Translation Norms Research Articles

Translators’ subversion of gender-biased expressions: a study of the English translation of The Three-Body Problem trilogy

ABSTRACT The Three-Body Problem trilogy, a work by Cixin Liu, won the Hugo Award, making it the first Asian science fiction work to achieve this. The English translation of this trilogy has garnered significant attention from academics, emphasizing its literary significance. However, the androcentric and gender-biased expressions in the original text, as well as the subversive translation used to mitigate them, have received little attention. This mixed methods study, based on Theo Hermans’ concept ‘modalities of normative force’ (1996), aims to examine the translation norms in this regard and discuss how these norms define the relation between source and target texts. The findings indicate that translators Ken Liu and Joel Martinsen were required to employ subversive translation norms to eliminate gender-biased content that might cause discomfort and aversion among the target audience. This highlights the importance of translators’ subjectivity in balancing divergent social and cultural contexts during the translation process.

Diachroninis vertimo normų tyrimas literatūros diskurso pavyzdžiu

The article addresses the issue of the translation of fiction in different periods of time under the influence of various linguistic, social and cultural norms, and it aims to establish differences in the use of translation strategies employed by the translator. The paper reviews the descriptive approach in Translation Studies which argues that translation is a communicative as well as social act where the translator alone is not responsible for his/her translational behaviour; other people and institutions also contribute to the formation of common notions of translational behaviour, and these are termed norms, conventions or rules. Moreover, the research emphasizes that norms are not a stable phenomenon and may vary across different periods of time and across different cultures or communities. The research is based on the contrastive analysis of two translations of Jack London’s Martin Eden with the aim to establish differences in the use of translation strategies under the influence of translation norms.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROF. V.N. KOMISSAROV’S TRANSLATION THEORY IN СHINA

V.N. Komissarov as a famous theoretician in the sphere of translation was introduced to his Chinese colleagues in 1984, when modern translation theory just started in China. For forty years now, his translation theories have been disseminated, adopted, and developed. V.N. Komissarov’s major works, including Questions of Translation Theory in Foreign Linguistics (1978), Linguistics of Translation (1980), Translation Theory (Linguistic Aspects) (1990) and Modern Translation Studies (1999), have been reviewed in Chinese academic journals. His last monograph, Modern Translation Studies (2004), was translated into Chinese. Chinese translation studies introduced his theoretical ideas in the sphere of translation, such as the nature of translation, translation equivalence, translation models, translation correspondences, translation norms, translation pragmatics, textological aspects of translation studies, cultural and sociological aspects of translation studies, translation teaching methodology, etc. Certain ideas, such as pragmatic translation adaptation, have been further developed. In general, V.N. Komissarov’s theoretical viewpoints have been studied and summarized in many scientific papers and various works, which contributed to the development of Chinese translation theory. Moreover, his translation thoughts are widely used by Chinese scholars for theoretical research and the training of future translators. Some of V.N. Komissarov’s views are applied to the study of the function of cultural translation, translation adaptation, the definition of translation, translation of the national style of speech and other theoretical problems. The scholar’s theory of translation is most often used to address a variety of issues in translation practice. The most influential theory is undoubtedly the theory of translation equivalence. While using this theory, numerous master theses and translation reports analyze issues in both fiction and information translation, as well as problems in interpretation and audiovisual translation.

A Corpus-based Study on Translation Norms of Prose: Taking Zhu Ziqing's The View of My Father's Back as an Example

This paper builds a small-scale corpus consisting of Zhu Ziqing's original work The View of My Father's Back and its English translations by Zhang Peiji, Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Through the corpus, the lexical and syntactic features of prose are studied to explore the translation norms of prose. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of Zhang's and Yangs' translations shows a tendency towards conventionalized expectations at the levels of words and sentences. This study hopes to provide translators with helpful insights on translating Chinese prose and promote overseas dissemination of Chinese prose works and cultural communication.

