Mediazione Linguistica per la
Comunicazione Letteraria
II°anno
Module B
From Text Analysis to Translation a.a. 2007/2008
Kate Riley
After having done a module on translating into Italian last year you should know at least some of the problems to look out for when translating. However, just to refresh your memories on the more practical aspects of translating, I propose to go over the main ‘bug bears’ of translating in the first two lessons.
Translating
General considerations
Translating a text, any text, is not simply a straightforward exercise of taking the words and phrases in the source language and finding equivalents in the target language. It is more a question of re-writing a text in the target language in such a way as to convey the same message and meaning contained in the source text whilst respecting such things as style, form and register. To do this the text must first be taken as a whole and analysed according to the text analysis tools you learnt about in Module A. You can either use Hymes’
‘approach to text analysis or the simpler “5 Ws and an H” system, but what is essential is that you first think about the text as a whole before you start translating the individual words and phrases.
You should also think about the final text, i.e. the translation. Is it intended for the same addressee? Does it have the same purpose? Is the context/setting the same? etc etc Once this is clear in the translator’s mind she/he can then, and only then try to find the appropriate sentences, phrases and words which can best translate those in the source language. To do this the translator then has to do some discourse analysis – looking at coherence and cohesion, such things as referencing, text organisation, linking and logic. He/she has to decode the source text before he/she can start to encode in the target language. Then at a lower level still
(remember the top to bottom approach to text analysis) the translator can start thinking about the meaning/connotation/register etc of individual words and phrases to build up the sentences to achieve a full text.
Once the translation is complete, the translator should then ensure that the translation works as a whole text, that it hangs together and makes sense, and if necessary achieves the same communicative intent as the original – i.e. is the final text coherent and cohesive.
Over the course of the module we will be looking at all of these things – many of which we have already dealt with during Module A. This time, however, we will be considering how the features/characteristics of a source text can be translated effectively into a target text, and at the various strategies available to the translator to achieve this end.
Below is a list of some other things to take into consideration when translating a text. Nos 1 – 8 are more general considerations and apply to the whole text, whilst 9 - 14 refer to specific features/structures/words.
Whilst some of these refer in particular to translating from Italian into English, the concepts are similar when translating from English into Italian.
This list is by no means exhaustive – we will be coming across others during the Module. However, these pointers are intended to get you thinking about the whole process of translation.
1. Time: what period is the text set in? (modern, historical, future, indefinite etc). This can affect the choice of vocabulary. For example contadino will be translated differently depending on what period we are dealing with.
2. Setting and Scene: the geographical and social context will similarly influence a choice of words. Taking the example ballo: in an 19 th century aristocratic setting it will undoubtedly be ‘ball’, but if referring to a
Saturday night gathering of farmhands in a barn but still in the 19 th century then ‘dance’ will be more appropriate.
3. Pragmatics and Purpose: what is the purpose of the text (utterance if dealing with speech). Silenzio! will be translated differently if it is a sign in a library, a teacher in a class, or a mother who has put a baby to sleep.
(Remember Jakobson’s/Hymes’ functions 1) referential (conveying info), (2) emotive , (3) conative/directive (with the

purpose of affecting the behaviour of the addressee), (4) phatic (to open the discourse and monitor its reception) , (5) metalingual (to talk about language) and (6) poetic (7) contextual (to signpost the discourse)
4. Culture: to translate well, a good knowledge of not only the source language but also the culture is needed if all nuances are to be communicated. Connotations of particular words may convey different ideas. For example ‘collaborator’ in the post war era had the meaning of traitor in English and when intended in a general sense an alternative was usually used. References to events, people, and places unknown to people of other cultures present particular problems and a footnote may be necessary, or sometimes the intended meaning has to be ignored. For example the book title “Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy” by best selling author John le Carré suggests the start of a children’s ditty (short poem/rhyme) “Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Sailor” perhaps suggesting being a spy is just another profession. A literal translation cannot have the same effect in Italian as there is no similar child’s rhyme, and therefore these associations it must either be ignored or a totally different solution found. Some words are totally culture-bound, for example Concorso Pubblico as people are recruited in a completely different way in the English speaking world of work. Often lengthy paraphrasing is needed or different alternatives used for each particular situation.
5. Genre, Style, and Register (Hymes’ Key – Halliday’s tenor): Different kinds of texts use different kinds of language: a tragedy will use rather different forms from a comedy; a legal document regarding the sale of a house uses a completely different kind of language from a personal letter describing the same transaction.
Specific genres (in particular technical) often have pre-established features and set expressions which must be used. The same kind of language will not be used when translating a passage on pop hysteria from the national press and one from a teenage magazine, there is also a marked difference in style and register between articles in the so-called ‘Quality Press’ and those in the tabloids. Remember the different power relations between the participants. The degree of formality will depend on many of the aspects listed above and below.
Beware also of academic texts, English texts tend to be more succinct and to the point, with clear organization and outline, whilst Italian texts are more flowery, often as concerned with the way something is being said
(form) as the content. Thus some texts when translated into Italian may seem awkward and detached, or excessively long and prosaic when translated from Italian into English.
