A SEQUENTIAL

MODEL OF Nurfajri M. Utami

TRANSLATION 193200007
 • The comprehension
phase

THE MODEL • The reformulation

phase

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THE COMPREHENSION MODEL

The translator reads a source-language translation unit; is a text segment

which they will deal with as a single unit. The translation unit can vary in
length from a single word to a whole sentence or more than one sentence
depending on the source language text and on the translator.
The translator formulates mentally a meaning hypothesis for the text
segment they processes as a translation unit. They relies on knowledge of
the source language but also on the relevant part of their world
knowledge.

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CONT...

• The translator then checks the meaning hypothesis for plausibility

with the help of the knowledge base and through knowledge
acquisition. The translator looks at the idea or information they believs
that the tanslation unit expresses, and examines it critically with
respect to other information possessed so as to detect any
contradictions.

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THE REFORMULATION PHASE
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• Once the translator is reasonably sure of the meaning of a translation
unit, they verbalizes it in the target language, using knowledge of the
target language in the process as well as extralinguistic knowledge
again. For instance, in a conference, knowing that Norway is
represented by a woman, they will translate into French a reference to
the “Norwegian Delegate” as “la deleguee norvegienne”.
• The translator then makes sure that the target-language version of the
translation unit complies with fidelity requirements: they checks that
none of the information has been omitted in the translation and that no
unit has been added.
• If fidelity test result are not satisfactory, the translator writes a new
target language version of the translation unit and tests it again for
fidelity.

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CONT...
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• The translator also test the target-language version of the translation
unit for editorial acceptability; they checks that in terms of clarity,
language correctness, stylistic appropriateness and terminological
usage, it is acceptable. If test results are not satisfactory, they rewrites
the translation unit in the target language and tests it again. The
process continues until results are acceptable.

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• In the sequential model of translation, translator process TU one after
the other. They develop meaning hypothesis for each TU, then check it
for plausibility and construct another one if test result are not
satsfactory. When they are, they write a target-language rendition of
the TU, then check it for fidelity and editorial acceptability and
change it if test results are not satisfactory. Fidelity and acceptability
tests are also done on aggregates of several TU. Plausibility testing is
also done on such aggregates. During the whole process, the translator
uses the existing knowledge base and acquires new knowledge as
required.

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MAIN IDEAS
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• A professional premise to be adopted is that, at base, authors have a
meaningful message to convey even if their source-language text is
clumsily worded or seems to be illogical. Translators should aim at
extracting the meaningful and logical message from the text, and only
as a last resort decide that there is none.

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• Most translation errors can be diagnosed as resulting from weaknesses
in one or several of the components of the sequential model. Besides
weaknesses in the linguistic part of the preexisting knowledge base,
they can generally be ascribed to insufficient analysis in the
comprehension phase, faulty knowledge acquisition or insufficient
efforts in the reformulation loop.

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Basically, the operations outlined in the sequential model also apply to
the comprehension and production of oral and written texts in everyday
life. The main difference between such daily linguistics activities and
translation lies in the fact that in the latter, operations are more deliberate
and systematic. The main difference between good and mediocre
translator of non-literary text is lies in the fact that the good ones perform
such operations more systematically and more carefully that the
mediocore.

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• The sequential model stresses separation between comprehension and
reformulation, as well as tests and decision-making in both phases. In
actual translation practice, the procedures are more complicated than
in the model, but systematic tests and decision making remain
important.

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THANK YOU

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