Page 13 - Translation Journal July 2015
P. 13
THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS
Our theoretical reflections will be organized around the following questions, whose answers will provide the theoretical framework
on which this paper will be based. What is translation? To what extent is it relevant to human development? What is fidelity in translation?
What human, linguistic and cultural agents and factors erode fidelity in the translation process? How can one reduce fidelity erosion in
translation?
2.1 Definition of Translation
Flamand (1983 :50) perceives it as
“... rendre le message du texte de départ avec exactitude (fidélité à l’auteur) en une langue d’arrivée correcte, authentique et adaptée au
sujet de la destination (fidélité au destinataire)” [...the rendering of the source language message, with precision, into an authentic error-
free target language, which is adapted to the target language public (translation ours).]
For Nida (1977:30), “translation is the production in the target language of the closest natural equivalent to the message of the
source language, first to meaning and then to style.” According to Newmark (1998:5), translation consists in “... rendering the meaning of
a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text”. Schulte (1992:6) considers translation as the “... transplantation
of a text from one language to another”. Whereas “...translation meant appropriating ideas and insights from another culture to enrich
one’s own language” for Jerome (quoted in Schulte 1992:2), Malinowski considers translation as “the unification of cultural contexts”
(quoted in Robins 1976: 27). Friedrich Schileiermacher (in Schulte 1992:63) insists that “...the translator’s goal must be to provide his
reader with the same pleasure as reading the work in the original language offers to the man educated in this way...”. Van Hoof (1989:74)
postulates that translation is “an act of bilingual communication”.
A holistic analysis of the above definitions shows that the terms “message,” “meaning,” “communication” and “style” are predominant
essence of translation. In other words, translation means the written communication of the message or meaning of a source language
text into a correct and acceptable version of the target language.
2.2 Types of Translation
Typologically, translation could be classified into three categories: interlingual, intralingual and intersemiotic translations. Quoting
Jacobson, Hatim et al (2006:5) distinguished them as follows:
Intralingual translation: translation within the same language, which can involve rewording or paraphrasing
Interlingual translation: translation from one language to another, and
Intersemiotic translation: translation of the verbal sign by a non-verbal sign, for example music or image. Only the second
category is deemed ‘translation proper’ by Jacobson.
Therefore, our focus in this research is on interlingual translation.
2.3 The Role of Translation in our Multilingual Contemporary World
In our multilingual contemporary society, translation performs a wide range of useful functions. To start with, it breaks down
linguistic and cultural barriers existing between peoples from different speech communities of the world, thereby bringing about mutual
intelligibility and understanding as well as international co-operation among peoples of the world. Also, translation
has become a significant instrument for the spreading of culture: scientific and technological, material, linguistic, political, economic,
religious as well as other forms of culture. For instance, in the course of our civilization, “...translation came to be used as a weapon in
both dogmatic and political conflicts as nation states began to emerge ...” (Susan Bassnet-McGuire1980:47). Some of the emerging
nation states rejected Latin as a universal language. This development led to the translation of the Bible and other great books into other
languages such as English, German, French, etc. Thus, translation is instrumental to the rapid spreading of the gospel worldwide today.
Another example is the translation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart into French as Le monde s’éffondre. The French version of the
work has fictionally revealed to the francophone world an insight into the socio-cultural, political and economic organization of life in a
pre-colonial Igbo society. In a multilingual nation state such as Nigeria, India or Senegal, the translation of the national constitution into
the various local languages invariably leads to political consciousness and enlightenment as well as national unity. The phenomenon,
whereby one language borrows from another, leads to the linguistic and cultural cross-fertilization of languages. Pedagogically, translation
plays a very vital role, especially in the teaching of foreign languages. For instance, some abstract concepts or notions in a foreign
language cannot possibly be explained by means of pictures or demonstrations alone. Hence, the teacher translates them into the local
language of the learner. Also, the teacher cannot but translate some difficult foreign language expressions such as idioms, proverbs and
other figures of speech. However, I am not suggesting that translation is the most effective method of foreign language teaching, neither
should it replace other methods such as the audio-visual method, communicative approach and more direct methods.
2.4 What is fidelity?
Viewed from the moral standpoint, fidelity implies faithfulness or loyalty towards someone or something. It is borrowed from the
idea of a woman being faithful or loyal to her husband and vice versa or a soldier being faithful and loyal to his commander. Fidelity in this
context means the extent to which a translator accurately renders the meaning of a given source language text into a target language
Translation Journal - July 2015 | 13
Our theoretical reflections will be organized around the following questions, whose answers will provide the theoretical framework
on which this paper will be based. What is translation? To what extent is it relevant to human development? What is fidelity in translation?