6. Participants: There are more participants involved in translation than in the original text. You have to take into account who wrote the source text and for whom, who is commissioning the translation, from who and for whom the translation is destined. All this will affect the final text.
7. Norms: Are there any social rules governing the source text which would be unfamiliar in the target text
(connected with ‘culture’). For example the schema for a business letter may be different in different languages.
8. British, American or other English: an awareness of the different varieties of English is necessary. Some terms may present a problem. For example metropolitana in British English is ‘underground’, in American it is
‘subway’ which in British English means sottopassaggio. From the context it is usually obvious which is meant.
However, consistency is essential. if ‘underground’ is used in one part of the text then ‘pavement’ must be used later on and not ‘sidewalk’. Likewise consistency is called for in spelling words, e.g. if you decide you prefer to spell ‘-ise’ words thus, do not change to ‘-ize’ half way through the text, or if you opt for ‘color’ rather than ‘colour’, then you must also use catalog, program etc. Dialects also pose a different problem, as do subculture slangs and even idiolects. All these have to be taken into account by the translator.
9. Punctuation: It must be remembered that English punctuation is not the same as Italian. Sentences tend to be shorter in English. A full stop is often (but not always!) used where in Italian a colon is deemed sufficient.
Use of colons, semi-colons and commas are, indeed, not the same in the two languages and caution, therefore, is necessary. Likewise, splitting words with a hyphen at the end of a line follows different rules.
10. Word Order: Remember that English word order is much less flexible than in Italian. Do not be afraid to turn phrases and whole sentences around, especially if it makes the meaning clearer or the language flow smoothly.

11. Collocation and semantic range (including metaphor): Some words have friends that they prefer to be with rather than others. For example football and hockey pitch but tennis and basketball court, ‘wet’ rather than ‘rainy’ weekend’. This is where monolingual dictionaries are an essential tool! Some words in English have a more restricted range than there Italian counterparts, or vice versa. For example in Italian you differentiate between legno and legna in English these both translate as ‘wood’ (though firewood can be used for the latter), which, incidentally, also means bosco. ‘Head’ used with various meanings in English cannot always be translated with testa: head of a family, head of the table, head teacher, head of the page, head of the stairs, black head, head of the bed etc. (One of the most problematic words regarding collocation to translate is fare. Unfortunately, whilst there are some general rules to follow, it is often a question of knowing the English equivalent or using a good dictionary!)
12. Connotation: when decoding from the source text the translator must understand the connotative meaning of the word – i.e. the emotive function of the text as well as its referential function. For example,
rubbish cannot always be translated as spazzatura, depending on its connotative meaning
13. False friends (including anglicisms): from the surface form some words appear to be the same but in fact mean something completely different. For example attualmente and ‘actually’, simpatico and
‘sympathetic’, professore and ‘professor’. Beware also of English words used in Italian, they do not always have the same meaning. For example the noun ‘box’ in English is a cardboard container, practising a sport, or a square or rectangular area on a printed page, whilst in Italian it can mean a covered area to park a car, or a place where a baby can play safely.
A related question when translating into Italian is When NOT to translate? For example many English terms used in relation to computers. When an Italian equivalent does not exist then obviously you use the English word e.g. mouse. But the problem remains what to do about words such as e-mail or file for which Italian versions exist, but the English word is in common use. Much depends on context and style and register.
However, please avoid any horrendous anglicisms such as forwardare (used in an e-mail to me by an Italian) as a perfectly adequate Italian word exists!
14. Grammar to convey meaning: sometimes particular grammatical forms convey different meanings: for example ‘used to do’ or ‘would do’ for the Italian imperfect (Quando ero piccola mio nonno mi portava sulle
spalle per delle ore ‘When I was a little girl, my grandpa would carry me on his shoulders for hours on end’) to convey past habit; ‘going to do’ to translate the idea of intention, (Non te lo dico un’altra volta. I’m not going to tell you again);‘will not’ or ‘would not’ to translate the idea of refusal (La macchina non partiva stamatina e
sono arrivata in ritardo ‘The car wouldn’t start this morning and I was late’) are but three examples.
N.B. WATCH OUT FOR TENSES English and Italian often use different tenses.
Translating into the L2
When translating into a language which is NOT your first language, in this case English, one has to bear in mind certain other factors, the most important of which are:
First of all, whilst it is difficult to achieve native like fluency the translation must read through as though it is
an original version. (Occasionally the original version is printed next to the English translation, but most
English speakers know no, or very little, Italian and so cannot check the original for meaning!!!!). Too many translations are disjointed because a text has been translated a phrase or sentence at a time without looking at how the sentences relate to each other. This is a question of cohesion. Never lose sight of the text as a whole rather than a series of sentences.
Secondly, if the original is complex in organisation and structure it is often better to simplify (this does not mean omitting information): use clear simple language which is grammatically correct. Do not be afraid to make long sentences in the original into two (or more) shorter sentences, provided the correct connectors are used where appropriate. English tends to be more synthetic and less flowery than Italian in general.

