Translation of specialised texts – teacher’s choice (C language) - English 3201-3TSPCA
The aim of the course is to develop the skills and knowledge of techniques for translating specialised texts on various topics from English into Polish. The translated texts come mainly from the field of humanities and/or are about the art and culture.
Student's time investment:
Class hours: 30
Preparation hours: 30
In sum: 60 hrs, corresponding to 2 ECTS.
COURSE CONTENTS:
- specific issues in the translation (interlingual mediation in written form) of texts in the field of humanities (cf. SUBJECT MATTER);
- enhancing the students’ knowledge about translation strategies and translation techniques;
- advanced issues concerning style (titles, wordplay, metaphors, neologisms, semantic neologisms, authorial style etc. as translation problems), pragmatics (defining the recipient as a criterion shaping the translation project and influencing the scope and contents of a possible paratext) and ethics (steps taken in the event of errors in the source text);
- selecting appropriate dictionaries, resources, as well as analogical and parallel texts;
- the issue of compensating and paraphrasing in specialist texts;
- terminological issues: borrowings vs. native terms;
- forming a professional approach to a simulated commission and the commissioner, in line with translation ethics.
FORMS OF WORK:
- translating texts individually, the results to be discussed in class (longer pieces);
- in-class translation tasks;
- team work with various tasks assigned (equivalence search, translation proper, editing and revision);
- project work;
- analyzing published / existing translations;
- getting familiar with term bases and other terminological resources;
- preparing domain-based glossaries;
- exercises preventing interference on various levels, including examination of one’s own errors.
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE TRANSLATED TEXTS:
Texts and vocabulary in the native and the foreign language pertain to the following domains:
- linguistics,
- translation studies,
- language teaching,
- music,
- cinema,
- theology,
- tourism,
- education.
TEXT TYPES:
- press texts of varied length (article, news release, press note, interview, essay, feuilleton/newspaper column), popular-scientific texts (press texts as well as encyclopedic entries or bio notes), scientific texts (paper excerpt, introduction, summary, abstract);
- texts expressing opinions, combining specialized discourse with colloquial language (reviews, discussions, analyses; opinion journalism);
- pragmatic texts – folder, leaflet, brochure, poster, invitation, programme notes.
CREDIT REQUIREMENTS:
attendance, participation in in-class discussions, preparing translations as part of the homework.
Type of course
translation courses
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
KNOWLEDGE:
The student possesses the special vocabulary necessary to correctly translate a text from a specific domain and uses the vocabulary appropriately;
- the student can classify the text according to its type, is familiar with translation methods and techniques and applies them correctly;
- the student can analyze the text pertaining to a given field for its pragmatics and can properly define his or her translation project and choose the strategy.
SKILLS:
- The student can choose appropriate specialist lexicographical and textual resources and knows how to use them;
- the student recognizes idiomaticity in a text and is able to render it in the target text;
- the student can translate specialist and non-specialist texts in a given field in a correct, clear and understandable way;
- the student is able to verify and correct his/her work;
- the student is able to format the text in a required way;
- the student is able to justify the adoption of particular translation strategies and techniques.
SOCIAL COMPETENCE:
- The student understands the translator’s responsibility towards the commissioner, the author and the recipient of the target text;
- The student is familiar with the principles of professional translation ethics and applies them.
Assessment criteria
Grades for particular assignments; continuous assessment (on basis of attendance, preparedness for the class, participation in the discussions, and individually done translation work).
Each requirement, if assigned, must be fulfilled independently, hence their share in the final mark is not determined.
The criteria of grading translation assignments:
Assessment takes into account translational, pragmatic, linguistic and formal aspects.
99% – 100 – 5!
98% – 91% – 5
90% – 86% – 4,5
85% – 76% – 4
75% – 71% – 3,5
70% – 60% – 3
below this level – 2 (unsatisfactory).
Absences:
Students are allowed two unexcused absences per semester. In the case of a higher number of absences, the student is obliged to agree with the lecturer on the form of catching up on the subject matter missed in class.
Bibliography
The course is taught in a workshop format, and reading assignments are not part of credit requirements.
Consulting monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, reference works, parallel texts as well as corpora in both languages is part of in-class work.
Suggested further reading:
H. Dzierżanowska, Przekład tekstów nieliterackich, PWN, Warszawa 1990.
K. Hejwowski, Iluzja przekładu, Wydawnictwo Śląsk 2015.
K. Hejwowski, Kognitywno-komunikacyjna teoria przekładu, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2004.
A. Kopczyński, M. Kizeweter (red.), Jakość i ocena tłumaczenia, Wydawnictwo Szkoły Wyższej Psychologii Społecznej "Academica", Warszawa 2009.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: