Abstracts
Abstract
Formal links are naturally associated with cohesion as one of the main features of discourse. Cohesion has been extensively discussed in the literature especially in terms of the mechanisms generating it, but also in terms of its equivalence in translation. As with any type of discourse, the communicative value of translated texts is enhanced by their cohesive texture. Less attention has been granted to the translation of formal links carrying additional functions though. This study examines some cohesive devices in student translations with a special focus on the translatability of ellipsis, substitution and reference when they are enriched with stylistic, sociolectal and rhetorical values. The study is based on a translational learner corpus consisting of Romanian graduate students’ translations of a short story from English into Romanian. The methodology for assessing and analyzing the learner corpus is of both quantitative and qualitative nature and employs simplification, explicitation and neutralization. The conclusions comprise insights into some problematic areas in the trainees’ translations, as well as observations related to contrastive aspects of cohesive devices between English and Romanian. A teaching methodology is subsequently derived from the findings in an attempt to offer a more comprehensive approach to the pedagogy of translating cohesive devices with stylistic load.
Keywords:
- cohesive devices,
- stylistic function,
- contrastiveness,
- translational learner corpus,
- translator training
Résumé
Les liens formels sont naturellement associés à la cohésion, qui est l’une des principales caractéristiques du discours. La cohésion a été largement discutée dans la littérature, en particulier en termes de mécanismes générateurs, mais aussi en termes d’équivalence dans la traduction. Comme dans le cas de tout type de discours, la valeur communicative des textes traduits est renforcée par leur texture cohésive. Toutefois, on a accordé moins d’attention à la traduction de liens formels comprenant des fonctions supplémentaires. Cette étude examine certains dispositifs de la cohésion dans les traductions des étudiants avec une attention particulière à la traductibilité de l’ellipse, la substitution et la référence, lorsqu’elles sont enrichies par des valeurs stylistiques, rhétoriques et sociolectales. L’étude est basée sur un corpus d’apprentissage de la traduction constitué des traductions d’un court récit de l’anglais vers le roumain, effectuées par des étudiants roumains diplômés. La méthodologie pour évaluer et analyser le corpus d’apprentissage est à la fois quantitative et qualitative, et emploie la simplification, l’explicitation et la neutralisation. Les conclusions comprennent des aperçus sur certaines zones problématiques dans les traductions des stagiaires, ainsi que des observations relatives aux aspects contrastifs de dispositifs de la cohésion entre l’anglais et le roumain. Une méthodologie d’enseignement est ensuite tirée des conclusions dans une tentative d’offrir une approche plus compréhensible de la pédagogie de la traduction de la cohésion avec une charge stylistique.
Mots-clés :
- dispositifs de la cohésion,
- fonction stylistique,
- contrastivité,
- corpus d’apprentissage de la traduction,
- formation des traducteurs
Resumen
Las conexiones formales están naturalmente asociadas a la cohesión como un rasgo principal del discurso. La cohesión ha sido largamente debatida en la literatura, especialmente en cuanto a los mecanismos que la generan, pero igualmente en cuanto a sus equivalencias en la traducción. Como ocurre con cualquier tipo de discurso, el valor comunicativo de los textos traducidos es resaltado por su carácter cohesivo. Sin embargo, se ha prestado menos atención a la traducción de conexiones formales dotadas de funciones adicionales. El presente estudio analiza algunos recursos de cohesión en las traducciones de estudiantes, con especial atención a la traducibilidad de la elipsis, la sustitución y la referencia cuando aparecen enriquecidas por valores estilísticos, sociolectales y retóricos. Este estudio se basa en un corpus de aprendices de la traducción que consta de traducciones de un cuento, del inglés al rumano, realizadas por estudiantes licenciados rumanos. La metodología para evaluar y analizar el corpus de aprendices es tanto cuantitativa como cualitativa y utiliza simplificación, explicitación y neutralización. La conclusión proporciona conocimiento sobre algunas áreas problemáticas de las traducciones de los aprendices, así como observaciones relacionadas con los aspectos contrastivos de los recursos de cohesión entre el inglés y el rumano. Una metodología didáctica se desprende a raíz de estos hallazgos, en un intento de ofrecer un enfoque más comprensivo de la pedagogía de la traducción de los recursos de cohesión con valor estilístico.
Palabras clave:
- recursos de cohesión,
- función estilística,
- contrastividad,
- corpus de aprendices de la traducción,
- formación de traductores
Appendices
Bibliography
- Arhire, Mona (2003): The Translation of Ellipsis. In: Marinela Burada, ed. Conference on British and American Studies (Conference on British and American Studies, Brașov, March 2003). Brașov: Transilvania University Publishing House, 45-52.
- Arhire, Mona (2011): Valențele expresive ale concentrării limbajului. Brașov: Transilvania University Publishing House.
- Baker, Mona (1992): In Other Words. A Coursebook on Translation, London and New York: Routledge.
- Baker, Mona (1996): Corpus-based Translation Studies. The Challenges that Lie Ahead. In: Harold Somers, ed. Terminology, LSP and Translation. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 175-186.
- Bassnett, Susan (2002): Translation Studies. Reviewed Edition. London and New York: Routledge.
