Remember that any piece of translation is as much a piece of creative writing as the original: the translator, like the writer of an original text, starts with a blank sheet of paper in front of him. The first step in the creative process for the translator is to identify the various characteristics which define the original. At some point you will tentatively begin to write your translation, and as the looping process of reading and writing continues, you will find that the image of the text that you are in the process of writing will become clearer and clearer in your mind. It is this image which will dictate your ultimate choice of language.
A glance at the ‘Contents’ page of the will show how important we believe it is for a professional translator to gain a thorough understanding of the nature of the text he is translating.
We hope that as you work through this course you will gain the ability to look at the SOURCE TEXT from many angles and come to regard it as the result of the confluence of many factors. Your most basic aim should, of course, be to ensure that your understanding of the meaning is accurate, so that you can avoid solecisms when you translate. More than this, however, you should begin very early on in the translation process to try to identify such elements as text function, register and the author’s intended audience, so that as you write you can decide whether you will place more emphasis on the original writer’s style or on catering to your own intended audience. |
