Translation Equivalence
Posted by transubstantiation on January 7, 2007
A key concept in translation is equivalence and this helps establish our approach to translation. Equivalence centres around the processes interacting between the original source text and translated text.
We can talk of six types of equivalence: (1) Referential equivalence is established when the words in the source language (SL) refer to the same objects in the world as the words in the target language (TL). (2) Connotative equivalence is established when the words in both languages and texts trigger the same associations and connotations. (3) Pragmatic equivalence refers to words in both languages having the same effect on the readers in both languages. (4) Contextual equivalence is established when words in both languages are used in the same or similar contexts. (5) Formal equivalence refers to words in both languages having similar phonological or orthographic features. (6) Textual equivalence refers to aspects of cohesion and coherence which are similar in both texts and languages.
An equivalent text is therefore more than just one isolated feature and is rather a whole host of inter-related aspects.
March 15, 2007 at 11:17 am
Apparently, all of us knows that not every word/phrase/idiom has its equivalent. Therefore, we need to stick to the meaning to make the phrase/word translated according ti its proper meaning.
March 15, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Very ambiguous and general. How does one ’stick to the meaning’? Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that and that is why we need help with ideas of equivalence and theoretical aids.
March 15, 2007 at 7:30 pm
From my point of view, if one item do not have one equivalent word in the target language, it should be translated in another way, for instance, we should find some connotative equivalent, that is a word or expression that triggers off the same associations or connotations. MAybe we can also find some expression that would invoke the same effects on the target reader as the source item had on the source reader, and in this case that would be pragmatic equivalence.
Generally, equivalences given above may help a lot in the case of untrastability.
March 16, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Most certainly. We have to use this list of, for example, six types of equivalence in order to be able to ascertain which word best suits what we want to translate.
June 10, 2008 at 5:27 pm
[...] plays a role on how the translator translates, too, and for this I’m referring to an informative post on the transubstantiation blog. I would venture to say that, outside of literary translation, most [...]