- Bidu-Vrănceanu, Angela, Călărașu, Cristina, Ionescu-Ruxăndoiu, Liliana, et al. (2001): Dicționar de științe ale limbii. București: Nemira.
- Blum-Kulka, Shoshona and Levenston, Eddie (1983): Universals of Lexical Simplification. In: Claus Faerch and Gabriele Kasper, eds. Strategies in Inter-language Communication. London and New York: Longman, 119-139.
- Blum-Kulka, Shoshona (1986): Shifts of cohesion and coherence in translation. In: Juliane House and Shoshona Blum-Kulka, eds. Interlingual and. Intercultural Communication. Tübingen: Narr, 17-35.
- Bowker, Lynne and Pearson, Jennifer (2002): Working with Specialized Language: a Practical Guide to Using Corpora. London and New York: Routledge.
- Caldas-Coulthard, Carmen Rosa (2000): Written Discourse. Birmingham: The University of Birmingham.
- Fox, Barbara. A. (1986): Local patterns and general principles in cognitive processes: anaphora in written and conversational English. Text 6(1):25-51.
- Halliday, Michael A.K. (1985/1994): An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 2nd edition. London and Melbourne: Edward Arnold.
- Halliday, Michael A. K. and Hasan, Ruqaiya (1976): Cohesion in English. London and New York: Longman
- Hasan, Ruqaiya (1984): Coherence and cohesive harmony. In: James Flood, ed. Understanding Reading Comprehension. Delaware: International Reading Association, 181-219.
- Hoey, Michael (1991): Patterns of Lexis in Text. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Ilisei, Iustina, Mihaila, Claudiu., Inkpen, Diana, et al. (2011): The impact of zero pronominal anaphora on translational language: a study on Romanian newspapers. Studia universitaria Babes-Bolyai, informatica. LVI(2):43-50.
- Johnson, Kyle (2008): A view of QR from Ellipsis. In: Kyle Johnson, ed. Topics in Ellipsis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 69-94.
- Kirk, Sung Hee (2005): Cohesion Shifts in English-Korean Translation. Doctoral Dissertation, Manchester: University of Manchester.
- Klaudy, Kinga (1996): Concretization and generalization of meaning in translation. In: Marcel Thelen and Barbara Lewandoska-Tomaszczyk, eds. Translation and Meaning Part 3, Maastricht: Hogeschool Maastricht, 141-163.
- Künzli, Alexander (2004): I find that a bit exaggerated – Neutralization in Translation. In: Anastasia Papaconstantinou, ed. Choice and Difference in Translation: The Specifics of Transfer. Athens: The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 81-96.
- Larson, Mildred L. (1984): Meaning-based Translation: A Guide to Cross-Language Equivalence. Lanhan, New York and Oxford: University Press of America.
- Leuven-Zwart, Kitty M. van (1990): Translation and Original: Similarities and Dissimilarities, II. Target. (1):69-95.
- Lotfipour-Saedi, Kazem (1997): Lexical Cohesion and Translation Equivalence. Meta 42(1):185-192.
- Mcshane, Marjorie. J. (2005): A Theory of Ellipsis, New York: Oxford University Press.
- Merchant, Jason (2001): The Syntax of Silence: Sluicing, Islands, and the Theory of Ellipsis. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Newmark, Peter (1987): The use of systemic linguistics in translation analysis and criticism. In: Ross Steele and Terry Threadgold, eds. Language Topics: Essays in Honour of Michael Halliday. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 293-304.
- Newmark, Peter (1988): Approaches to Translation. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
- Olohan, Maeve (2004): Introducing Corpora in Translation Studies. London and New York: Routledge.
- Protopopescu, Daria and Vișan, Nadina (2008): Compensation and Translation in James Ellroy’s White Jazz. Bucharest Working Papers in Linguistics, 10(2):41-50.
- Pym, Anthony (2010): Exploring Translation Theories, London and New York: Routledge.
- Schäffner, Christina (2002): Discourse analysis for translation and translator training: status, needs, methods. In: Christina Schäffner, ed. The Role of Discourse Analysis for Translation and Translator Training, 1-8.
- Shlesinger, Miriam (1995): Shifts in cohesion in simultaneous interpreting. The Translator. 1(2):193-214.
- Stoichițoiu-Ichim, Adriana (2002): Semiotica discursului juridic. Bucharest: Bucharest University Publishing House.
- Toolan, Michael (1998): Language in Literature: An Introduction to Stylistics. London: Hodder Arnold.
- Trosborg, Anna (2002): Discourse analysis as part of translator training. In: Christina Schäffner, ed. The Role of Discourse Analysis for Translation and Translator Training. Contemporary Issues in Language and Society, Vol. 3. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 9-52.
- Wilson, Peter (2000): Mind The Gap: Ellipsis and Stylistic Variation in Spoken and Written English, London: Longman.
- Wu, Jing (2014): Shifts of Cohesive Devices in English-Chinese Translation. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 4(8):1659-1664.
- Zlatnar Moe, Marija (2010): Styling Popular Fiction: A Comparison of Stylistic Shifts in Slovene Translations of Popular Fiction and Literary Prose. Paper presented at IV Congreso Internacional de la Sociedad Española de Estudios Literarios de Cultura Popular, Mallorca. Visited 02 August 2015, http://www.uibcongres.org/congresos/.
10.7202/004014ar