The concept and types of translations are a rather extensive and interesting topic. In addition to the classification of oral and written, they differ in genre. For example, artistic, legal or scientific. However, the translation can be carried out not only in relation to writing or speech - this term is also used for some labor processes.
Definition
Translation is the activity of transforming speech or text from one language to another. Today, this branch of linguistics plays an important role for almost all spheres of society.
Translation is a complex process. It is necessary to understand the features of a foreign language in order to accurately convey the meaning of the original. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to find words for translation. For example, there is no equivalent to the terms "perestroika" or "communal", because they are quite unique and specific. These words refer to a certain period in the history of Russia, namely to the times of the Soviet Union. Often such difficulties are encountered in the literary form of a translation into Russian or vice versa, from Russian into any other language.
As a result of this, a controversial question arises: "How is it better to work with the original?" Should translators literally rethink the text, transparently and to the smallest detail? Or is it better for them to adhere to the atmosphere of the work / text as the main criterion? In resolving these disputes, one can focus only on established standards and indicators: accuracy and quality, transfer of meaning.
The main types and forms of translation
Modern philology of foreign languages distinguishes texts by genre, style and other categories, there are quite a lot of them. Consider the most common types. The classification of translations is carried out:
- by presentation form: written and oral;
- by genre: artistic, technical, legal, scientific;
- by methods: machine (automatic) and professional (manual).
Writing
This direction is one of the most common. Many bureaus are involved in writing translation from language to language, that is, from English to Japanese, from French to Estonian, and so on. It is also called visual. Why so? The material is first perceived visually, and then translated and recorded on paper or in electronic form.
When writing with text, you can and should use various sources. They help to find a more accurate equivalent of words. Perhaps this is the main task of the translator - not just mechanically redo it, but also make it understandable. Therefore, for linguists it is very important to understand the terminology, understand the subject and essence of the original text.
To help translators come:
- dictionaries - both electronic and in paper form;
- reference books;
- programs for translation;
- editing skills and material processing.
Using additional sources of information allows you to qualitatively transform the text and make it the most equivalent to the original.
Oral
If the written type of translation involves some analysis of the text, structuring, juxtaposition of elements - in general, will be carried out without much haste, then the oral one needs to be “processed” instantly. Therefore, the transformation of speech is usually not distinguished by the accuracy of formulations and the elegance of phrases.
In addition to the requirement to have a good command of a foreign language (at the level of a native speaker), for the oral form you need to have some psychological skills. This is the ability to respond quickly, to be constantly on alert. After all, everything is limited by time frames, and there is practically no time to think. In a short space of time, the interpreter must clearly understand what is at stake and quickly find the necessary equivalent. Therefore, large international agencies such as the United Nations take this into account. Their employees never work simultaneously with verbal and textual types of language "conversions".
What can help with interpretation? First of all, these are facial expressions, gestures and other external factors. In many ways, they help to understand information and quickly summarize syntactic relationships.
Subspecies of the oral form
Among the verbal or verbal forms of translation are:
Consecutive broadcasting of speech is done between the pauses of the speaker. Usually it is limited to a phrase or paragraph, that is, approximately five sentences. For example, a speaker utters a phrase and pauses, during which the translator interprets his speech.
This form is used for small events when you can make a speech in a relatively calm environment. It can be business meetings, face-to-face negotiations. The advantage of this type of translation is a more accurate understanding of the essence of the conversation.
The synchronous form is the most difficult - both physically and psychologically. Interpretation is already complex, requiring a quick reaction. However, with synchronized speech, one must speak almost simultaneously with the speaker. The valid interval is no more than 2-4 seconds.
For the simultaneous translation of speech, special equipment is usually used and soundproof booths are installed in which synchronists sit. Such forms of translation are used for large events with a clearly defined schedule, which does not allow deviations. Synchronists on them should be at least two or three.
In the simultaneous transmission of speech, the whispering technique is also widely used. How is it carried out? The translator in real time, that is, immediately, transmits to the participant of the event or meeting what they are told. This helps save time and creates the effect of direct dialogue.
From the sheet and by ear
In addition to the above forms, interpretation can be broadcast from the sheet. A person first reads a text in a foreign language, then immediately translates. Of course, this is done without preparation.
And vice versa - with the information perceived by ear, the translator writes down what he heard on a sheet or in a notebook. This type is more used as an exercise, for example, as an oral dictation. The Unified State English Exam has a part called “Listening”. First, the recording you want to listen to is played. Then the students answer questions on the merits of the material heard.
