1. 11. Translation strategies and techniques (1)
Lingua Inglese 2 LM

2. Malone’s Strategies Equation v Substitution Divergence v Convergence
Amplification v Reduction
Diffusion v Condensation
Reordering
By referring to these strategies translators can
justify adjustments of form depending on the
semantic, stylistic and communicative
requirements of the TT.

3. Equation Termini station is very crowded
Stazione Termini è molto affollata
Equation is word-for-word translation
Equation is the default option
man = uomo unless there is a contextual reason for it not to be. There may be quite a lot of these, e.g.
Man = umanità
Hey, man = ehi, capo
you’ve moved your man = hai spostato il tuo pezzo
it’s a man’s game = è un gioco da maschi

4. Equation – special cases
Equation = a form of automatic equivalence.
Borrowing
Calques

5. Equation Borrowing when the loan word has the same referent in both
languages: software, rap;
brings new cultural features into target language.
sometimes loan words can achieve equation even when the equivalent term exists in two languages
e.g. rucola = rocket but we now understand what
rucola refers to so we use “rucola” in Eng.
absolute foreignisation – purpose is to retain the exotic. sociocultural style in the TT
Translating menus is difficult because it is natural to use a
loan word for food that is culture-specific.

6. Equation
Calques
Borrows the SL expression or structure and then transfer it in a literal translation
e.g. faxare
a calque strategy is a safe strategy
both calques and borrowing are a form of literal translation

7. Menus
Translating menus is difficult because it is natural to use a loan word for food that is culture-specific C.

8. What’s the problem here?

9. What’s the problem here?
Bruschetta
Ventricina
Salami
Tacconi
Pasta
Gnocchi
Fava
Ravioli
Scamorza
Abrzo
porcini

10. What’s the problem here?
Bruschetta
Ventricina
Salami
Tacconi
Pasta
Gnocchi
Fava
Ravioli
Scamorza
Abruzzo
porcini
must
salami of
cheese platter of
potato gnocchi
ravioli of ricotta
whit
Abruzzo National Park Farms
to the tile

11. Lessons for translators
When deciding whether to retain a loan word in
translation (e.g. ravioli, scamorza), translators
of menus need to decide whether it is likely to
be known to the TL reader.
If it is known (ravioli), it can be included in an English translation
If it is not known (scamorza) but you want to use it, it needs to be explained (glossed) in the text.
The gloss needs to be good. Is “typical Italian cheese” a good gloss for scamorza?

12. Equation and non-equation
Equation is what an unskilled translator does automatically
The skill for a translator is to know when not to use equation D.

13. Substitution – false cognates
False cognates are the most well known examples of lexical items that require substitution because despite their morphological similarities their meanings diverge. e.g. editore/ editor (publisher).

14. Substitution - partial cognates
Partial cognates can be translated by substitution, depending on context
e.g. direttore
- managing director (company)
- chief editor (newspaper)
- school head, Principal (Am.) (school)
- conductor (orchestra) F

15. Substitution -abstractions
e.g. realtà
- art as an imitation of nature
- life is hard / it’s a hard life
- her illness is genuine
- plans which come to fruition
- often we don’t see things as they really are
- he’s realistic
- we must keep local needs in mind
- publishers need to have a thorough
knowledge of the social scene
- the economic situation
the word “realtà” is also very divergent

16. Substitution
Substitution is the implementation of a translation that bears little or no morphological resemblance or semantic relation to the ST.
grammatical substitution
semantic substitution

17. Substitution - grammatical
Grammatical substitution
Lorenzo fermò la macchina e si voltò verso il giovane: ’Allora tu vieni su o vuoi restare qui?’
Lorenzo stopped the car and turned towards the youth: ‘Well, then, are you coming up or d’you want to stay here?’
The continuous tense replace the simple present to express the imminent nature of the event.

18. Substitution - semantic
Semantic substitution
The straw that broke the camel’s back
la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso
Idioms and lexical phrases often require total or
partial substitution:
Buona giornata = Have a nice/good day/weekend
Buon appetito = enjoy your meal
Buon lavoro = ????

19. Divergence v convergence
Divergence consists in choosing a suitable
translation from a range of possible alternatives
e.g. niente is very divergent in its translation
I have nothing to say
23 – 24 – No! – start again
not bad
all this work for nothing
not for nothing do they only accept girls
no messing about
they’ve got nothing at all

20. Divergence v convergence
Grammatical divergence: different ways to express one concept
e.g. dovesse succedere
if it should happen
should it happen
were it to happen
if it were to happen
non serve lamentarsi
there is no point (in) complaining
it’s no use complaining

21. Divergence v convergence
Convergence means rendering a range of alternatives with a single lexical item:
e.g. tu,Lei, voi, Loro = you
commercialista, ragioniere, contabile = accountant
This is connected to the hyponym problem in lesson 3 (house = superordinate; cottage, hut etc. = hyponyms) English does not have hyponyms for types of accountant
Translators need to know when to converge. This is often a question of acquiring cultural knowledge.