Becoming a Translator By integrating translation theory and the practical skills required by the working translator, Douglas Robinson presents an innovative approach to translation. Becoming a Translator draws on a broad range of contemporary translation theories and integrates the latest trends in learning theory, memorization skills, and brain science. In addition, the book provides the type of practical information and advice that novice translators need: • how to translate faster and more accurately • how to deal with arising problems • how to deal with stress • how the market works A wide variety of lively activities and exercises are included to facilitate the learning of both theory and practice. In addition, the book includes a detailed “Appendix for teachers.” This contains suggestions for discussion, activities, and hints for the teaching of translation. Becoming a Translator has been specifically designed for introductory undergraduate courses in the theory and practice of translation. It will also be of interest to professional translators and scholars of translation and language. Douglas Robinson is currently Associate Professor of English at the University of Mississippi. His previous publications include The Translator’s Turn (1991), Translation and Taboo (1996), What is Translation? (1997). Becoming a Translator An Accelerated Course Douglas Robinson First published 1997 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Reprinted 1998, 2001 © 1997 Doug Robinson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Robinson, Douglas, Becoming a translator: an accelerated course/Douglas Robinson, p. cm. 1. Translating and interpreting. I. Title. P306.R6 1997 418′.02–dc21 97–7057 ISBN 0-203-44113-3 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-74937-5 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-14860-X (hbk) ISBN 0-415-14861-8 (pbk) Contents List of figures ix Acknowledgements x Introduction 1 1 External knowledge: the user’s view 5 Internal and external knowledge 5 Reliability 6 Textual reliability 7 The translator’s reliability 10 Timeliness 13 Cost 16 Trade-offs 16 Discussion 18 Exercises 18 Suggestions for further reading 19 2 Internal knowledge: the translator’s view 20 Who are translators? 21 Professional pride 22 Reliability 23 Involvement in the profession 23 Ethics 24 Income 26 Speed 27 Project management 31 v Raising the status of the profession 31 Enjoyment 32 Discussion 35 Exercises 36 Suggestions for further reading 36 3 The translator as learner 37 The translator’s intelligence 38 The translator’s memory 40 Representational and procedural memory 40 Intellectual and emotional memory 41 Context, relevance, multiple encoding 42 The translator’s learning styles 45 Context 47 Field-dependent/independent 48 Flexible/structured environment 49 Independence/dependence/interdependence 50 Relationship-/content-driven 51 Input 52 Visual 52 Auditory 53 Kinesthetic 55 Processing 57 Contextual-global 57 Sequential-detailed/linear 58 Conceptual (abstract) 59 Concrete (objects and feelings) 59 Response 60 Externally/internally referenced 60 Matching/mismatching 62 vi Impulsive-experimental/analytical-reflective 63 Discussion 64 Exercises 65 Suggestions for further reading 72 4 The process of translation 74 The shuttle: experience and habit 74 Charles Sanders Peirce on instinct, experience, and habit 76 Abduction, induction, deduction 77 Karl Weick on enactment, selection, and retention 79 The process of translation 81 Discussion 85 Exercises 85 Suggestions for further reading 85 5 Experience 86 What experience? 86 Intuitive leaps (abduction) 89 Pattern-building (induction) 93 Rules and theories (deduction) 94 Discussion 97 Exercises 97 Suggestions for further reading 98 6 People 99 The meaning of a word 99 Experiencing people 101 First impressions (abduction) 102 Deeper acquaintance (induction) 104 Psychology (deduction) 107 Discussion 109 Exercises 109 vii Suggestions for further reading 111 7 Working people 112 A new look at terminology 112 Faking it (abduction) 114 Working (induction) 117 Terminology studies (deduction) 120 Discussion 122 Exercises 122 Suggestions for further reading 123 8 Languages 124 Translation and linguistics 124 What could that be? (abduction) 126 Laying down tracks (induction) 129 Teaching transfer patterns (deduction) 133 Discussion 140 Exercises 140 Suggestions for further reading 146 9 Social networks 147 The translator as social being 147 Pretending (abduction) 149 Pretending to be a translator 149 Pretending to be a source-language reader and target-language writer 152 Pretending to belong to a language-use community 153 Learning to be a translator (induction) 156 Teaching and theorizing translation as a social activity 157 (deduction) Discussion 163 Exercises 164 Suggestions for further reading 169 viii 1 Cultures 170 0 Cultural knowledge 170 Self-projection into the foreign (abduction) 173 Immersion in cultures (induction) 175 Intercultural awareness (deduction) 177 Discussion 183 Exercises 183 Suggestions for further reading 187 1 When habit fails 188 1 The importance of analysis 188 The reticular activation system: alarm bells 191 Checking the rules (deduction) 194 Checking synonyms, alternatives (induction) 199 Picking the rendition that feels right (abduction) 200 Discussion 201 Exercise 201 Suggestions for further reading 202 Appendix for teachers 203 Works cited 245 Index 252 Figures 1 Learning styles 47 2 Peirce’s instinct/experience/habit triad in translation 77 3 Peirce’s instinct/experience/habit and abduction/induction/deduction triads 79 in translation 4 The wheel of experience 82 5 The translator’s experience of terminology 122 6 Charting the dynamic progress of linguistic theorizing 138 7 The “basic situation for translatorial activity” 167 8 The systematic assessment of flow in daily experience 193 9 Channels of learning 211