On the Translation of Academic Political Text from the Perspective of Chesterman’s Translation Norm: Case Study of Translating The Realization of the Historical Mission of Literature and Art in Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New

With the rise of China, the world is eager to know more about China, and China also needs to go global. International communication is imperative, and translation is of indispensable importance. The Realization of the Historical Mission of Literature and Art in Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (hereafter referred to as Historical Mission) belongs to academic political texts. This article is based on the excerpt from Chapter two “Adhere to people-centered orientation in creating art works” in this book. Academic political texts are inclined to embody formal words and intonation, well-knit logic, complex sentence structure, changeable sentence patterns, and many long sentences, which bring great challenges to the author. Chesterman’s Translation Norms can serve as a guide to solve specific translation problems, convey the intention of the author and improve the readability and accuracy of the translated text. With specific examples in view, this author chooses translation strategies from the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic levels under the guidance of Chesterman’s Translation Norms and discusses the significance of the Norms in academic political translation, hoping to provide some references for future researchers.

Прескриптивный и дескриптивный перевод идиоматических выражений с русского языка на английский

The aim of the paper is to study the patterns and distinctive features of prescriptive and descriptive translation forms of idiomatic transfer from Russian into English. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of fundamental differences regarding the prescriptive and descriptive approaches to the translation of idiomatic expressions from Russian into English. This makes it possible to present translation as a constant process of renewal, affecting the gap between said compared languages and cultures. As a result, some issues in the understanding of the theory of natural and artificial (arbitrary, directed) equivalence are identified. Thus, equivalence in prescriptive translation studies is considered as natural, while in descriptive – as directed/oriented. At the same time, in descriptive translation studies, the theory of equivalence is controversial in many aspects, since the norms of adaptive translation in the linguistic and cultural space of intercultural communication are not fully defined. If two components are the most important for prescriptive translation: similarity and difference, then in descriptive translation, a key role is assigned to mediation in intercultural interaction.

CULTURAL REFERENCES TRANSLATION NORMS IN THE QUEUE FROM ARABIC TO ENGLISH

Translating literary works is a challenging task, especially when attempting to integrate numerous linguistically, artistically, and culturally varied languages. The main objective of this research is to describe the initial norms that regulate the translation of Arabic cultural references translated in Basma Abdelaziz's Arabic novel, The Queue. This novel by Basma Abdelaziz was chosen for examination because it contains a lot of cultural references that reflect cultural values. To detect translation shifts and techniques used by the Queue’s translator, the major principles and components of Toury's theory of norms, Newmark’s classification of cultural items, and translation techniques proposed by Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) will be used. The techniques for translating Arabic cultural references reflect the translators' individual attitudes toward ST norms as well as their adherence to linguistic and cultural standards prevalent in the TL setting. Overall, there is some heterogeneity in the degree of leaning toward SL or TL norms. According to Toury's norms model, the general trend of translational norms appears to lean more towards the acceptability pole than the adequacy pole, implying that a TL-oriented strategy is preferred. The study reveals that when translating cultural references into English, the Queue's translator used four primary strategies: modulation, transposition, adaption, and deletion. These translation strategies utilized by the Queue’s translator may provide the target reader with altered meaning of the cultural references will have an impact on the portrayal of the Queue and provide the target readers with a significantly altered version of the text These translation strategies utilized by the Queue’s translator may provide the target reader with altered meaning of the cultural references text.

