Translation of texts of literature (C language) - English 3200-M2-1TLICA

The aim of the workshops is to study the specificity of literary translation and to develop the techniques and skills in the domain. Students analyse existing translations, broaden their knowledge of literary genres, conventions and devices, improve their skills by translating and proofreading their own texts, and discussing the applied solutions.
Student workload:
In class: 30 hours
Individual work for each class: ca 1 hour per week (total: 15 hours)
Preparation for the final test: 5 hours
Total: ca 50 hours.
TEACHING CONTENT:
- broadening the knowledge of translation strategies and techniques on the basis of existing translations;
- analysis of texts of different genres;
- the specificity of literary translation (e.g. problems of literalness, synonymy, idioms, intertextuality, cultural and historical references) and its impact on the appropriate choice of translation strategies and techniques;
- the limits of translatability;
- the question of free translation, compensation and paraphrase;
- the question of style (e.g. wordplay, metaphors, author’s individual style) and of pragmatics, as well as artistic devices specific for different types of literary texts, irony, humour, dialects, etc.;
- the notion of translation errors;
- choosing appropriate dictionaries, sources, and parallel and analogous texts;
- developing a professional attitude towards a mock commission and client.
TOPICS OF TRANSLATED TEXTS: short and longer literary and paraliterary texts: prose (novels, short stories, poetic prose, fables etc.), poetry, drama, as well as jokes or essays on different topics.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Exercises
- source text analysis (e.g. from the point of view of its aim, recipient, author intention, style, epoch, literary convention);
- translating literary and paraliterary texts and debating them in order to establish an optimal translation solution in relation to their specificity, function, and recipients;
- self-correction exercises.

Term 2023Z:

The course is a practical one and is meant to give the participants’ skills required to translate artistic texts between English and Polish. It also aims at raising the students’ awareness of the functioning of translation in social and cultural contexts and, by the same token, the ability to find translation solutions which accommodate these contexts.
Given that this is the only literary translation course within the study programme, a possibly wide range of text types and therefore of translation issues is proposed. However, it is impossible to cover everything, hence some of the contents may be the participants’ choice.
The course contents encompass:
1. Introduction to the subject. Text coherence and implicature.
2. The necessity to relate the translation process to the text as a complete entity. The issue of translating key words.
3. Conveying style, as well as local and historical colour.
4. Ambiguity and metaphoric quality of the text as translation problems. Subtext vs. grammar.
5. The art of poetry translation. Issues of form, imagery.
6. Translating children’s literature / song translation – subject to choice.
7. Rendering a dramatic text / a popular-scientific text of literary value – course participants’ choice.

Term 2024Z:

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Interest in literary translation and in culture. Competence in Polish (i.e., language A) – C2 level; competence in English – at least C1 level. The student knows essential translation strategies and methods, is able to use dictionaries and other resources judiciously, can identify general translation problems.

Course coordinators

Marta Kaźmierczak

Learning outcomes

After completing the course the student:
KNOWLEDGE:
- knows the appropriate translation strategies and techniques suitable for particular literary and paraliterary texts;
- recognises idioms and knows how to translate them;
- knows the principles of self-correction.
SKILLS:
- correctly qualifies text types;
- is more sensitive to specific stylistic devices;
- can analyse the pragmatic aspects of a text and choose his or her strategies or techniques accordingly;
- can select appropriate dictionaries, source texts and knows how to use them;
- skilfully translates literary and paraliterary texts;
- can justify his or her choices of strategies and techniques;
- knows how to prepare the correct graphical form of translated texts.
SOCIAL COMPETENCES:
- recognises the import of literary translation in contemporary culture;
- applies the principles of professional translator ethics.

Assessment criteria

Ongoing evaluation based on:
- participation, attendence, and preparedness in class;
- timeliness;
- own work (e.g. preparing a set number of translations in a term, correcting them in accordance with the teacher’s remarks);
- satisfactory execution of other tasks set by the teacher;
- positive grades for all component tasks;
- final test.
Grading scale:
99%-100% - 5!
98%-91% - 5
90%-86% - 4,5
85%-76% - 4
75%-71% - 3,5
70%-60% - 3
less than 60% - 2 (fail)

Two absences allowed (if the number is exceeded, the student should ask the teacher for extra assignments; if the number of absences exceeds 50%, the student fails the course in accordance with the Rules of Study).
The rules of the re-sit test are the same as the end-of-term test.

Bibliography

There is no set reading for the workshop.
The publications used during the workshop are: mono- and bilingual dictionaries, lexicons and encyclopaedias, parallel and analogous texts, corpora.

Term 2023Z:

The course is taught in a workshop format, and reading assignments are not part of credit requirements. For executing quality translations it is nevertheless necessary to consult various monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, reference works, parallel texts as well as corpora in both languages.

Recommended reading (a modest selection):
Barańczak S., Ocalone w tłumaczeniu, a5, Kraków 2004, 3rd ed.
Bednarczyk A., Kulturowe aspekty przekładu, Śląsk, Katowice 2002.
Dedecius K., Notatnik tłumacza, trans. J. Prokop, WL, Kraków 1974.
Pisarze polscy o sztuce przekładu. 1440-2005. Antologia, ed. E. Balcerzan, E. Rajewska, Poznań 2007.
Przekładając nieprzekładalne, vol.1, materiały I Międzynarodowej Konferencji Translatorycznej, ed. O. Kubińska, W. Kubiński, Wyd. UG, Gdańsk 2000.
Tokarz B., Spotkania. Czasoprzestrzeń przekładu artystycznego, Katowice 2010.
Zaleska Z., Przejęzyczenie. Rozmowy o przekładzie, Wołowiec 2016.

Term 2024Z:

Notes

Term 2023Z:

See level below

Term 2024Z:

See level below

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3200-M2-1TLICA in USOSweb