Literal Translation

1. Literal Translation
Translation Theory and Practice
Presented by: Jediah Bais-Suico

2. Literal Translation
Contents: 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Varieties of Close Translation
Translation of Poetry
Words in their Context
Back-Translation Test (BTT)
Constraints on Literal Translation
Natural Translation
The Role of Context

3. Literal Translation
• A literal translation is a translation that
follows closely the form of the source
language.
• It is also known as Word for Word
translation.
• Newmark agrees that this technique is
the best option for translating texts
where the form is as important as the
content such as great speeches,
autobiographies, literary works.

4. a) Maximal closeness to the SL meaning and
structure.
b) Conformity to the TL grammar.

5. Disagreements
Some authors assume that literal translation lead
to a bad translated text, a translated text where
the SL structure is reflected in an exaggerated
and unwanted way.
On the other hand, Vinay & Darbelnet explained,
“My thesis is, however, that literal translation is
correct and must not be avoided, if it secures
referential and pragmatic equivalence to the
original.”
It can be used when other techniques have failed.

6. Examples:

7. Examples:

8. Examples:

9. Varieties of Close Translation
• =Transferring SL grammar
and word order as well as
the primary meanings of all
SL words
• He works in the house -
now → Il travaile dans la
mansion maintenant
• WORD FOR WORD
TRANSLATION
(CLOSE TRANSLATION)
• = Each SL word has a
corresponding TL word, but
their primary (isolated)
meanings may differ.
• Hacer un examen → take
an exam
→ Word- for-Word translation
2. ONE-TO-ONE
TRANSLATION
(CLOSE TRANSLATION)

10. Literal Translation (Close Translation)
= LITERAL TRANSLATION
• one word to one word
(un beau jardin → a beautiful garden)
• collocation to collocation
(make a speech → faire un discours)
• clause to clause
(when that was done → quand cela fut fait)
• to sentence to sentence (The man was in the street
→ L’homme était dans la rue)

11. The Translation of Poetry
In translating a poem, one of the literary
genres, the translator are also likely to face
similar problems:
• linguistic,
• literary and aesthetic,
• socio-cultural problems
According to Newmark; The translation of poetry is the field
where most empahasis is normally put on the creation of a
new independent poem,and where literal translation is
usually condemned.

12. The Translation of Poetry
• The first step to deal with these problems is to find the deep
(underlying) structure.
• According to Newmark, the useful procedure is to find the logical subject
first, and then the specific verb.
• If the two important elements are discovered, the rest will fall into place.
• After that the translator can reconstruct the structure in the TL as closely
as possible to the original structure.
• Besides, the structure of each phrase or clause should be examined clearly
also.

13. Example: A Poem
Translation 1:
This time there's no one looking for love
among the sheds, old houses, near the tale
of the masts and riggings. Ships (and) boats (that) have not gone to sea
are puffing themselves (out) in the believe (they) will be united. (Kasbolah, 1990: 13)
Ini kali tidak ada yang mencari cinta
di antara gudang, rumah tua, pada cerita
tiang serta temali, kapal, perahu tidak berlaut,
menghembus diri dalam mempercaya mau
berpaut (Kasbolah, 1990: 4)
Translation 2:
This time no one's looking for love
between the sheds, the old house, in the make-believe
of poles and ropes. A boat, a prau without water
puff and blows, thinking there's something it can catch (Kasbolah, 1990: 12)

14. Example: A Poem
Translation 1:
This time there's no one looking for love
among the sheds, old houses, near the tale
of the masts and riggings. Ships (and) boats (that) have not gone to sea
are puffing themselves (out) in the believe (they) will be united. (Kasbolah, 1990: 13)
• The translations of the first line both are good in the sense that they put the
adverb, "this time" first, but the translation of the main clause in the second
translation is better for it tries to maintain the poetic structure of the line.
• The further we read the lines, the better we can catch the importance of
maintaining the structure as an attempt to maintain the beauty of the poem.
And finally we may agree that the second translation is more successful in
maintaining the poetic structure.
Translation 2:
This time no one's looking for love
between the sheds, the old house, in the make-believe
of poles and ropes. A boat, a prau without water
puff and blows, thinking there's something it can catch (Kasbolah, 1990: 12)