Investigating Expectancy Norms of English-Chinese Translation of Children’s Literature in China

Investigating Expectancy Norms of English-Chinese Translation of Children’s Literature in China

THE TRANSLATION OF CULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMS IN NGERI-NGERI SEDAP MOVIE

Translating culture-specific items (CSI) is difficult because the cultural items of the source language do not necessarily have the exact equivalent in the target language. This study aimed to describe the types of CSI in Ngeri-Ngeri Sedap movie based on Newmark’s (1988) categorization, Molina and Albir’s (2002) translation technique, and the translation norms. It employed descriptive qualitative research, and the data were collected using note-taking technique. The study results found 60 cultural items based on Newmark’s parameter types. The most frequently employed CSI type is socio-culture, with 29 data instances. Additionally, the category of the organization was observed in 20 instances, material culture was found in 8 instances, gesture and habit were present in 2 instances, and ecology was represented in 1 instance of data. 10 out of 18 translation techniques were used, but the most widely used translation technique was the literal translation, with 16 instances. Meanwhile, three dominant techniques were literal, adaptation, and generalization, which became the translation norms of CSI. The literal translation technique shows the closeness of SL (Source Language) and TL (Target Language) so that several concepts already have equivalents following the meaning of the SL.

Translation norms and bilingual dictionaries

Abstract This article applies translational norm theory to bilingual lexicography, arguing that the bilingual lexicographer serves as a “norm authority,” and the bilingual dictionary functions as a “norm statement” that prescribes the scope of what is considered legitimate interlingual equivalence within a given society. To demonstrate how the content of a bilingual dictionary can be used to promote specific translation norms, the headwords, equivalents, directives, and examples found in the North Korean bilingual dictionary, Jo-Yeong Sajeon (JYS) [Korean–English Dictionary] (1987/1991), were analyzed as a case study. The Korean–English lexical pairings presented in the JYS are matched with exemplary Korean–English translations listed in two North Korean translation textbooks, Jo-Yeong Beonyeokbeop [Korean–English Translation Method] (Min 2012) and Yeong-Jo Beonyeokbeop [English–Korean Translation Method] (Min 2014), affirming that the translation norms featured in the JYS hold normative force over the decisions made by professional translators.

Translation in pre-trial phases of the judicial process: developing a norm-based framework to train translators working into Arabic

Abstract The present study examines the implications of judicial translation in the context of international migration and its relationship with the law of the host country. In this context, judicial translation involves highly sensitive documents that can be as varied as family registers and statutory declarations. It also refers to specific legal instances of interaction with judicial authorities in which the observance of certain communication norms is of paramount importance. This is particularly true in the strict setting of a judicial interview. This paper describes how translation is performed in a pre-trial police interview in which the communication of certain basic legal obligations becomes challenging for a migrant person, due to differences in legal backgrounds. In such a situation, the main question is as follows: how can differences in basic legal notions be dealt with in the particularly strict setting of a judicial interview with the assistance of a translator? To answer this question, the study focuses on a threefold challenge for the translator, who must be equipped to handle language, translation and legal/ethical norms. It proposes a translation framework based on these norms and the way in which they are applied in a real interview. It seeks to guide the translation task and serve as a tool for judicial translation training. With regard to the translation norm, the study shows that discursive creation is to be the most relevant technique to represent concepts that do not have counterparts in the target language. Although the foreign element in the new terminology may Ahighlight the boundary between the foreign law and the target legal institution, this technique also leads to the creation of new concepts in the target institution.

General Theory and Importance of the Translation Norms

In this article, the general theory of translation reveals the concept of the translation norm, on the basis of which the quality of translation is assessed, in order to ensure the high quality of translation, the translator must be able to compare the text of the translation with the original, evaluate and classify possible errors, make the necessary corrections. If the translator needs to fulfill some requirements, then the assessment of the results of his work will be determined by how fully and successfully he completed these requirements.

A Comparative Study of Tea Culture in Chinese English Translation: Pedagogical Translation in Second Language Acquisition

Tea culture is very vital in the Chinese geographical and economic setting. Apart from being a high-selling brand, Chinese tea culture is inseparably associated with Chinese culture which is almost as old as tea cultivation history in China. As Chinese tea is sold all over the world, especially in western countries, the tea terminology becomes more significant in the age of globalization and international tea export. However, as the Chinese language is very much distinct from English including grammatical, syntactic, and semantic aspects, the translation of Chinese tea terminology into English has always been a challenge that hampers the tea export and consequentially, the Chinese tea culture. It has been found that with the use of some identified translation norms, translation strategies, and translation ethics, the Chinese tea culture may be globalized through the tea export from China. The paper has dealt with the inherent and external pedagogical issues found in the translation of Chinese-English translation of Chinese tea terminology and how these impact the tea culture and tea trade in China.

