Languages and symmetry. Is neutral translation possible?

Languages and symmetry Is neutral translation possible? Piet Van Poucke University College Ghent Ghent University (& UEF)

Why about neutral translation? 2

Measuring foreignization in literary translation Strong Foreignization (F) F Moderate Foreignization (f) f Neutral Translation (0) 0 3 Moderate Domestication (d) d Strong Domestication (D) D

Measuring foreignization in literary translation FOREIGNIZING TRANSLATION Foreignizing translation signifies the difference of the foreign text, yet only by disrupting the cultural codes that prevail in the target language < > a form of resistance against ethnocentrism and racism, cultural narcissism and imperialism (Venuti 1995: 20) Bring the reader to the writer (Schleiermacher) Lat. Quadriga = F f 0 d D 4

Measuring foreignization in literary translation DOMESTICATING TRANSLATION the translator works to make his or her work invisible, producing the illusory effect of transparency that simultaneously masks its status as an illusion: the translated text seems natural, i.e. not translated (Venuti 1995: 5) Bring the writer to the reader (Schleiermacher) Lat. Quadriga = F f 0 d D 5

Measuring foreignization in literary translation F f Neutral Translation (0) 0 6 d D

What is it? 7

Ferdinand de Saussure Saussure s approach to language makes each actual language sui generis, of its own kind, that s to say, an internally coherent system that can never be satisfactorily mapped on to any other. The automatic consequence is that no sign in any one language is fully identifiable with any sign in any other equally unique system of signs. (Bellos 2011: 227) => Translation can never be completely neutral 8

Synonyms? Neutral translation?... Literal translation? (Vinay & Darbelnet 1958; Newmark 1991; Leppihalme 1994; Shuttleworth & Cowie 1997; Chesterman 1997; Judickaitė 2009) (Official) equivalence? (Nida 1964; Catford 1965; Chesterman 1997; Pedersen 2007) Formal correspondence? (Catford 1965) Synonymic relationship? (van Leuven-Zwart 1989) Word-for-word translation? (Newmark 1991) Faithful translation? (Newmark 1991) Semantic translation? (Newmark 1991) Communicative translation? (Newmark 1991) Loan translation? (Grit 1997) Direct translation? (Pedersen 2005 & 2007) vs. Interference (Newmark 1988) 9

Literal One-to-one Maximally close to the SL form, but nevertheless grammatical (Chesterman 1997: 94) Direct transfer of a SL text into a grammatically and idiomatically appropriate TL text (Vinay & Darbelnet 1958/2000: 86) SL oriented A unique solution which is reversible and complete in itself Unacceptable when the message, when translated literally (ibid: 87) Gives another meaning Has no meaning Is structurally impossible Does not have a corresponding TL-expression Has a corresponding expression, but not within the same register 10

Varieties of Close translation Literal translation goes beyond one-to-one translation (Newmark 1988: 69) SEMANTIC TRANSLATION (ibid: 46) Takes more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text May make small concessions to the readership COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION (ibid: 47) Renders the exact contextual meaning of the original Both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership 11

Two types of Direct translation The semantic load < > is unchanged: nothing is added, or substracted (Pedersen 2005: 5) CALQUE The result of stringent literal translation May appear exotic to the TT audience Shifts required by the differences between SL and TL 12 SHIFTED DIRECT TRANSLATION Less SL-oriented Optional shifts on the ST Makes the Extralinguistic Culture-bound Reference more unobtrusive Between exotic and domestic

Pedersen (2005): SL oriented

Is neutral translation SL oriented? 14

Literal neutral Does the translation sound marked or unnatural to the reader? Is there an alternative that is more idiomatically correct? Yes No 15 Literal translation Foreignizing (SL oriented) Neutral translation

Literal neutral F Literal Translation f Neutral Translation 0 16 d D

Neutral translation complete symmetry I am twelve years old 17 J ai douze ans Мне двенадцать лет

How to translate in a neutral manner? Neutral = not siding with any party; harmonizing with other colours; indifferent For the translator: just translating; using the (first, obvious) word in the dictionary Where do we find such a translator? Computer translation services Google Translate Bing Translator 18

What if? 19

Literal translation according to Vinay & Darbelnet (1958/2000: 86; 92) I left my spectacles on the table downstairs J ai laissé mes lunettes sur la table en bas The book is on the table Le livre est sur la table 20 Where are you? Où êtes-vous? This train arrives at Union Station at ten Ce train arrive à la gare Centrale à 10 heures

Equivalence in translation Equivalence = ST item X is invariably translated into a given TL as Y, and vice versa (Chesterman 1997: 9) Words denoting numbers, certain technical terms and the like (ibid: 10) True test = invariable back-translation: A small set of lexical items Simple isolated syntactic structures 21

Online translation services Vinay & Darbelnet Google Translate Bing Translator I left my spectacles on the table downstairs J ai laissé mes lunettes sur la table en bas J'ai laissé mes lunettes sur la table en bas I left my glasses on the table at the bottom Where are you? Où êtes-vous? Où es-tu? J'ai laissé mes lunettes sur la table en bas I left my glasses on the table at the bottom Où êtes-vous? Where are you? Where are you? This train arrives at Union Station at ten Ce train arrive à la gare Centrale à 10 heures Ce train arrive à la gare Union à dix The train arrives at the Central Station in 10 hours Ce train arrive à la gare Union à dix This train arrives at the central station in 10 hours The book is on the table Le livre est sur la table Le livre est sur la table 22 Le livre est sur la table The book is on the table The book is on the table

