The document outlines various translation methods, categorizing them into sources and target language emphases, including word-for-word, literal, faithful, semantic, communicative, idiomatic, free translation, and adaptation. Each method is described with examples demonstrating their applications and characteristics, emphasizing the importance of context, cultural nuances, and the target audience. The document concludes by noting the significance of understanding these methods for aspiring translators.

1. TRANSLATION METHODS

2. TRANSLATION METHODS
SOURCE LANGUAGE EMPHASIS
 WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION
 LITERAL TRANSLATION
 FAITHFUL TRANSLATION
 SEMANTIC TRANSLATION
TARGET LANGUAGE EMPHASIS
 FREE TRANSLATION
 IDIOMATIC TRANSLATION
 COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION
 ADAPTATION

3. Newmark ´s Flattened V diagram of Translation
methods
Source Language Target Language

4. WORD FOR WORD
TRANSLATION
Word for word translation translates
each word or phrase that it understands,
but does not take grammar into account
and it can be out of content at times,
especially in idioms and proverbs.
The main use is either to understand the
mechanics of the source language or to
construe a difficult text as a pre
translation process. It is often associated
with scientific, technical, technological or
legal texts

5. Word for Word translation
 The mom of my mom is my grandmother : La madre de mi madre es mi abuela
 The team is working to finish the report : El equipo está trabajando para terminar el informe
 ,Ana memorized the text: Ana memorizo el texto,
 I want this contract translated word by word: Yo quiero este contrato traducido palabra por
palabra
 That child is intelligent: ese niño es inteligente
 She is swimming in the pool: ella está nadando en la piscina.
 She is reading: ella está leyendo
 I have left my book on the table: yo he dejado mi libro sobre la mesa
 The cat is catching birds outside: el gato está atrapando pájaros afuera
 After all : después de todo

6. Word for Word Translations
The problem with that is very simple: language is not always translated word-for-word.
Example: Me puse triste
Word for word translation: me put sad
Accurate English: I became sad

7. LITERAL TRANSLATION
Literal translation or direct translation Literal
translation or direct translation is a translation of a
text done by translating each word separately,
without looking at how the words are used
together in a phrase or sentence.
It is the rendering of text from one language to
another language with or without conveying the
sense of the original. In translation studies “ literal
translation” denotes technical translation of
scientific, technical, technological or legal texts.
Literal translations usually mistranslate idioms.

8. More examples of literal translations
 Medical and dental insurance benefits : Beneficios de seguros médicos y dentales
 To verify that this is proven, I attach copies of the birth certificates of both: Para
verificar que esto sea comprobado adjunto copias de las certificaciones de
nacimiento de ambos
 I have been living here for five years : llevo viviendo aqui cinco años
 The water is a natural resource for life: el agua es un recurso natural para la vida.
 The girl is sick: la chica esta enferma
 I am in doubt: Yo estoy en duda
 He is blue: el es azul (mistakenly for “el está triste”
 The team is hoping to win: el equipo está esperando ganar.

9. FAITHFUL TRANSLATION
This method tries to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of
the original within the constraint of the TL grammatical structures.
It transfers cultural words faithfully following the SL grammatical
form.
Faithful translation simply means the translator aims to convey the
author's intention of the text (what the author was intending to
communicate) as faithfully as possible into another language.
 He is as fast as a kangaroo: es tan rápido como el canguro.
 Mary didn’t slap the green witch: maria no le dio una
cachetada a la bruja verde.
 It’s raining cats and dogs: esta cayendo un palo de agua.
 He answered the telephone: contesto el telefono.
 Stop, I have a gun: detente, dispararé.

10. More Examples of faithful translation
 I am not quoting word for word: No estoy citando literalmente.
 Let’s do it (by Nike): Hagámoslo
 Keep Walking (By Johnnie Walker): Sigue Caminando
 He is as fast as a kangaroo: es tan rápido como el canguro.
 Mary didn’t slap the green witch: maria no le dio una cachetada a la bruja
verde.
 It’s raining cats and dogs: esta cayendo un palo de agua.
 He answered the telephone: contesto el telefono.
 Stop, I have a gun: detente, dispararé.

11. SEMANTIC TRANSLATION
It differs from faithful translation only in as far as it must
take more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text
that is the beautiful and natural sound of the SL text. In
addition, the method compromises on appropriate
meaning. It is flexible and it admits the creative
exceptions to 100 percent fidelity and allows for the
translators ‘ intuitive empathy with the original
examples
Semantic translation is the process of using semantic
information to aid in the translation of data in one
representation or data model to another representation
or data model.

12. Semantic Translations
 Semantic translation: the semantic loan as a translation technique which
consists in using a word or an expression of the original text exactly the
same in the target text. Normally the loans are italicized in the
translations. The idea is to reproduce, since it is an expression of the
original text in the target text.
 In short, it is about leaving without translating any expression or name
that belongs to the cultural heritage of the language of origin.
 On multiple occasions, the terms that designates national institutions that
do not have an exact equivalent in the other culture are italicized in the
original language.
 The gramatical structure of the source langauge is adjusted toward the
gramatical structrure of the target langauge.

13. Examples of Semantic Translations
 She is a good mother, and she always takes care of the children. Ella
es una buen madre y siempre atiende a los niños.
 Living abroad opens your eyes to a better world: Vivir en el
extranjero ayuda a ver el mundo de una mejor forma
 Benchmarking: Análisis comparativo
 Copyright: Derecho de autor
 Influencer: Prescriptor
 Social Media: Redes Sociales
 Troops were airlifted to the battlefield: las tropas fueron llevadas a la
guerra
 Stop splitting hairs: para de buscarle la quinta pata al gato.