Art
Translation of prose, poetry or poem refers to the fiction. You can say this is some kind of art. A translator of literary works must not only have a good knowledge of the original language, but also have a literary gift. He needs to understand the author’s artistic intent in order to convey the idea and essence of the original text.
In literature, the main role is played by the aesthetic function, as well as the task of influencing readers. Literary texts are divided into genres: poems, short stories, novels, novels. Each of them has its own specifics and features. The main task of the translator in this area is to convey the aesthetics of the work, its atmosphere.
Technical
Today, many companies need this type of translation. It requires the required skills and knowledge of the industry, and accuracy here is an extremely important factor. A technical text is, for example, an instruction manual, schemes, regulations for installing pipes, other industrial equipment. Or very important documents in the field of innovative technologies, the oil industry.
The quality of technically oriented text is one of the key requirements. Translators need to work closely with additional sources of information, have a well-formed database of terms and definitions. Technical or engineering education, in addition to philology, is a good advantage. And often a mandatory requirement.
With regard to style and design, the basis of technical translation is the accuracy of information transfer. It does not require emotionality, as for literary texts. The design of technical documentation is usually structured, impersonal, and they often use passive turns.
Legal
What criteria are most significant here? The text should be clear and reliable. The consequences of an inaccurate interpretation of words can be very serious, up to litigation. Everything that relates to the legal branch of knowledge is the object of this type of translation: documents, contracts, laws, and so on.
The legal sphere has its own peculiarity. It consists in the fact that in each country documents are made according to different templates. This is due to the characteristics of the state system, political regime, culture and customs.
Legal industry texts are standardized and clearly worded. For example, contracts, agreements, certificates - all of them are made according to certain standard patterns. A very important requisite for the work of lawyers-translators are special dictionaries, reference systems with a regulatory framework. Somewhat simplifies the work with texts in this area that the terminology of documents can be quite uniform and unified.
Scientific
What is relevant to this area? Science is an industry that is responsible for development and innovation. Materials for translation include various reviews, the works of scientists, dissertations, theses, and more. Among the periodicals in this area, there are two subspecies:
- popular science publications;
- professional audience oriented articles and magazines.
Research materials are characterized by the presence of logical connections, arguments, they are very consistent. An objective approach is most acceptable for scientific texts. As a rule, they are mainly in writing. After all, reports, speeches voiced at gatherings, conferences and symposiums are usually pre-prepared text.
Machine
Machine translation is carried out using computer programs. In most cases, written text input forms are used here. However, progress does not stand still, and with the development of innovations, new directions are introduced, for example, voice translation or from a camera. Editing of material after machine translation is carried out independently.
This type of conversion of texts from natural to the source language is one of the most convenient. Especially if the memory of previously translated words is taken into account. This allows you to quickly work with a large amount of information, which often uses similar terms. For example, an article about business meetings is being translated. In the context of the material, the term meeting will mean “meeting / meeting” rather than “meeting” or “meeting”. The program remembers this, and in the future it will substitute this particular variant of the word.
Machine translation is often identified with automated. In principle, these are similar processes. Nevertheless, auto-translation is more auxiliary - a computer program just tells you how to interpret words. It is done on the basis of:
Translation based on previously obtained data is a popular online program. They are used everywhere and are built into almost any search engine: Google, Yandex. You can choose any type of translation: into English, into Russian and so on. There are many variations. The grammatical approach for translation is used, for example, in the PROMT program.
Professional
This type of translation, in accordance with the name, is made by a person with the skills and abilities to work with text in a foreign language. The specialist performing it must have an education in this field. Professional word processing has its pros and cons.
The advantage of this type of translation is a high level of confidentiality. For example, when working with personal documents, inquiries, with a computer, there is no guarantee that information will not be transferred to third parties. Also, a professional translation will certainly be more accurate and correct. The specialist understands the material, takes into account the details and adapts the text to readers.
The disadvantage is that the source text will not be generated immediately. Even the fastest and best translator will not be able to process a lengthy document in one day, having, say, 20 pages of complex technical documentation, without compromising the quality of the material. In addition, they charge a certain fee for the work, often quite substantial. It should be noted that, when placing an order for a qualified translation, the customer pays not only for the automatic matching of words with the source, but also for the subsequent editing.
Medical
One of the most popular is the translation of medical documentation. What does this relate to? This is a specialized literature that discusses people's health: various certificates, patient cards, instructions for medicines, conclusions of commissions and much more.