BRITISH 19TH-CENTURY NOVEL IN RUSSIAN: THREE CENTURIES OF TRANSLATION

For over two hundred years, 19th-century British literature was being translated in Russia. The process of literary translation has suffered two radical changes in translation norm within that time. The first had happened after the 1917 revolution; the second after the perestroika of the early 1990s. Before the revolution there were no established principles of translation: very often different translations of the same text were published at the same time; in some cases translation was reduced to retelling the story. In the Soviet era there was a concept of the ultimate ‘ideal’ translation of each work of literature, but the question of the translation method came into dispute. Initially translation accuracy was recognized as the most important factor, but later so called ‘formalism’ was stigmatized and more domesticating method was recognized as the only proper approach. After perestroika multiple translations of the same text started to appear, and the translations of the 19thcentury came back into print. The article reviews the details of each of those periods, the influence of economic, cultural, and political issues on publishing practice, methods of translation and commentary, problems of authorship, editing, censorship, and the choice of target audience. Particular attention is paid to the practice of reusing pre-revolution translations. The problem of professional translation criticism that could help readers make sense of several coexisting translations, is discussed.

The Rendering of Multilingual Occurrences in Netflix’s Italian Dub Streams: Evolving Trends and Norms on Streaming Platforms

Given the vast scholarly attention paid to multilingualism on traditional media over the years, it seems timely to focus on streaming platforms. This paper sets out to identify potential norms for the rendering of multilingual occurrences in the localised content of Netflix series. It also seeks to explore whether streaming translation practices related to multilingualism differ from the consolidated norms and practices for TV and cinema content. The chosen data sample consists of the Italian dub streams of five TV Netflix-produced shows featuring multilingualism as a main characteristic. The strategies and techniques adopted in each series are singled out, quantified, and labelled according to a combination of taxonomies. These include dubbing, revoicing, subtitling, part-subtitling, diegetic interpreting, unchanged speech transfer, and no translation. A wider analysis is also carried out across all the data sample to draw patterns on a macro level. The findings reveal a strong tendency to mark and preserve multilingualism, in line with Netflix’s own policies and dubbing specifications. Transfer unchanged combined with subtitles emerges as the most recurrent strategy, while the dub-over strategy accounts for 13% of the multilingual occurrences in the data sample. Extensive neutralisation is therefore not encountered. That said, a certain degree of overlap between multilingual translation norms on Netflix and conventional Italian dubbing practices (which tend to neutralise) can still be observed.

Normative Study on English Translation of Metro Public Signs in China under the Cognitive Translatology

With the acceleration of its internationalization, China is faced with epochal task of optimizing its international-standard linguistic environment, which is especially impending for Chengdu, the host city for the Universiade. The neo-analysis, at first, sorts out and analyzes different versions of official translation norms for toponyms through document research, as well as from the first-hand resources on public signs of rail transit from TFL and MTA, and then, continues the empirical case study under the theoretical guidance of Cognitive Translatology. This paper has proposed several translation principles and a new method - Conceptual Motivation Mapping - for public signs, attempting to explore the way to build up its international discourse system consistent with the status of Chengdu as a global hub.

Alaviitteet Cthulhun kunniaksi!

Translators are often most visible when they deviate from the norms and expectations of the receiving culture. In this article, I examine how the most recent Finnish translations of H. P. Lovecraft make the translator visible both on a textual and paratextual level, especially via translator’s notes and prefaces, by challenging the expectations and norms of contemporary Finnish literary translations. This article uses the most recent Finnish Lovecraft translations from 2021 and 2022 as a case study of the translator’s visibility. The translation deviates from common expectations of Finnish literary translations and may be seen as more in line with practices and norms of fan translation.

