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General translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent-target text. (The Oxford Companion to the English Language, Tom McArthur, ed., 1992, pp. 1,051–54.)
There are approximately 6,900 languages currently spoken around the world, which means that mankind is divided into over 4,000 communities, whose languages each represent a tie between members of the community itself while creating a barrier that keeps each one distinct. Translation is the bridge that allows communication between different communities that are separated by linguistic frontiers. The individual factors that play a role in translation are, however, extremely complex. A translator needs to understand fully the original or source text and to express it in the other language, thereby producing the target or translated text. On the one hand, when dealing with the comprehension phase of the source text the translator conducts a semasiologic task (a term derived from Greek, meaning “related to meaning”). This means that in this phase of translation translators look for the content, the meaning of the original text (for example, analysis of the source text, identification and transfer of cultural elements, terminology, jargon, colloquialism, accentuation, use of capital letters and punctuation). On the other hand, when dealing with the expression phase, the translator conducts an “onomasiologic” task (another term coming from Greek, meaning “related to the name”). The translator now searches for words in the target language, the expressions that best reproduce the source text content in this language. This is the real phase of translation. According to Schleiermacher, there are only two ways or methods of approaching translation: "Either the translator leaves the writer in peace as much as possible and moves the reader toward him; or he leaves the reader in peace as much as possible and moves the writer toward him." With the first approach, the translator tries to communicate to his readers the same identical impression that he has received on reading the source text as a foreigner would in the author’s mother tongue; with the second, he would try to present the text to his readers as if the author had written it in their language. In the translation of general texts that are not characterized by technical content in a given field of expertise, the most commonly applied method is the second one, where translators become intercultural bridges at the very highest level .
General translation covers, among others, the following documents: - Letters - Conference speeches - Agendas - Minutes - Press releases - Tourism/attractions brochures - News - E-mails - Promotional material − For a detailed quote or for any further information do not hesitate to contact us. We can also help you decide which translation service and approach best meet your needs. |