be used to solve this issue. The translator can give tautological information in order to hold up a functional equivalency within the text.Descriptive equivalent les pieds noirs ou les maghrbins 2nd generation immigrants originating from Algeria and North Africa.Cultural equivalent les pieds noirs ou les maghrbins French Algerians (les francais dalgerie)Neutralisation les pieds noirs ou les m aghrbins black Immigrant Newmark (1988) states that the translators role is to make plurality understand, not to mystify by using vogue words. thus literally translating the words may not be enough for the reader to understand what has been written in the text. le ministre de lintrieur being translated as the minister of the interior holds no value in English whereas Home secretary or film director of homeland security is a kat oncen position to the readership in the target language. This is an example of using cultural equivalency in order to ensure that the fool text reader can understand the text.I will now discuss some of the applied aspects of translation. There are many palm in which a translator can practice ones profession some separate than literary translation, one can work in an array of subject areas such as commerce, law and film. change surface though the translators role is the same in every field, some challenges are presented to the translator more clearly i n some practices than others.The translation of witticism may seem bang-up forward in ones mind but the question must rise up to the translator that some expressions and phrases that are funny in ones own language and culture may be different in another. Vandaeles definition of panderHumour is what causes amusement, mirth, a Spontaneous smile and laughter. (eds Gambier Y and Van Doorslaer L, 2010)The translator must understand the catalyst which makes phrases humorous in the target language, so that one can appropriately replicate the effect of the source text. The translator must provoke feelings of positive arousal when enticing these emotive feelings from the readership in time a balance between fidelity and transparency must be maintained in the target language in order to draw the same humorous effect as one receives from the source language. (Vandaele J, 2002) How does the translator achieve this? There are a number of factors which make a phrase or expression funny. Oft en the topic, situation and presentation of a joke can evoke feelings of humour and could be seen as a branch of translating culture. Kopp J (2012) explains that current affairs play a big part in the context of humour and uses the example of topic ground current affairs programs such as Have I got news for you, (by the BBC) to elaborate thisAlan Davies Eight carbon Americans die in a McDonalds every year.Rich Hall Which one? Best to avoid that one. (QI.wiki abduce, 2013)The above quote shows that context is important in order to find the joke humorous. Even though it is possible that the presentation of the joke can affect the recipients perceptual experience of the joke, those living in the west are manageledgeable that America is veneering a crisis in terms of the levels of obesity within the country. Alan Davies is portrayed to be giving a fact about the number of deaths that occur within the fast-food franchise McDonalds from each one year. that Rick hall plays on Davies use of the singular proper noun, a McDonalds, giving the impression that eight hundred Americans die in one particular franchise of the fast-food chain each year. Why is this funny? Kopp J (2012) suggests that the ridicule of a nation or group of people can evoke a humorous consequent here, the emphasis on the death of Americans suggests a cultural elitism amongst those who are not of an American nationality, thus creating a humorous situation. She also states that the experience overlap by the recipient is important as one that does not know of the situation on Americas obesity crisis or does not have acquaintance of the McDonalds fast-food chain cannot readily understand the joke. The translator must understand that some communities may not recognize this because they do not have knowledge of the subject. Therefore the translator may add information to the translation in order to achieve the same humorous effect.FR Alan Davies il y a 800 amricains qui meurent dans un McDo ch aque anne.FR Rick Hall a cest Vrai? On ne devrait pas aller du mme McDo alorsHere we can see that all of the key elements from the source language remain in the translation as the audience of the target language are culturally aware of the situation created by Davies and Hall during their sketch. However the use of meme by Hall clarifies his point of not wishing to go to a restaurant in which 800 people have died.The next challenge I will refer to is the issue of juristic translation. I find this to be an issue for the translator as one must show transparency in ones translation. The fidelity to the source text is no time-consuming sacred as one must be even more conscious of the technicality of the subject matter. The translator must be flock to the law and communicate it effectively, rather than concentrating on the translation of idiomatic expressions in the source text, the translation must remain transparent enough so that the message of the law remains clear whilst maintain ing a functional compare to the source text.The requirement for intelligent translation is increasing due to an increase access for people and businesses to travel freely. This means that the law in every country needs to be translated so that there is access for people to read on the law of the country they plan to visit or work. This only becomes an issues for translators when healthy conventions and government triggers do not have a cultural equivalent in the target language or that the caterpillar tread of the institution is governed in a different way to that of the same institution in the source language. (Riberi, 2012) thus the greatest obstacle in legal translation is the incongruity of legal systems between countries. (arcevic S, 2000) This poses a problem when translating legal texts as there are a number of functions which a legal text can perform. However I find that the problematical legal text takes a prescriptive function it is used to inform the reader about ac tions and sanctions that will occur if one does not conform to a specific ruling. However, how does one translate a course of action that does not exist in the target language? Continental law does not prescribe the death penalisation, yet a French holiday nobleman traveling to a country, such as Thailand, which does prescribe the death penalty could unknowingly be put under this sanction without knowledge of it unless the translator appropriately translates the term. Thus the translation of prescriptive legal texts is a challenging practice for a translator.Throughout this essay I discussed a number challenges that face the translator. Even though this essay has not explored all of the issues that face the translator, it gives a broad perspective on the decisions that the translator must make during ones practice and that the translator can sometimes be accountable for the reader not receiving the same effect from the target text than that of the source text. I have answered the question to what I consider to be the biggest challenges facing translator and I think the work to be done during the textual analysis is the hardest challenge that translator faces during ones work. The decisions which the translator makes during this time will affect the note of the final translation. Thus making the correct decisions in the textual analysis is vital to a complete translation.A key theme shown within the essay is cultural mediation. The translator must assume what the readership knows and what the readership is culturally able to understand. When one is translating the text, the translator must make decisions to change the ideas in the text to suit the readership in order to evoke the same effect presumption when reading the source text. This concept is clear in the translation of humour as some cultures are not able to readily understand western humour, and therefore must be given an alternative deal to the source text in order to maintain a functional equival ent which is to evoke laughter from the readership. (Vandaele J, 2002)My final point on challenges for the translator is legal translation and this essay concludes on the difficulties that the translator faces when trying to maintain function equivalents between texts whilst coping with incongruent legal systems and maintain the book between fidelity and transparency in the target language. The translator must make decisions when facing sanctions which are not realised in other countries and find ways to inform the readership of this whilst holding ones fidelity to the effectiveness of the plurilingual discourse of the law. (Riberi J, 2012)