15. Faithful and False Friends
• We must not be afraid of literal translation, or, in
particular, of using a TL word which looks the same or
nearly the same as the SL word.
• The translation of objects and movements is usually more literal
than that of qualities and ways of moving.
• Many common adjectives of feeling cut up meaning in their own
way, so that we cannot trust a transparent translation of 'sincere',
'loyal, 'trivial*, 'important', 'truculent', 'brutal'; only one or two
like 'excellent and 'marvellous' are usually transparent.

16. Faithful and False Friends
• And again, the more general and abstract words
('phenomenon', 'element', 'affair') may or may not be translated
transparently; there is often a shift at that abstract level
(quality as 'property') but the translation is still usually one-to-one.
• In general, there are more faithful friends and we must not hesitate to
use them, since any other translation is usually wrong.This presupposes
that, in context, the readership of O and T have similar interest and
language levels. Otherwise the translation may well be different.
• So, everything is translatable up to a point, but that there are often
enormous difficulties.

17. Elegant Variations
Example :
→ Bendicks of Mayfair have established a reputation respected
throughout the world for the manufacture of chocolate
confectionery of the highest qualify.
→ Bendicks of Mayfair' ont etabli leur reputation, reconnue dans le
monde entier, pour la confection de ckocolats de la plus haute
quality.
• The translation is lexically and grammatically literal, but for
'confectionery', which has to be changed and is satisfactorily
conflated with 'manufacture, and the two unnecessary elegant
variations, leur and reconnue.
Elegant variation in poetry may occur because of a translator’s need to use a
word which fits the scansion and rhyme pattern of the phrase or sentence.

18. Back-Translation Test
• A source language word should not be translated into a
target language word which has another obvious one-to-one
equivalent in the source language.
• Back translation involves the translation of a text which itself
is a translation back into the original language.
English source: to impair
Spanish translation: afectar
English back translation: to affect
• the meaning of the term in the back translation does equal
the meaning of the original source

19. Accepted Translation
• Some transparent institutional terms are
translated literally in at least Western European
languages even though the TL cultural
equivalents have widely different functions:
→ 'President', 'Senate', 'Prefect', 'Chancellor’, 'Mayor ‘
• For these institutional terms, a translator must
be careful about translating the terms directly
into the TL, if they already exist but have quite
different functions in the TL culture.

20. Constraints on Literal Translation
• If a perfectly natural SL unit produces a clumsy literal
translation,
e.g. itne parvenait pas a se digager de sa surprise as
'he wasn't succeeding in freeing himself from his surprise,
• Then the translation is 'wrong', however expressive the
rest of the SL text ;
'he was unable to rid himself of his feeling of surprise', 'he
couldn't overcome his Surprise’

21. Natural Translation
I'heure est venue or les maisons basses:
→if you insist you would not normally say 'the hour
has come’ only 'the time has come‘
• what we might find an acceptable literal
translation of an ordinary language unit is that
you find it unnatural.

22. The Role of Context
• Context of situation is closely related to various texts. Certain situational
context asks for certain text and in return, certain text creates certain
context.
• In the process of translation, the meaning system is largely determined by
the context.
• Studies in register analysis are of significance to translators. In the
translation process, first, through the analysis of the linguistic feature of
the SL, its register can be identified and thus the determination of its
context of situation is possible.
• Second, in the production of theTL, the proper words and expressions in the
TL should be chosen so that the corresponding context of situation can be
reestablished in theTL.

23. The Role of Context
• Seeking the equivalence of meaning is in fact seeking the equivalence of
situational context.
• In translation, equivalence should not be based on one aspect of meaning;
the translator must pursue the right equivalence.
• Since the complete identity of situational context and meaning system
between cultures is impossible, the complete equivalence is equally
impossible.

25. Activity:
• Using your First Language (L1)
and the English Language, apply
LITERAL TRANSLATION to the
famous Filipino Folk Song:
Bahay Kubo.

26. Thank You :)