Theories and Methods of Translation

The course develops in students a critical awareness and understanding of the relevance of translation theory to the practical concerns of the translator; familiarizes students with fundamental concepts and major theories applied in translation studies. At the end of the course students will be able to define key concepts and engage in critical discussion of major theories in translation studies; relate theory to practice in the processing of texts; make informed judgments about adequacy in translation; carry out independent research.

To gain theoretical knowledge and be able to apply contemporary translation theories in independent research.

No.

Issues and debates in Translation Studies. Translation theory before the 20th century. The key concept of ‘equivalence’. The Translation Shift approach; Stylistique compare; Translation shifts. Functional the¬ories of translation: text type; translational action. Skopos theory; Nord’s translation-oriented text analysis. Chesterman’s translation norms. Discourse and register analysis approa¬ches; pragmatic dimensions; semiotics-conscious translating. Tel-Aviv school of translation theory: Even-Zohar, Toury. Venuti on foreignization and domestication. Postcolonial studies and translation. Gender approaches to translation theory. Product oriented research: Corpus Linguistics and Translation Studies; Participant oriented research: questionnaires and interviews; Process oriented research; Data saving repositories.

1. The student clearly defines the concepts, directions and models of translation theory. 2. Is able to explain different approaches to defining translation strategies and methods. 3. Appropriately evaluates the genre of the source text when choosing translation strategies and methods. 4. Is well aware of the influence of various cultural and social factors on the target audience. 5. Is able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills in working with different types of corpora and software tools while carrying out research projects. 6. Independently analyses research articles and properly organizes group discussions.