Thirdly, always use a monolingual dictionary to check words you are unsure about, most modern monolingual dictionaries are based on corpora of authentic language and therefore tell you how the word is actually used in English.
Exercises
2.
3.
4.
5.
Below are some sentences. First try to identify what particular problems they present and then try to translate them.
1. Il ballo continuò a lungo, si fecero le 6 del mattino: tutti erano sfiniti..... (from Il Gattopardo, Giuseppe
Tomasi di Lampedusa)
E’ la prima volta in mesi che prendo il caffè al bar.
Ha collaborato con me sulla programmazione.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Mi dispiace, non potrò esserci; ho un impegno domani pomeriggio.
Mio nonno faceva il contadino, ma voleva che mio padre ricevesse la miglior istruzione possibile.
Infatti adesso è professore al Liceo.
Cercare di farlo ragionare era come fare un buco nell’acqua.
Il Galles ha un clima molto piovoso.
Mi sono seduta all’ombra di un’enorme quercia.
Si dice che gli Scozzesi sono avari.
10. You can’t park outside the house at the moment because the road is being repaired
11. FAQ
12. Il crollo delle due torri l’undici settembre è stato impressionante per tutto il mondo..
13. Si prega la gentile clientela di non fumare a letto.
14.
Ho dovuto chiamare il meccanico perché la macchina non partiva; alla fine si trattava solo delle candele sporche.
15.
Non ho tempo per venire a casa per pranzo. Prenderò un toast al bar.
16.
La mia macchina fa 20 chilometri al litro.
17.
Quest’anno la maggior parte delle persone ha preferito fare le vacanze in Italia.
18.
Cosa fate voi due? Fatela finita.
19.
Dev’essere di Genova lui, è così generoso!
20.
I mezzadri finirono di lavorare quando tramontava il sole e mai prima.
21.
He didn’t seem to be being expelled. (from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling)
22.
We would often do that just to get her all worked up.
23.
My computer’s not working properly, it keeps crashing?
24.
At the age of 5 an English child lets go of its mother’s apron strings?
25.
I’ve never seen anything like it. It was more than cool, it was awesome!.
26.
Dopo la laurea ha eseguito un master alla Bocconi.
27.
Ai bambini piace spruzzare la schiuma a carnevale.
28.
E’ da una vita che non ti vedo. Come ti vanno le cose?
29.
Quanti litri di birra bevono gli Inglesi il sabato sera?
30.
She drinks like a fish, eats like a horse, and smokes like a chimney – she’ll kick the bucket before she’s 50.
31.
We’re off work next week, so I thought we’d go to our cottage on the banks of Loch Lomond.
32.
We got our mortgage from the Halifax building society at a variable interest rate of 4.75%.
Below are some passages. Once again try and identify the problems you will be faced with when translating.
You do not have to translate the passages – just identify the problems. Remember that all the problems discussed above apply equally to translating from English to Italian, so to begin there are two short passages in English.
Why a global language?
‘English is the global language.’
A headline of this kind must have appeared in a thousand newspapers and magazines in recent years. It is the kind of statement which seems so obvious that most people would give it hardly a second thought. Of course

English is a global language, they would say. You hear it on television spoken by politicians from all over the world. Wherever you travel, you see English signs and advertisements. Indeed, if there is anything to wonder about at all, they might add, it is why such a headline should still be newsworthy.
Language and the Internet
A Linguistic Perspective
“Will the English-dominated Internet spell the end of other tongues?”
“A major risk for humanity”
These quotations illustrate widely held anxieties about the effect of the Internet on language and languages.
[…] Do the relaxed standards of e-mails augur the end of literacy and spelling as we know it? Will the Internet herald a new era of technobabble? Will linguistic creativity and flexibility be lost as globalisation imposes sameness?
L’Alto Garda -Italia settentrionale, Trentino, alle pendici delle Alpi-, si estende a Nord del Lago di Garda. Il clima tipicamente mediterraneo, ha fatto si che le sponde del Lago di Garda siano state abitate fin dal
Neolitico. La civiltà Etrusca e quella Celto-Gallica ha lasciato ampie tracce fino alla colonizzazione Romana verso l’88 a.C. Benacus fu chiamato dai latini e sulle sue sponde amava soggiornare il poeta Catullo.Il grande
Virgilio dedicò al lago dei suggestivi versi “fluctibus et fremitu adsurgens, Benace marino” ( Georgiche II 160).
Area di grande bellezza e suggestione ha una forte vocazione turistica ed è stata meta di numerosi illustri visitatori, da Montaine a Nietsche fino a Goethe, che dedicò all’Alto Garda alcune pagine del suo celebre
Viaggio in Italia. Da visitare: a Riva del Garda, le chiese dell’Inviolata (1603) e dell’ Assunta (1106 ricostruita nel 1728), la piazza tre Novembre, la Rocca del XII secolo, sede dell’attuale museo civico, la chiesa romanica di S. Tommaso.