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  5. Technical-Scientific Translation Practice (Portuguese to English)

Technical-Scientific Translation Practice (Portuguese to English)

Objectives

a) To acquire the competences required to translate from Portuguese into English


b) To acquire an understanding of the main domains of Science and Technology


c) To reflect upon and improve strategies for solving the terminological and notional-cultural difficulties when translating Portuguese texts into English


d) To encourage lifelong learning with a high degree of autonomy


e)To acquire the ability to collate data and produce glossaries


f) To develop the ability to reflect upon and self assess your own translations


g) To deepen linguistic competence in English


h) To consider the scope and limitations of technical translation carried out by translators with a background in Social Sciences and Humanities

General characterization

Code

711121060

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

Richard Denman Sidaway

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - 168

Teaching language

English

Prerequisites

Minimum B2 level English

Bibliography

Byrne, J. (2010). Technical Translation: Usability Strategies for Translating Technical Documentation. Springer.
Byrne, J. (2012). Scientific and Technical Translation Explained. St Jerome Publishing.
European Commission. (2021, July 29). English style guide. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/styleguide_english_dgt_en.pdf
European Commission(2021, July). Companion Volume Country Compendium : https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/styleguide_english_dgt_country_compendium_en.pdf
European Commission (2021, July). What’s new https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/whats_new_style_guide_en.pdf 29 House, J. (2009). Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mossop,B. (2010). Revising and Editing for Translators (Translation Practices Explained). St Jerome Publishing.
Olohan, M. (2016). Scientific and Tecnhical Translation. Routledge

Teaching method

Analysis and discussion of texts written in Portuguese
Presentation and discussion of translation alternatives
Individual or collaborative translation of selected texts – in class or prepared at home.
Criticism, comparison, discussion, correction, editing and revising of versions of the same text translated by self, fellow students and others.
Reflection on the translation process and strategies

Evaluation method

Assessment methods - Coursework: active participation in class; translation of texts, with and without preparation, individual and in groups, in class and out of class; critical analysis of translated texts and difficulties; autonomy and ability to self-monitor.(30%), Formal assessment: 2 class translation tasks (50%); 1 home task (20%)(70%)

Subject matter

Analysis of the field of Science and Technology
Specific terminology
Specific features including: abbreviations & acronyms; capitalisation; dates & time periods; false friends & difficult words; foreign words & loanwords; units of measurment; names & titles; numbers & figures; ranges; spelling; scientific symbols; technical terms; titles of publications.
Translation tools, processes, skills and strategies: correcting & dictionary skills; editing & researching; re-drafting; self-monitoring.
Research of topics and resources
Production of glossaries for specific selected areas
Translation of texts from among the following areas: genetics, oncology, immunology,zoology, pharmacology, biology, microbiology, biotechnology, power technology, manufacturing technology.
Text types used: Popular scientific and technological texts, academic texts, scientific papers, scientific and technological reports, scientific abstracts, information leaflets.