Translation- unit 5

1) Read the lines below.
They are the beginning of the passage you translated in unit 4b.

a) Copy as many items as you can which pose a problem of gridding.

b) Write down words from the same semantic field in English and then in Hebrew.

The first time I met Professor Albert Einstein he tried to put me at ease
by bringing out a Yo-yo and showing me how it worked. I was a pale,
lanky youth of thirteen, and the year was 1932.

ITEM	ENGLISH	HEBREW
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

2) Choose one of the items above (not one you chose in unit 4b!) and describe
the problems posed by the different gridding, how you solved it and what
your considerations were.

item & description:

Item analysis
In exercise 2 above you have analysed the translational issues involved in,
as well as the possible solutions to, the translation of an item. Below follows
a more systematic approach.
When we compare the SL and the TL through a particular item, and want to
discuss this item in writing, it is useful to go by the following steps:
1. Copy the item.
2. Define the item in linguistic terms.
3. Explain the term(s) you used in your definition.
4. Compare with the TL - Does the TL have an equivalent?
5. Examine the various possible solutions and discuss the advantages
and disadvantages of each in the light of the demands of
accuracy and appropriacy.
6. Translate into TL, out of the various possible translations.
If you have compromised on any element, explain your considerations.

3) Read the analysis of an item from the lines above. It follows the 6 steps.

1. (Copy)
'lanky'

2. (Define) problem of different gridding

3. (Explain) The semantic field of the "dimensions" of a person is divided differently in the two languages. English distinguishes between 'slim', 'thin', 'skinny', and 'lanky'.

4. (Compare) In Hebrew there is 'הזר'-ו 'המונצ'. The native Hebrew speaker has a choice of two adjectives. There is no one-to-one equivalent - the semantic fields in English and Hebrew do not overlap.

5. (Examine) In Hebrew, we might not want to use 'המונצ' because it is
not apprpriate in this situation. 'הזר' is more common,
but is not as strong as 'skinny' so I would have to use
an intensifier.

6. (Translate) I translated 'lanky' as הזר.

4) Now you do the same for two more items from the lines below.

We were at Einstein's home in Caputh, a suburb of Berlin. It was a spacious
comfortable house. My father, the late Dr. Gustav Bucky, was the physician
to Einstein's two stepdaughters and this relationship had prompted the
Professor to invite my parents, my two older siblings and me to dinner. I
had seen the girls on several occasions. One was a slim, pretty blonde
with a fair complexion, while the other was a skinny redhead with lots of
freckles all over.

Item 1:

1.(Copy)
2.(Define)
3. (Explain)
4. (Compare)
5. (Examine)
6. (Translate)

Item 2:

1. (Copy)
2. (Define)
3. (Explain)
4. (Compare)
5. (Examine)
6. (Translate)

To sum up
You have now been introduced to 'item analysis'. This is an integral part
of the course and of the Bagruth exam at the end. The purpose of 'item
analysis' is to make you explicate linguistic knowledge you show that you
understand the contrastive linguistic issues involved in translating a
particular item, and that you have considered them in your translation.

Complete unit Incomplete unit
It is preferable to complete a whole unit before sending it in. Please use the 'incomplete' option only if you have no other alternative.