14. More examples of Semantic Translations
 “Fashion week” :Semana de la moda
 2. “Cyber Monday ”: ciberlunes
 3. “Backstage”: entre/tras bastidores
 4. “Marketing”: mercadotecnia
 5. “Bullying”: acoso/intimación

15. COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION
This method attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the
original in such a way that both content and language are readily
acceptable and comprehensible to the audience. It’s often used for
informative texts.
Example:
 frustrated scientist jumps to death: Sientifico frustrado salta a la muerte

16. Examples of communicative translation
Be aware of the dog: Cuidado con el perro.
No entry: Prohibido el paso.
How are you?: ¿Qué tal?
No Smoking: Prohibido Fumar
No Parking: Prohibido Estacionarse

17. IDIOMATIC TRANSLATION
Idiomatic translation reproduces the message of the source
but tends to distort the nuances of meaning by preferring
colloquialisms and idioms.
IDIOMATIC TRANSLATION: Idiomatic translation refers to
achieving a target text that sounds natural in the target
language, while idiomatic expressions are idioms or fixed
expressions in a given language.
Examples: esta lloviendo mucho: It’s raining cats and dogs.
You re pulling my leg: Me estas tomando el pelo.
Let’s cut the chase: vayamos al punto

18. Examples of Idiomatic Translations
 You are bananas: Estas loco
 I ́ve already buried my eye: I am ready to go
 You are the apple of my eye: Eres la niña de mis ojos.
 I don't have my eye on you: No te recuerdo
 To pull someone’s leg. Tomar el pelo.

19. Examples of Idiomatic Translations
 To spare no expense. Tirar la casa por la ventana.
 They finally saw eye to eye: Ellos finalmente han llegado a un acuerdo.
 I feel sick as a dog: Me siento fatal.
 The English test was a piece of cake: El examen de inglés estuvo muy
fácil.
 Fuel these days costs an arm and a leg: El precio de la gasolina
últimamente cuesta un ojo de la cara.
 I am going to kill two birds with one stone: Voy a matar dos pájaros de
un tiro

20. More examples of idomatic translations
Paint from the same brush: Distinto perro, mismo collar.
Start from scratch : Empezar de cero.
That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back: Esta es la gota que
colma/derramó el vaso.
This is my bread and butter: Con esto me gano la vida.
New brush sweeps clean but old broom knows all the corners:
escoba vieja barre bien

21. FREE TRANSLATION
This method of translation produces the
translated text without the style, form or
content of the original text.
These phrases keep the original sense even
though they are all different. It can be said that
it is what happens when we paraphrase. Usually
it is a paraphrase much longer than the original.
Example:
America Runs on Dunkin” by Drunkin´ Donuts:
Dunking: el combustible de los Estados Unidos

22. Free Translation
In free translation, the translator analyzes the meaning of the whole sentence
and tries to reflect it in his language the way a native speaker would. This
may involve modifying the structure of the text if the translator considers it
necessary to make it sound better.
Examples:
 I am twenty years old: tengo 20 años
 I am looking for my cat: estoy buscando a mi gato
 I do not know what you mean: no sé a que te refieres
 She loves swimming: a ella le encanta nadar
 My dad is feeling blue: mi Viejo (papa) está triste

23. More examples of Free Translation
 like father, like son: De tal palo, tal astilla
 The early bird catches the worm: Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda.
 What goes around comes around: De lo que siembras cosechas
 Translating from English to Spanish is not as easy as translating
from Spanish to English: no es tan fácil traducir de ingles al
español como del español al inglés.
 It’s not difficult: es facil

24. ADAPTATIONS
Adaptation refers to that type of translation which is used mainly
for plays and poems. The test is rewritten considering the source
language culture which is converted to the target language
culture where the characters, themes, plot, are usually preserved.
It is the translation method that moves with more freedom.
Translate the adaptation of the text from one language to another,
even if the meaning of the words is not the same. Adaptation
translation is about communicating meaning through “adapting”
the translation for a particular market or style
Example: Dear Sr: “muy señor mio”
Yours faithfully: “Le saluda atentamente

25. Adaptations
Examples: movie titles like the following
 “Jaws”: Tiburón
 “The Sound of Music”: Sonrisas y lágrimas. Back translation: smiles and tears
 “Rosemary’s Baby”: La semilla del diablo
 “ Die Hard”: Jungla de Cristal
 “ The Parent Trap”: Tu a Londres y yo a California/ Juego de Gemelas
 But Cassidy and the Sundance kid: Dos hombre y un destino (Back Translation:
Two men and a destiny)
 City of angels. Un angel enamorado (movie)
 Shawshank. Cadena Perpetua
These phrases keep the original sense even though they are all different.

26. More Examples of Adaptations
More examples are
• Friday 13th (bad luck day) is translated into
Spanish as Martes 13.
• Dear Sir: Muy señor mío.
• Castor Oil: Aceite de Ricino
• Star Wars: Guerra de las Galaxias

27. CONCLUSION
Learning about the different methods of translation is quite important if
you are thinking in considering to become a translator.
As a translator, you’ll spend your days using your language skills to help
people understand documents, and as an interpreter you will also be
helpful carrying on conversations,
Some of the methods can be used as preliminary translation methods such
as Word for Word, literal and faithful. Later on, the translator might move
to other methods which make the outcome text more natural.

28. Bibliography
 Newmark, Peter. (1988). A textbook of translation. New York:
Sanghai Foreign Language Education Press