Didactics of Translation: Text in Context

Part I
Use of Terms Article 1
Use of terms …

Evaluation:

Conclusion:
(Text cited by Hatim, B. 1997 b)

Number of students taking the verification test: 25 Number of successful translations: 24

The students are aware of the specific features of the preamble in both English and Arabic and can translate both ways more confidently.
Pre-text: Expository text type (an entity-oriented report) The students were asked to translate the following text:
Report on the general debate
The United Nations Conference on Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries was held at Buenos Aires from 30 to 12 September 1978. The Conference was opened by the Secretary- General of the United Nations. Representatives of States- many of them of ministerial rank- , observers for a number of inter-governmental bodies and representatives of specialized agencies, regional commissions and other UN bodies, programmes and offices attended by special invitation and took part in the work of the Conference.

Opening the general debate at the afternoon meeting on 30 August 1978, the Secretary-General of the Conference said he was convinced that the Conference would lay the foundations for enhancing all forms of co- operation among developing countries and for transforming relationships for the benefit of the entire world community. The success of the Conference would depend on the extent of the commitment of governments to the concept and promotion of technical co-operation among developing countries; evidence of their commitment was the fact that national reports had been received from more than 100 governments. Further evidence of the importance attached by governments to the Conference was the fact that their delegations included outstanding personalities and experts in the subject. The Secretary-General of the Conference expressed his appreciation of the special contributions made by the governments of Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar towards the costs of participation of specially financially disadvantaged countries.

(Text cited by Hatim, B. 1997 b)

Evaluation:

x Number of students taking the pre-test: 13
x Number of successful translations: 4
The unsuccessful translations were mainly characterized by a tendency to switch to the nominal sentence, sometimes starting with ϥ· with the result that the translation became overly evaluative and thus rather less objective. Thus, for example, the sentence: “The success of the Conference would depend on the extent of the commitment of…” was

translated either as ϡ΍ΰΘϟ΍ ϯΪϣ ϰϠϋ ΪϤΘόϳ ήϤΗΆϤϟ΍ ΡΎΠϧ: or
ϡ΍ΰΘϟ΍ ϯΪϣ
ϰϠϋ ΪϤΘόϳ ήϤΗΆϤϟ΍ ΡΎΠϧ ϥ·

Interview: The students who produced a correct translation did not clearly state what kind of steps they followed in their translation. This lack of self-awareness on the part of the translation trainees is one of the main problems which the translation experiment has sought to address.
Lecture:
In the lecture, the following points were discussed:
x The general characteristics of expository texts: a certain degree of emotiveness, a certain structure format, the predominance of certain syntactic features, a looser texture…
x The different texts forms falling within the exposition text type: the synopsis, the summary, the abstract, the report, the news report

x The structure format of an expository text: setting the scene and then presenting its various aspects

x The translation approach to be adopted
x The role of the translator
Post-test: Re-translation into Arabic of the English report Evaluation:
x Number of students taking the test:13
x Number of students producing a correct translation:10
Interview:
The students who produced a correct translation maintained that they had invoked various relevant contextual factors, and more particularly, their knowledge of the expository text type. For the latter, they stressed, there was usually a lack of emotiveness and a scarcity of subordinate clauses and nominal sentences. On the other hand, they added, there was frequent use of coordination.
A Verification Post-Test: Translation of two entity-oriented texts Text 1:
Scottish Development Agency
The Agency was set up in 1975 as the government’s principal instrument of industrial and economic development in Scotland. As well as its own wide-ranging powers to invest directly in new enterprise, it provides factory space and industrial management advice. The Agency also acts as a central Scottish information bureau for international business and guides other organizations, particularly about industrial plant location and development. Head office: 120 Bothwell Street, Glasgow.

Text: 2
(Text cited by Hatim, B. 1997 b)