Dede Korkut Hikâyeleri ve İngilizce Çevirisi Üzerine Cinsiyet Söylem Analizi

The Book of Dede Korkut is a Turkish epic significant in Turkish history, literature, and culture. It comprises a prologue and twelve epic stories that tell the lifestyles, customs, and traditions of Oghuz Turks. Up to the present, The Book of Dede Korkut has been translated into English three times, firstly by Sumer, Uysal, and Walker (1972), secondly by Lewis (1974), and lastly by Mirable (1990). It is a work rich in gender roles such as heroism, bravery, manhood, womanhood, fertility, and maternal instincts. For this reason, the present study utilizes Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model to highlight the deviations in translating the selected extracts involving gender discourse. The corpus consists of Dede Korkut Hikâyeleri by Orhan Şaik Gökyay (1938) and its English translation by Geoffrey Lewis in 1974. Additionally, the research findings have been evaluated within the scope of Gideon Toury’s (1995) translation norms. As a result, it has been observed that the translator tries to balance the two cultures, but in some cases, subjects himself to the norms that are active in the target culture. In this regard, the findings reveal that the translator is closer to the acceptability pole, besides proving that the target text cannot be merely adequate/acceptable.

The Notion of Translation Norms in Russian and Western Ecole: V. Komissarov versus G. Toury, A. Chesterman, C. Nord

Sovyetler dönemi Dilbilimsel Çeviri Kuramının doğuşu XX. yüzyılın ortalarıyla tarihlendirilir ve A. V. Fedorov, Ya. İ. Retsker gibi isimlerle bağdaştırılır. Bu araştırmacıların çalışmalarında temeli atılan dilbilim kökenli çeviri kuramı 70’li yıllardan itibaren V.N. Komissarov, A.D. Şveytser, L.S. Barhudarov gibi isimler tarafından geliştirilmiş, daha ayrıntılı ve kapsamlı hale getirilmiştir. Bu araştırma, Vilen Naumoviç Komissarov’un Çeviri Kuramı: Dilbilimsel Bakış Açısı (Teoriya Perevoda: lingvistiçeskiye aspektı, 1990) başlıklı kitabında önerdiği çeviri normu kavramını, normların sınıflandırmasını ve hiyerarşisini konu eder. Komissarov (1990), Nord (1991), Chesterman (1993), Toury (1995) tarafından önerilen norm nosyonları yapı ve tanım bakımından karşılaştırılmış, benzerlikler ve farklılıklar üzerine fikir yürütülmüştür. Sonuç olarak normun sosyokültürel doğası bütün kuramcılar tarafından kabul edilen bir gerçek olduğu görülmüştür. Bununla birlikte Batı ekolünün çeviri normuna ve genel olarak çeviriye bakışı bir derece daha kültürel ve tarihsel iken Komissarov’un norm çerçevesinin daha dil odaklı olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Başlıca fark ise çeviri-norm-eşdeğerlik ekseninde tespit edilmiştir.

An interview with Joel Martinsen: translating The Dark Forest and Cixin Liu’s other Sci-fi

ABSTRACT This interview took place on the ZOOM platform on 29 July 2022. The focus of the interview between Gaosheng Deng and Joel Martinsen, the translator of The Dark Forest and Cixin Liu’s other Sci-fi, was on the habitus and subjectivity of translators. Since Toury introduced the concept of norms into translation studies, most translation practices can be explained by using norms. The role of translation norms was reinforced by habitus. Translators embody their habitus and translation style formed by their externalization in translation, which includes the selection of translation materials, translation strategies, and translator’s understanding of the essence of translation, all of which represent various translation norms. The main topics covered in the interview include the social path taken by translators before entering the translation industry, the translator’s style, the process of translation, revision, and the differences between Chinese and Western culture, allowing readers and researchers to learn more about the external social norms that has shaped the translator’s habitus.