Course title: Translation Theory
Instructor: Dr. Snježana Veselica Majhut
ECTS credits: 6
Status: Mandatory for translation students, elective for others
Semester: 1st
Enrollment requirements: Students must be enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Zagreb.
Course description: The course deals with the following topics: translation theory/theories, Translation Studies; different conceptualizations of translation and translators; types of translation (and interpreting); translators’ tools and resources; terminology and special languages; translation equivalence; translation shifts, procedures and strategies; language variation; text type, genre, discourse; norms and translation; functionalist approaches (skopos theory); the “cultural turn” in TS (cultural studies, gender studies, post-colonial studies, deconstruction); translation ethics.
The course combines lectures and seminar work (3+1). Students also do assignments (e.g. forum discussions) via an e-learning platform, on http://omega.ffzg.hr/ (Moodle).
Objectives: By the end of the course the students should be familiar with contemporary translation theories and current trends in Translation Studies. They should master the metalanguage and acquire the conceptual repertoire needed to discuss a wide range of issues associated with the phenomenon of translation. They should be able to apply the theoretical insights gained from the course to examples from everyday translation practice.
Course requirements: Regular course attendance, participation in the online forums as requested, final written exam.
Week-by-week schedule:
|
Session |
Topics |
|
1 |
Introduction. Translation theories and Translation Studies. |
|
2 |
What is translation? Who are translators? |
|
3, 4 |
Types of translation (and interpreting) |
|
5, 6, 7, 8 |
Translators’ tools and resources |
|
9, 10, 11 |
Terminology and specialized languages |
|
12, 13 |
Non-correspondences between languages (contrastive analysis) |
|
14, 15 |
Equivalence |
|
16, 17, 18 |
Translation procedures and strategies |
|
19, 20, 21 |
From words to text: language variation; text type, genre, discourse |
|
22, 23 |
Functionalist approaches to translation: skopos theory. |
|
24, 25 |
Descriptive Translation Studies. Norms and translation. Polysystem theory. |
|
26, 27, 28 |
The “cultural turn” in Translation Studies (Lefevere, gender studies, post-colonial studies, Venuti) |
|
29 |
Translation ethics |
|
30 |
Revision; student feedback; suggestions for future work |
Reading:
Pavlović, Nataša. 2015. Uvod u teorije prevođenja. Zagreb: Leykam international
Baker, Mona. 1998/2001. Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies. London and New York: Routledge.
Ivir, Vladimir. 1984. Teorija i tehnika prevođenja. Novi Sad: Centar “Karlovačka gimnazija” Sremski Karlovci, Zavod za izdavanje udžbenika u Novom Sadu.
Munday, Jeremy. 2001. Introducing Translation Studies. Theories and Applications. London and New York: Routledge.
Pym, Anthony. 2009. Exploring Translation Theories. London and New York: Routledge
Venuti, Lawrence (ed.). 2000. The Translation Studies Reader. London and New York: Routledge.
Articles and presentations available on http://omega.ffzg.hr/