Administrative texts Eurostat News Release 134/2012 (17/09/2012) French original Les coûts horaires de la main-d oeuvre ont augmenté dans la zone euro à un rythme annuel de 1,6% au deuxième trimestre 2012, contre 1,5% au premier trimestre 2012. Bing translation Les coûts salariaux horaires dans la zone euro ont augmenté de 1,6 % au cours de l'année jusqu'au deuxième trimestre de 2012, contre 1,5 % pour le premier trimestre de 2012. Bing translation The hourly labour costs increased in the euro area to an annual rate of 1.6% in the second quarter of 2012, against 1.5% in the first quarter of 2012. English original Hourly labour costs in the euro area rose by 1.6% in the year up to the second quarter of 2012, compared with 1.5% for the first quarter of 2012. 23

Literary translation Ф. Достоевский, Бесы (1873) Ф. Достоевский Бесы В одном сатирическом английском романе прошлого столетия, некто Гуливер, возвратясь из страны лилипутов, где люди были всего в какиенибудь два вершка* росту, до того приучился считать себя между ними великаном, что и ходя по улицам Лондона, невольно кричал прохожим и экипажам, чтоб F. Dostoevsky Devils (C. Garnett) In an English satire of the last century, one Gulliver, returning from the land of the Lilliputians where the people were only three or four inches* high, had grown so accustomed to consider himself a giant among them, that as he walked along the streets of London he could not help crying out to carriages and passers-by to be *вершок = 4.445 cm 8.89 cm *inch = 2.54 cm 7.62 10.16 cm 24

Literary translation Ф. Достоевский, Бесы (1873) Ф. Достоевский Бесы В одном сатирическом английском романе прошлого столетия, некто Гуливер, возвратясь из страны лилипутов, где люди были всего в какиенибудь два вершка росту, до того приучился считать себя между ними великаном, что и ходя по улицам Лондона, невольно кричал прохожим и экипажам, чтоб F. Dostoevsky Devils (C. Garnett) In an English satire of the last century, one Gulliver, returning from the land of the Lilliputians where the people were only three or four inches high, had grown so accustomed to consider himself a giant among them, that as he walked along the streets of London he could not help crying out to carriages and passers-by to be Bing translator In one satirical English novel of the last century, someone Guliver, returning from the country of Lilliput, where people were just any two vershoks growth, before the priučilsâ consider yourself among them giant, and walking through the streets of London, shouting to passersby and crews, so 25

Limits of translatability The possibility of neutral translation is limited and depends on the level of analysis Style 26 Grammar Lexis

Conclusions 27

Conclusions Neutral (i.e. non-foreignizing, nondomesticating) translation does exist on a micro level (words, word groups, collocations, phrases*, clauses, ) It should not be confused with (foreignizing) literal translation 28 The concept is applicable to literary translation as well Changing linguistic norms may influence the assessment (spectacles glasses)

*PS: Translating phrases through internet translation service Raining cats and dogs 傾 盆 大 雨 29 Pouring rain

References (1) Baker, M (1992): In Other Words. A coursebook on translation. London/New York: Routledge Bellos, D (2011): Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything. London: Particular books Catford, J (1965): A Linguistic Theory of Translation. An Essay in Applied Linguistics. London: Oxford University Press Chesterman, A (1997): Memes of translation. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Grit, D (1997): De vertaling van realia. Filter 4:4. 42-48 Judickaitė, L (2009): The Notions of Foreignization and Domestication applied to Film Translation: Analysis of Subtitles in Cartoon Ratatouille. Jaunųjų Mokslininkų Darbai 2 (23). 36-43 Leppihalme, R (1994): Culture bumps. On the translation of allusions. Helsinki: University of Helsinki 30

References (2) Leuven-Zwart, K van (1989): Translation and Original: Similarities and Dissimilarities I. Target 1:2. 151-181 Newmark, P (1988): A Textbook of Translation. New York/London/Toronto/Sydney/Tokyo: Prentice Hall Newmark, P (1991): About translation. Clevedon/Philadelphia/Adelaide: Multilingual Matters Nida, E (1964): Toward a Science of Translating. Leiden: Brill Pedersen, J (2005): How is Culture Rendered in Subtitles? Paper presented at MuTra 2005: Challenges of Multidimensional Translation [http://www.euroconferences.info/proceedings/2005_proceedings /2005_Pedersen_Jan.pdf] Pedersen, J (2007): Cultural Interchangeability: the Effects of Substituting Cultural References in Subtitling. Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 15:1. 30-48 31

References (3) Shuttleworth, M & Cowie, M (1997): Dictionary of Translation Studies. Manchester: St. Jerome Venuti, L (1995): The Translator s Invisibility. A history of translation. London/New York: Routledge Vinay, J-P / Darbelnet, J (1958/2000): A Methodology for Translation. In: Venuti, L (ed.) (2000): The Translation Studies Reader. London/New York: Routledge 32

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