Technical translation, versus literary

Technical translation from English versus literary translation, their features and problems that can arise with each of them, are more significant than it may seem at first glance.

When translating technical texts from English, there is always an end, and the means always remain in the overall conceptual framework in which the end is defined. Thus, the technical context has content that relates to the horizontal outlook structure, while the literary context has content that relates to the vertical outlook structure.

Thus, on the one hand, there will be a vertical relationship between height and depth, while on the other hand there will be a horizontal relationship between width and breadth. The first attitude testifies to the relative merits of artists and poets, while the second shows the merits of scientists and technologists. The product of poets is essentially a product of height and depth, which was either reduced or raised to fit into the width and breadth of the horizon of a person who acquires a horizontal dimension; while the product of scientists and technologists lacks the intuitive complexity and richness of the peculiarities of the experience of poets. This product therefore, is essentially conceived as a horizontal line corresponding to the photographic representation of the outlook.

Scientists speak in the familiar and concrete realities of everyday life. If they are to move, their movement is almost always to reach a new horizon or new perspectives that always remain in the horizontal structure of the concrete, material and objective reality.

Another point also arises here: it is important to emphasize that these dimensions, whether vertical or horizontal, are inherently dependent on human perception, that is, how the relations between themselves, and world relations are unified through a symbolic identification system, commonly known as language. However, this is not the same thing that these dimensions can be filled during the life of a given culture or person. The ratio of these dimensions seems to be one of the opponents, while their unity seems a harmony of opposites. Therefore, to cover them, it seems impossible that even very complex computer technology can not cope.

These lines of demarcation between vertical and horizontal dimensions suggest a different area of research and comparisons. Now you can imagine more differences between technical and literary translation to include more important details of the language:

Technical texts are always logical, accurate, have a special message and reference value for the reader, have lexical affixation. When an interpreter performs technical translation from the English language, he seldom encounters idioms in the text, while abbreviations and acronyms contain a large number. In such texts, almost all expressions are standard, but they use scientific terminology.

Literary texts are distinguished by the absence of a contentious progression, uncertainty, emotionality, connotation. Literary tests use grammatical interconnection. Idiomatic expressions are often encountered, a very small number of abbreviations, acronyms. Also texts are deprived of terms and formulas, a figurative language is used.

All the characteristics of technical texts, indicate features that are relevant to English use. The isolation of these differences against the greater number of linguistic differences that exist between English and any other language will confirm the latter’s tendency to allegory and provide lines of guidance for translating English technical texts into a different language. Look below:

Since technical texts rarely contain idiomatic or cultural expressions, the type of equivalence most common in their translation from English is a formal equivalence that focuses on the content of the message, rather than on its form. This level of language, experimentally lifeless, is linguistically very manipulative. Since language can be separated from the unique qualities of experience and can become a sort of linguistic mathematics, its units can be easily organized and rebuilt with little interference in the cultural context. However, theoretical possibilities can in many cases be far from practical application, and this takes place with an English technical translation into modern languages.

In English, which expresses a very complex technological culture, both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of human experience are dynamic and expand. Taking into account that in any language that is an expression of poetic culture, only the vertical dimension of human experience is unevenly expanding. Thus, the translation of English technical texts will inevitably include the process of transferring dynamic and multidimensional human experience into a static and monolithic, verbal system of which can hardly provide such a transfer.

Technical translation, versus literary обновлено: October 5, 2017 автором: azurit