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Pre-tests and post-tests: text types
Pre-test: Instructional text type (a declaration preamble)
The testees were asked to translate the following English declaration preamble*:
The World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, having met at Geneva from14 to 25 August 1978 in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 32/129, recalling that the Charter of the United Nations is based on the principles of the dignity and equality of all human beings, further recalling the designation by the General Assembly of the period beginning on 10 December 1973 as the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, noting further with the gravest concern that racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, which continue to afflict the world, are crimes against the conscience and dignity of mankind, solemnly declares:
any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous, and has no justification whatsoever.
(Text cited by Hatim, B. 1997 b)
Evaluation:
The number of students taking this pre-test was 23. However, only one student produced a successful translation. This student, in fact, was one of the best in the group.
Interview:
When asked to report on what she did in order to produce such an excellent work, the student answered that this type of text was not unfamiliar to her since she had already heard it on the radio and seen it on T.V.
Lecture: (based on Hatim (1997 b)
In the lecture, the following points were discussed:
x The general characteristics of the legal document: non- emotiveness, texture, the structure formats…
x The different text forms falling within the legal document. For example, the resolution, the treaty, the convention, the declaration…
x The different parts of a legal document: the preamble, the initial article, the set of articles and the concluding article
x The kind of language used for each part: formulaic expressions, domain specific vocabulary, a close-knit texture
x The translation approach to be adopted
x The role of the translator
Post-test: Instructional text type Evaluation:
The students were asked to re-translate the English declaration preamble into Arabic. The number of students taking part in the pre-test was 25. Out of these, 20 produced successful translations.
Interview:
When asked about the process through which a good translation was possible, the 20 students on the whole referred to relying on the distinctive features of preambles in Arabic legal texts. These features consist of formulaic expressions, the use of special vocabulary and above all the structuring of the text. They also said that they followed a literal approach in which they tried to stay as close to the ST as possible.
A verification post-test:
The students were given an English Convention Preamble to translate into Arabic. The purpose was to verify if they have internalized the specific language features of this kind of texts. The convention preamble is given below.
Draft Convention on the Law of the Sea
The states parties to this convention, prompted by the desire to settle, in a spirit of mutual understanding and co-operation, all issues relating to the law of the sea, conscious that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole, recognizing the desirability of establishing, through the Convention, and with due regard for the sovereignty of all States, a legal order for the seas and oceans which would facilitate international communication, bearing in mind that the achievement of such goals will contribute to the realization of a just and equitable international economic order which would take into account the interest and needs of mankind as a whole and, in particular, the special interests and needs of developing countries, whether coastal or land-locked, affirming that matters not regulated by this Convention continue to be governed by rules and principles of general international law, have agreed as follows:
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