1. LangLit 808- theories and Practice of Translation
translating prose
literary translation
2. problems/issues in
translating prose
Less time spent
in Translating
prose
Frequently
translate the
beginning of the
paragraph without
considering the
connection to the
structure of the
whole work
4. •It has only three sentences
but they are packed with
action using the four verbs of
action.
•The no-nonsense details of
the journey and the time of
the young man’s proposed
stay combine with the
authorial value judgement on
the brevity of the visit.
•The details are
straightforward.
english
5. german text • The journey depicted in the first few sentences
is therefore functioning on more than one level:
there is the young man’s actual journey; the
symbolic journey across a nation; the journey
as a metaphor for the quest on which the
reader is about to embark.
• There are also other variations. The
introduction of the protagonist in Mann’s first
sentence in such deliberately decharacterized
terms is yet another key to the reader, but by
translating einfacher (ordinary) as unassuming,
the English translator introduces a powerful
element of characterization and alters the
reader’s perspective.
• And it is difficult not to conclude that the
English translator has inadequately grasped the
significance of the novel when there is even a
case of mistranslation, Schlünde (abysses)
rendered as marshes
6. about the novel:
• The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann is a
richly layered novel that explores themes of
time, illness, and personal transformation
through the story of Hans Castorp, a young
German engineer. Hans arrives at a luxurious
sanatorium in the Swiss Alps to visit his cousin,
who is recovering from tuberculosis, intending
to stay for only three weeks. However, he
becomes drawn into the secluded, introspective
world of the patients and doctors, where life
takes on a different, almost timeless rhythm.
• The novel, set against the backdrop of a Europe
on the brink of World War I, captures a sense of
intellectual and spiritual exploration, inviting
readers to ponder deep questions about
existence.
The magic
mountain by
thomas mann
8. fontamara
Ignazio Silone
(born May 1, 1900, Pescina dei
Marsi, Italy—died Aug. 22, 1978,
Geneva) was an Italian novelist,
short-story writer, and political
leader, world famous during
World War II for his powerful anti-
Fascist novels.
Published in Zürich (1930; Eng.
trans., 1934). It is a realistic and
compassionate story of the
exploitation of peasants in a
southern Italian village, brutally
suppressed as they attempt to
obtain their rights.
Fontamara became an
international sensation and was
translated into 14 languages.
9. Wolfgang Iser’s Inttentional Sentence
correlatives
To disclose the subtle connections which
individually are less concrete than the statements,
claims, and observations, even though these only
take on their real meaningfulness through the
interaction of their correlatives.
11. 1. The translator should
not ‘plod on’,
word by word or
sentence by sentence,
but should ‘always “block
out” his work’.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
12. Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
By ‘block out’, Belloc means that the translator
should consider the work as an integral unit and
translate in sections, asking himself ‘before each
what the whole sense is he has to render.
Translator should look at the text in larger
sections op paragraphs rather than focusing on
individual words.
By focusing on the whole idea, the translation
would sound smoother and closer to what an
English reader would expect.
13. Example
:
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
French Sentence: “Il faisait ce matin-la, mais malgre le vent glacial, elle sans
manteau pour retrouver son ami au café”
Word for Word Translation (Plodding On):
“It was making cold this morning there, but despite the icy wind , she went out
without coat to find her friend at the café”
Blocked Out Translation:
“It was a cold morning, but despite the icy wind, she stepped out without a coat
to meet her friend at the cafe. “
14. 2. The translator should
render idiom by idiom
‘and idioms of their nature
demand translation into
another form from that of
the original.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
15. Belloc cites the case of the Greek exclamation ‘By
the Dog!’, which, if rendered literally, becomes
merely comic in English, and suggests that the
phrase ‘By God!’ is a much closer translation.
Translation should focus on finding an expression
that carries the same emotion or intention instead
of the finding the exact word translations.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
16. Example
:
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
French Proverb: “L’ habit ne fit pas le moine”
Literal translation: “The habit does not make the monk”
Correct Translation: “Don’t judge a book by its cover”
Filipino Phrase: “Haligi ng Tahanan”
Literal Translation: “Pillar of the Home”
Correct Translation: “The rock of the family. The backbone of
the family. The head of the family”
17. 3. The translator must
render ‘intention by
intention’, bearing in mind
that ‘the intention of a
phrase in one language
may be less emphatic than
the form of the phrase, or it
may be more emphatic’.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
18. Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
By ‘intention’, Belloc seems to be talking about the
weight a given expression may have in a particular
context in the SL that would be disproportionate if
translated literally into the TL.
Sometimes a phrase in the original language may
sound stronger or weaker and carry a different
emotional weight than if translated directly into the
target language.
