AJP69013 Theory of Translation II - Applications

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Renata Kamenická, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
None.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The objective of the second part of the two-semester survey lecture-based course is to enable students of the Masters’ Translation programme to focus on selected topics and issues in theory of translation in a more practically oriented way. This practice-orientedness of the second part of the course will enable students to internalize the idea that every translation is a “theory of translation” of a kind (Chesterman); they will learn to relate theory to specific text materials and will develop - and, where appropriate, automatize - their translation skills. Students will develop a) an ability to rely, besides their practical translation experience, on the results of current developments in Translation Studies consistently and systematically; b) a (mainly procedural) knowledge base for asking relevant questions about translation and translating in their current contexts including the changing shape of the profession and for searching for answers to them in creative and methodologically solid ways, among other things in their own diploma thesis research.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the semester, the student will:
- be aware of their tendencies regarding types of interference based on an analysis of their own translations made in the past, at the level of interference; will be able to avoid some typical interferences;
- be aware of the intricacies of FSP in English-Czech and Czech-English translation; will know how to check their translations as to FSP;
- have analysed how their translation mistakes typically arise, using the model by D. Gile;
- have written a translation review and discussed reviews by their colleagues;
- have an idea of their own psychocognitive dispositions in translation and know how to balance them out where approapriate;
- be able to address culture in translation in other than the linear way;
- be able to draw on a range of distancing techniques;
- be able to select from and search a range of TS resources;
- have basic skills in TS research methodology.
Syllabus
  • (1) The Liberal Arts Paradigm in Translation Studies, the Empirical Science Paradigm, current applications of both. Problems of mixing the two paradigms.
  • (2) Functional Sentence Perspective in translation. Analysis of one's own translations in the past at the level of FSP, with a view to improvement.
  • (3) Translational interference and how to avoid it. Types of interference; analysis of one's own translations wioth focus on interference, with a view to improvement.
  • (4) The sequential model of translation - D. Gile. The use of the model for self-analysis; identifying the typical origin of one's mistakes in translation, with a view to improvement. The information model of sentence - D. Gile; the use of the model.
  • (5) Psychocognitive dispositions in translation - S. Campbell. Applying the analysis to one's own translation material, with a view to improvement.
  • (6) Psychocognitive dispositions in translation - approach by S. Hubscher-Davidson. Context-orientedness and detail-orientedness in translation.
  • (7) Holistic approach to translating culture - M. Tymoczko. A case study to illustrate the approach. Acculturation - A. Lefevere.
  • (8) Translation criticism: theory and applications. Writing a translation review - practical exercise.
  • (9) Terminology in translation studies - problems and issues. Pym's glossary of TS terminology - practical exercise.
  • (10) Translator habitus - theory and applications. Reading: Gouanvic, Simeoni.
  • (11)TS in Europe and in the world. Translation studies journals, TS resources, organizations.
  • (12) Non-western approaches to translation - M. Tymoczko.
  • (13) Translating Milan Kundera - a case study; translation of Native American legends into Czech (discourse and culture) - a case study.
Literature
    required literature
  • CHESTERMAN, Andrew. Memes of translation : the spread of ideas in translation theory. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1997, vii, 219 s. ISBN 90-272-1625-8. info
    recommended literature
  • BASSNETT, Susan. Translation studies. Rev. ed. London: Routledge, 1991, xxi, 168. ISBN 0415065283. info
  • GENTZLER, Edwin. Contemporary translation theories. 2nd rev. ed. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2001, xiv, 232. ISBN 1853595136. info
  • HERMANS, Theo. Translation in Systems. Descriptive and System-oriented Approaches Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 1999, 197 pp. ISBN 900650-11-8. info
  • LEVÝ, Jiří. České teorie překladu : vývoj překladatelských teorií a metod v české literatuře. Edited by Jiří Honzík. Vyd. 2. (rozdělené do dvou. Praha: Ivo Železný, 1996, 273 s. ISBN 8023729527. info
  • LEVÝ, Jiří. Umění překladu. Edited by Karel Hausenblas. Vyd. 3., upr. a rozš. verze. Praha: Ivo Železný, 1998, 386 s. ISBN 802373539X. info
  • MUNDAY, Jeremy. Introducing translation studies : theories and applications. London: Routledge, 2001, xiv, 222. ISBN 0415229278. info
  • NIDA, Eugene A. Toward a science of translating. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1964, x, 331. info
  • NIDA, Eugene Albert and Charles R. TABER. The theory and practice of translation. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1982, viii, 218. ISBN 90-04-06550-4. info
  • NORD, Christiane. Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Fuctionalist Approaches Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 1997, 154 pp. ISBN 1900650029. info
  • POPOVIČ, Anton. Teória umeleckého prekladu : aspekty textu a literárnej metakomunikácie. 2. preprac. a rozš. vyd. Bratislava: Tatran, 1975, 293 s. info
  • SNELL-HORNBY, Mary. Translation studies : an integrated approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1988, viii, 163. ISBN 90-272-2060-3. info
  • After Babel : aspects of language and translation. Edited by George Steiner. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992, xviii, 538. ISBN 0192828746. info
  • TOURY, Gideon. Descriptive translation studies and beyond. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1995, viii, 311. ISBN 90-272-2145-6. info
  • VENUTI, Lawrence. The translator's invisibility : a history of translation. London: Routledge, 1995, xii, 353 s. ISBN 0-415-11537-X. info
  • Rethinking translation : discourse, subjectivity, ideology. Edited by Lawrence Venuti. London: Routledge, 1992, xi, 235 s. ISBN 0-415-06050-8. info
Teaching methods
The course is based on class discussions of assigned materials and readings in theory of translation and the application of the latter to specific translations, both published and students' own translation work. Students are encouraged to adopt a personalized approach to translation theory and to engage in critical thinking. The course has an e-learning Moodle/Elf support.
Assessment methods
Credits will be awarded based on submitting assignments during the semestr, class discussion and passing a written exam.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Information about innovation of course.
This course has been innovated under the project "Faculty of Arts as Centre of Excellence in Education: Complex Innovation of Study Programmes and Fields at FF MU with Regard to the Requirements of the Knowledge Economy“ – Reg. No. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0228, which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

logo image
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AJP69013