The Translator as Communicator

THE MISHANDLING OF CONTEXT
The purpose of this rather lengthy demonstration has been primarily to open the
discussion regarding what can go wrong with the way context is handled in
translation and to show that errors of this kind can indeed be serious. We shall in
the following sections analyse errors which translators and interpreters have
actually made, relating to each of the contextual domains introduced so far. In
this section, however, we shall take a broad view of the entire operation and
show how, in an on-sight translation exercise, the mishandling of context by
trainee translators resulted in a flawed performance in which all aspects of
textuality suffered. Paradoxically, the output was fluent and almost faultless in
terms of lexis and grammar. 
The text used in this exercise was the letter to the editor analysed above, and
those taking the test were all graduates in English from Middle Eastern
universities, with considerable experience in either language teaching or
translating or both. To give an idea of the gravity of the errors made before
discussing them in some detail, it would be useful to consider the individual texts
which were actually produced by the trainees. Limitations of space, however,
make it difficult to produce a detailed analysis of each and every performance. We
have thus chosen to concoct the text represented in 
Figure 10.2
by piecing
together the evidence from a majority of student output texts.
I note your criticisms of America’s
constitutional form of government.
(formally and therefore sincerely intended
in the sense of ‘noteworthy’)
You are absolutely right
(intended as ‘there is absolutely no doubt’)
in saying that our form of government may
(using the modal in its confirmative
function)
not be the most efficient in getting things
done.
(meant categorically)
You are absolutely right in saying that the
budget crisis
(emphasized and made to sound
momentous)
was
(a completed event)
a disgrace and an embarassment
(highly condemnatory)
BUT
[missed in 5 out of 12 renderings and,
when incorporated, functioned as an
extremely weak ‘organizational’ device]
consider the alternative
(with the list that followed, functioned as
an invitation to experience what a haven
of peace might genuinely be like)
Figure 10.2 Close back-translation from Arabic of 
Sample 10.1
Note: Glosses in brackets are provided to show the way a given text-element (italicized)
was in all probability intended by the students.
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140 THE TRANSLATOR AS COMMUNICATOR

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