The focus is on conveying the purpose, tone, or
emphasis behind a phrase not just the exact words.
19. exampl
e:
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
Spanish Phrase: “No es nada del otro mundo”
Literal Translation: “It’s nothing from another world”
Translation with Intent: “It’s nothing special “or “It’s no big deal ”
French Phrase: “C’est une tragedie” - It’s a tragedy!
Translation with Intent:
“it’s an absolute catastrophe or It’s a devastating tragedy”
20. 4. Belloc warns against “les faux
amis,” those words or structures
that may appear to correspond in
both SL and TL but actually do not,
e.g. demander—to ask translated
wrongly as to demand.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
21. Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
Le faux amis which means “false friends”, refer
to words that look or sound familiar in two
languages but have different meanings.
These words can easily confuse translators
because they seem familiar but can lead to
incorrect or awkward translations.
22. Exampl
e:
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
French Word: “Demander”
English Word: “Demand”
Meaning: “to ask”
Meaning: “insistent request”
h Word: “Actuellement”
ish Word: “Actually”
Meaning: “currently, at the present time”
Meaning: “used to introduce a statement or
corrects a previous statement or assumption”
French Word: “Blesser”
glish Word: “Bless or To Bless”
Meaning: “to hurt”
Meaning: “asking God’s help
and protection”
23. 5. The translator is advised to
‘transmute boldly’ and Belloc
suggests that the essence of
translating is ‘the resurrection of an
alien thing in a native body’.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
24. Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
This idea suggests that the original text is like
an alien that is something unfamiliar or foreign.
The translator job is to take the foreign idea,
style or emotion and bring it back to life in a way
that feels familiar to the readers of the target
language.
It is like retelling a story from one culture in a
way that makes sense in another, without losing
its meaning or impact.
25. Exampl
e:
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
Spanish: “me rompio el corazon”
Literal Translation: “He broke my heart”
Transmuted Boldly: “He shattered my heart or He left me
heartbroken”
French idiom: “Il pleut de cordes” which means heavy rainfall
Literal Translation: “It’s raining ropes”
Transmuted Boldly: “It’s raining cats and dogs”
26. 6. The translator should
never embellish.
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
27. Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
Embellishment, in literature, refers to the
technique of enhancing or altering factual
details to create a more engaging or impactful
narrative.
However, in the context of translation of
prose narratives, Belloc advised the
translators to avoid adding extra details,
unnecessary words, or personal
interpretations that weren’t present in the
original text.
28. Example:
Hillaire Belloc’s Six General Rules for the Translators of Prose Texts
French sentence: “Il pleurait en silence.”
Embellishment Translation: “He sobbed uncontrollably, his heart
beaking as tears streamed down his face.”
Literal Translation: “He Cried in silence.”
Correct Translation: “He cried quietly or He wept silently.”
29. To Conclude
Belloc’s six rules for prose translation emphasize the
importance of capturing the overall meaning, intention, and
cultural nuances of the original text rather than relying on
literal word-for-word translation. Good translation in prose
conveys the intended meaning without distortion or
unnecessary embellishment.
#1:While much attention has been given to the complexities of translating poetry, the translation of prose also demands careful consideration of structure, tone, and deeper meaning to preserve the text’s intended meaning.
#11:By ‘block out’, Belloc means that the translator should consider the work as an integral unit and translate in sections, asking himself ‘before each what the whole sense is he has to render.
#12:By ‘block out’, Belloc means that the translator should consider the work as an integral unit and translate in sections, asking himself ‘before each what the whole sense is he has to render.
#13:By ‘block out’, Belloc means that the translator should consider the work as an integral unit and translate in sections, asking himself ‘before each what the whole sense is he has to render.
This version flows better in English translation because the translator considered the overall meaning instead of focusing on each individual word.
#14:Belloc cites the case of the Greek exclamation ‘By the Dog!’, which, if rendered literally, becomes merely comic in English, and suggests that the phrase ‘By God!’ is a much closer translation.
#15:Belloc cites the case of the Greek exclamation ‘By the Dog!’, which, if rendered literally, becomes merely comic in English, and suggests that the phrase ‘By God!’ is a much closer translation.
#16:Belloc cites the case of the Greek exclamation ‘By the Dog!’, which, if rendered literally, becomes merely comic in English, and suggests that the phrase ‘By God!’ is a much closer translation.
#17:By ‘intention’, Belloc seems to be talking about the weight a given expression may have in a particular context in the SL that would be disproportionate if translated literally into the TL.
#19:It’s a tragedy is accurate, but if the context of the orginal calls for stronger emphasis then….. This could be “It’s an absolute catastrophe or it’s a devastating tragedy
