Denotative approach

Transformational approach.

Human Translation Theories

LECTURE 5

Main points:

1. The unit and elements of translation.

2. Transformational approach.

3. Denotative approach.

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1. The unit and elements of translation. (in works by Barkhudarov and Komissarov).

« Под единицей перевода мы имеем в виду такую единицу в исходном тексте, которой может быть подыскано соответствие в тексте перевода, но составные части которого по отдельности не имеют соответствий в тексте перевода» (Бархударов. Язык и перевод -М,.: М О, 1975).

Any language unit (from phoneme to the whole text) may be a unit of translation. The main task of finding the unit correctly is to find textual function of this or that unit. A translator deals not so with separate words but with system dependances among words of the source language (SL). Sometimes the whole text but not a sentence or definite words may be changed when a translation is connected with a definite task: to show irony etc. (Козакова Т. А.)

The human translation theories may be divided into three main groups which conventionally may be called “transformational approach”, “denotative approach”, and “communicative approach”. A fourth, “distributional approach” to translation modeling, suggests a description of translation which allows us to distinguish between transformational and denotative approaches.

What is transformational approach to translation? This group of translation theories consists of many varieties which may have different names but they all have one common feature: the process of translation is regarded as transformation.

According to the transformational approach translation is a set of multi-level transformations of a text in one language into a text in another governed by specific transformation rules. According to this approach there are both primary and deduced observed events in translation - word forms are primary observed events whereas lexical meanings and grammatical rules are those deduced from the primary ones.

The selection of equivalents of words and grammar rules is governed by the context (text environment) which is also a set of observed events.

Within the framework of the transformational approach one may build a formal model of translation using observed events and rules for their interrelation and a formal model makes the translation problem a well-defined one.

Though denotative approach to translation is based on the notion of denotatum, it has more relevance to that of a concept.

According to denotative approach the process of translation consists of the following steps:

Ø translator reads (hears) a message in the source language;

Ø translator finds a denotatum and concept that correspond to this message;

Ø translator formulates a message in the TL relevant to the above denotatum and concept.

As opposed to the transformational approach, the relationship between the source and target word forms is occasional rather than regular.

Differences between transformational and denotative approaches are shown diagrammatically.

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