AJ29083 Universals in Translation

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Renata Kamenická, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Timetable
Thu 11:40–13:15 G31
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 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Are texts created as translations in any way different from original, untranslated texts (in the same language)? If so, how can these differences be described? It is these questions that a branch of Translation Studies dealing with the so-called translation universals, i.e. phenomena with a higher distribution in translated texts than non-translated texts, disregarding the source language, is trying to answer.
Potential translation universals include on the one hand simplification, conventionalization, lexical phrases untypical of the target language, lower distribution of lexis specific to the target language (all that compared with non-translated texts in the same language) and on the other hand text lengthening, interference, standardization, explicitation, dialect normalization, narrative point of view simplification, use of more conventional collocations, reduction of repetition (compared with source texts).
The main objective of the course is to make students learn to identify these phenomena and acquire skills and knowledge relevant for studying them in texts translated from English. Students will also develop a basic orientation in the methods and results of research in this branch of Translation Studies. Students' own translations as well as public corpora and corpora developed in the Department of English and American Studies will be used.
Touching upon the very essence of the process of translation, exploring translation universals represents an exciting point of view for contemplating translation. Translations of both literary and non-literary texts will be explored and students will learn the basics of the methodology used in this type of research, which may lead to formulation of diploma theses projects. From the practical point of view, students should expand their ability of critical reflection in the process of translating.
Syllabus
  • W1 Goals and methods of the course, introduction to the discipline, basic terms;
  • W2 Descriptive Translation Studies and Corpora Studies in Translation Chesterman (2004);
  • W3 S and T universals; What, how and why is explicitated in translation?; Explicitation in parallel corpora, Overas (1998);
  • W4 Universals in student translations, comparable corpora in Translation Studies; Laviosa (1995);
  • W5 Simplification in literary and non-literary translation; Laviosa (1996, 1998);
  • W6 Normalization/conventionalization; shifts to more conventional collocations, Kenny (1999);
  • W7 Normalization/conventionalization - work with text material;
  • W8 Use of corpus software in studying translation universals; Wordsmith software; Munday (1998);
  • W9 Individual translator's style, Baker (2000)
  • W10 Lower distribution of lexis specific to the TL; translationese vs. language of non-translated texts; Tirkkonen-Condit (2002, 2004);
  • W11 Text length and interference, Mauranen; Simplification of narrative modes, Bosseaux (2001);
  • W12 Explicitation of cohesion, Puurtinen (2004), Pápai (2004); Final project presentation and review I;
  • W13 Final project presentation and review II; conclusions from the course, course evaluation.
Literature
  • BAKER, Mona and Maeve OLOHAN. Reporting that in Translated English: Evidence for Subconscious Processes of Explicitation? 2002, 141-158. Across Languages and Cultures 1(2). info
  • BLUM-KULKA, Shoshana. Shifts of Cohesion and Coherence in Translation. Tübingen: Gűnter Narr, 1996, 17-35. Interlingual and Intercultural Communication. info
  • KENNY, Dorothy. Lexical Hide-and-Seek: looking for creativity in a parallel corpus. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 2000, 93-104. Intercultural Faultliness. info
  • KENNY, Dorothy. Lexis and Creativity in Translation. A Corpus-based Study. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 2001, 260 pp. ISBN 190065038X. info
  • LAVIOSA-BRAITHWAITE, Sara. Investigating Simplification in English Comparable Corpus of Newspaper Articles. Szombathely: Daniel Berzsenyi College Printing Press, 1996, 531-540. info
  • LAVIOSA, Sara. Corpus-based Translation Studies. Theory, findings, applications. Amsterdam & New York: Rodopi, 2002, 138 pp. ISBN 9042014873. info
  • MAURANEN, Anna and Pekka KUJAMÄKI. Translation universals: do they exist? Amsterdam, Philadelphia: J. Benjamins Publishing Company, 2004, 224 pp. info
  • OVERAS, Linn. In Search of the Third Code. 1988, 571-588. Meta, XLIII, 4. info
  • Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies. Edited by Kirsten Malmkjaer - Mona Baker. London: Routledge, 1998, xviii, 654. ISBN 0-415-09380-5. info
Assessment methods
The seminars will use class discussion, focusing on concept definitions and analysis, research methodology and reporting (covering a range of assigned literature - mainly empirical studies), critical reading and students' own research proposals.
Regular class attendance is expected.
The evaluation will include the result of a course-unit credit test to be written in the end of the course (30%) and a final essay in the form a student's own empirical research covering a topic formulated by the student towards the end of the course (70%).
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět si nemohou zapsat studenti Bc. studia AJ
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2006, Autumn 2006, Spring 2007, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2009.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2008/AJ29083