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  5. Theory of Translation

Theory of Translation

Objectives

1) To acquire an understanding of the main currents and trends in Translation Studies from the mid-20th century to the present day within a broad multi-disciplinary perspective
2) To understand how these theoretical currents impinge upon the practical work of the professional translator
3) To develop the capacity for critical analysis and creative thought essential for all academic engagement
4) To develop the academic skills of effective reading, text production and oral debate

General characterization

Code

01100189

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

Hanna Marta Pieta Candido

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - 168

Teaching language

English

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

Gambier, Yves and Luc van Doorslaer, eds. 2010-2021. Handbook for Translation Studies (vol. I-V). Amsterdam: Benjamins.


Munday, Jeremy, Sara Ramos Pinto and Jacob Blakesley. 2022. Introduction to Translation Studies. London and New York: Routledge.


Pym, Anthony. 2010. Exploring Translation Theories. London/New York: Routledge


Snell-Hornby, Mary. 2006. The Turns of Translation Studies: New Paradigms or Shifting Viewpoints? Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins


Toury, Gideon. 1995/2012. Descriptive Translation Studies and Beyond. Amsterdam: Benjamins.


Saldanha, Gabriela and Sharon O'Brien. 2014. Research Methodologies in Translation Studies. London: Routledge.

Teaching method

Where possible, the teaching will be student-centred, involving textual analysis, group discussion, problem-solving and task-based activities, supplemented by mini-lectures for the purpose of contextualization. Students will be asked to do reading and on-line research in their own time in preparation for the lessons. 

Evaluation method

Evaluation method


 


Written group assignment - 50.0%


Written exam - 50.0%

Subject matter

1. Historical Approaches


- Pre-modern approaches (European and extra-European)


- Linguistic approaches (Jakobson, Catford, Nida, Vinay, and Darbelnet)


2. General Overview: Translation Studies


- The birth of an empirical discipline


- Disciplinary influences


- Mapping attempts (Holmes, Van Doorlaer, Saldanha, and O'Brien)


- Terminology, key concepts, currents, debates, and major shifts


- What do we know about the process, product, and agent of translation? How do we know it, and why?


3. Functionalist Approaches


- Skopos Theory (Vermeer and Reiss)


- Communicative purposes (Nord)


- Translation as communicative action (Holz-Mänttäri)


4. Descriptive Translation Studies


- The need to prioritise the target system (Toury)


- The need to consider social contexts (Lefevere, Hermans, Lambert)


- Translation and its place within polysystems (Even-Zohar)


- Translation as a norm-governed behaviour (Toury, Chesterman)


5. The Cultural Turn, the Technological Turn, and the Multimodal Turn


Implications for key concepts:


- Source and target texts


- Pseudo-translation


- Retranslation


- Indirect translation


6. Translation and Ethics


- Invisibility (Venuti)


- The role of the translator in society: translation as activism


- Ethical implications of technological developments in translation