The most significant indicators in the translation of medical texts are, of course, confidentiality and accuracy. A specialist in this field should know the indicators of mass and volume, be able to convert them. For example, if there is a need to adapt the dosage of foreign drugs to local units.
Informative or summary
This process of processing a foreign text is the most difficult and time consuming. The translator needs to make some summary text after studying the original, its retelling. To form a brief summary, you have to read all the material, often quite voluminous. This can be a long-term work of a scientist or a multi-page novel-autobiography.
The translator generates a brief summary of the contents of the text, having previously studied it. How much you need to reduce the material, the customer indicates. Take, for example, an application for a summary of the work of the philosopher of Ancient Rome with a volume of more than 800 pages. Write requires a summary of 250 pages.
To reduce the text by more than three times, it is not enough just to redo the phrases. It requires analytical thinking, the ability to draw your own conclusions, while focusing on genuine material. This activity can require a lot of effort and a huge investment of time.
Treatment
During the translation, the received text does not always come out perfectly. Often, after sending the finished material, the customer may not accept the job. Texts can also be checked by experts in the field of linguistics and philology. Some may criticize, for example, too literal transfer of meaning, or vice versa, inaccuracy of translation.
During stylistic processing, customers may be asked to adjust the material, remove unnecessary phrases or dilute them. If the text, for example, is documentary, they may ask to exclude informal phrases. This process is called literary processing.
The translator creates a single style, building logical links in the text. In the end, you should get high-quality, well-transmitting the meaning of the original material. But what if a word cannot be translated? Let's consider this question further.
Borrowing
The translation process can often come across specific terms. Sometimes foreign words do not transform, but sound identical to the original. Borrowings contribute to the development of lexicology, as they form new terms and concepts. Depending on the donor language, they can be called Gallicisms (from French), Germanisms (from German), and so on.
Take the sports industry. The dictionary of lovers of this field of activity almost entirely consists of borrowings. For example, here are a few terms on the topic of sports - types with translation in English:
- badminton - badminton;
- bobsleigh - bobsleigh;
- baseball - baseball;
- cycling - cycling;
- golf - golf;
- judo - judo;
- cricket - cricket;
- swimming - swimming;
- Sailing - sailing.
The above list clearly shows how many adopted words are in this industry. Most of these sports translated from English do not change, that is, they are pronounced the same way: bobsleigh, golf, cricket. Nevertheless, cycling, for example, in Russian means cycling, and swimming is swimming.
In general, English is one of the most common and popular languages for translation. Indeed, it is spoken by almost a quarter of the world's population. Many words borrowed from there, such as a bestseller, glamor, jeans, login, impeachment, a laptop, are an integral part of everyday speech.
What types of translation still exist?
The use of this word is not limited to linguistics.Studying the translation, it can be noted that this term is used in various fields of activity. When solving personnel issues, managers often encounter him. In accordance with the legislation of Russia, the concept of types of translation is also used in the sector of employment and labor. At work, translation can be:
As a rule, the employer can finally change the labor functions of employees only with their written consent. It is usually presented in the application form. Permanent transfer is called if the employee is appointed to another position within the same organization. Or in cases where he continues to fulfill his labor obligations, but in a different area.
Also permanent is the transfer when a person moves to another institution. A feature of this type is that the employer must agree to this. If it is not achieved, the employee can quit of his own free will and get registered in another organization. However, this will no longer be considered a translation.
What kind of movements are considered temporary? In accordance with the Russian Labor Code, an employee may be appointed to another position or be removed from it. Such cases occur, for example, in case of force majeure - industrial accidents or natural disasters.
Temporary workplace may be provided in case of absence of the main employee. For example, during maternity leave. Fixed-term employment contracts also belong to the category of temporary transfers, as they are concluded for a certain period, usually no more than a year.
Summary
This article examined the main types of translation. According to the presentation form, they are speech (oral) and written. What is their difference?
If the translation allows you to work, armed with information materials - abstracts, a dictionary, then for the oral form requires almost instant response. In real time, the main factors are external factors: facial expression, facial expressions of the speaker, intonation and timbre of the voice.
There are various translations in accordance with the genres: literary, legal, technical and others. They also have their own specifics. Due to their complexity, technical education is often required to process technical or legal documents.
According to the methods, transfers are made through computers or professionally (manually). The machine method allows you to save time on printing, filtering the same terms. Qualified is safer and more accurate, as it is performed by translators. They carry out layout and editing, respectively, the text does not require further processing.