What human, linguistic and cultural agents and factors erode fidelity in the translation process? How can one reduce fidelity erosion in
translation?
2.1 Definition of Translation
Flamand (1983 :50) perceives it as
“... rendre le message du texte de départ avec exactitude (fidélité à l’auteur) en une langue d’arrivée correcte, authentique et adaptée au
sujet de la destination (fidélité au destinataire)” [...the rendering of the source language message, with precision, into an authentic error-
free target language, which is adapted to the target language public (translation ours).]
For Nida (1977:30), “translation is the production in the target language of the closest natural equivalent to the message of the
source language, first to meaning and then to style.” According to Newmark (1998:5), translation consists in “... rendering the meaning of
a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text”. Schulte (1992:6) considers translation as the “... transplantation
of a text from one language to another”. Whereas “...translation meant appropriating ideas and insights from another culture to enrich
one’s own language” for Jerome (quoted in Schulte 1992:2), Malinowski considers translation as “the unification of cultural contexts”
(quoted in Robins 1976: 27). Friedrich Schileiermacher (in Schulte 1992:63) insists that “...the translator’s goal must be to provide his
reader with the same pleasure as reading the work in the original language offers to the man educated in this way...”. Van Hoof (1989:74)
postulates that translation is “an act of bilingual communication”.
A holistic analysis of the above definitions shows that the terms “message,” “meaning,” “communication” and “style” are predominant
essence of translation. In other words, translation means the written communication of the message or meaning of a source language
text into a correct and acceptable version of the target language.
2.2 Types of Translation
Typologically, translation could be classified into three categories: interlingual, intralingual and intersemiotic translations. Quoting
Jacobson, Hatim et al (2006:5) distinguished them as follows:
Intralingual translation: translation within the same language, which can involve rewording or paraphrasing
Interlingual translation: translation from one language to another, and
Intersemiotic translation: translation of the verbal sign by a non-verbal sign, for example music or image. Only the second
category is deemed ‘translation proper’ by Jacobson.
Therefore, our focus in this research is on interlingual translation.
2.3 The Role of Translation in our Multilingual Contemporary World
In our multilingual contemporary society, translation performs a wide range of useful functions. To start with, it breaks down
linguistic and cultural barriers existing between peoples from different speech communities of the world, thereby bringing about mutual
intelligibility and understanding as well as international co-operation among peoples of the world. Also, translation
has become a significant instrument for the spreading of culture: scientific and technological, material, linguistic, political, economic,
religious as well as other forms of culture. For instance, in the course of our civilization, “...translation came to be used as a weapon in
both dogmatic and political conflicts as nation states began to emerge ...” (Susan Bassnet-McGuire1980:47). Some of the emerging
nation states rejected Latin as a universal language. This development led to the translation of the Bible and other great books into other
languages such as English, German, French, etc. Thus, translation is instrumental to the rapid spreading of the gospel worldwide today.
Another example is the translation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart into French as Le monde s’éffondre. The French version of the
work has fictionally revealed to the francophone world an insight into the socio-cultural, political and economic organization of life in a
pre-colonial Igbo society. In a multilingual nation state such as Nigeria, India or Senegal, the translation of the national constitution into
the various local languages invariably leads to political consciousness and enlightenment as well as national unity. The phenomenon,
whereby one language borrows from another, leads to the linguistic and cultural cross-fertilization of languages. Pedagogically, translation
plays a very vital role, especially in the teaching of foreign languages. For instance, some abstract concepts or notions in a foreign
language cannot possibly be explained by means of pictures or demonstrations alone. Hence, the teacher translates them into the local
language of the learner. Also, the teacher cannot but translate some difficult foreign language expressions such as idioms, proverbs and
other figures of speech. However, I am not suggesting that translation is the most effective method of foreign language teaching, neither
should it replace other methods such as the audio-visual method, communicative approach and more direct methods.
2.4 What is fidelity?
Viewed from the moral standpoint, fidelity implies faithfulness or loyalty towards someone or something. It is borrowed from the
idea of a woman being faithful or loyal to her husband and vice versa or a soldier being faithful and loyal to his commander. Fidelity in this
context means the extent to which a translator accurately renders the meaning of a given source language text into a target language
Translation Journal - July 2015 | 13
