Peter Newmark Approaches To Translation 1981 Pdf

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In 1981, Peter Newmark referred to translation as either semantic (word-for-word) or communicative (sense-for-sense).[19] He stated that semantic translation is one that is source language bias, literal and faithful to the source text and communicative translation is target language bias, free and idiomatic.[20] A semantic translation's goal is to stay as close as possible to the semantic and syntactic structures of the source language, allowing the exact contextual meaning of the original.[21] A communicative translation's goal is to produce an effect on the readers as close as possible to that as produced upon the readers of the original.[22]


In both semantic and communicative translation, provided that equivalent effect is secured, literal-word for word translation is not only the best, it is the only valid method of translation.(Newmark-1981) However, if there is a conflict between the two forms of translation, namely, if semantic translation would result in an abnormal tt or would not secure equivalent effect in the tl, then communicative translation should win out.



Peter Newmark Approaches To Translation 1981 Pdf

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4.proz.com/forum/translation_theory_and_practice/234007-semantic_and_communicative_translation4.proz.com/forum/translation_theory_and_practice/234007-semantic_and_communicative_translation 5-aa-translation.ning.com/profiles/blogs/semantic-translation-and 6.docencia.udea.edu.co/TeoriaTraduccion/comunicativo/peter02.html 7-An article about comparative study of Yan Fu and three Western translation theories


1. reproducing the same image in the TL

2. replace the image in the SL with a standard TL image which does not clash with the TL culture

3. translation of metaphor by simile, retaining the image

4. translation of metaphor (or simile) by simile plus sense (or occasionally a metaphor plus sense)

5. conversion of metaphor to sense

6. deletion of the metaphor

7. same metaphor combined with sense (Newmark 1981: 87-91)


These trends from disciplines related to translation studies come to re-enforce my view of the translation process as a totality, whatever the kind of text to be translated and its degree of specialisation. I became more aware of what 'specialisation' is when I met Maria Teresa Roberto, professor at the University of Aveiro, who supervised my work on the translation of poetry, and was, at the same time, engaged in her own research in specialised non-literary functional translation. I soon realised that, taken as discourse, the various text types, ranging from the most technical, functional, non-literary texts to the most poetical literary ones might be seen as forming an unbroken continuum in what concerns the creation of meaning, rather than flocking around either pole of a duality, demanding clear-cut divergent translation approaches.


Taking up Walter Benjamin's metaphor of translation as "transplantation" (cf. Benjamin, 1981: 15), I would lay the emphasis on the gardener's task as that of taking the plant out of its own ground to plant it in a new one, making sure it will adapt to its new habitat. The lines of Goethe's well-known poem below might be read as a symbol for the process (that of the translation of poetry, but also of any other utterance as such).


Newmark (1981) defines translation as an attempt to replace a message or written statement from the source language (SL) with the same message or statement in the target language (TL). In this case translation does not simply refer to the act of transferring words from the SL to TL but epitomises the act of presenting cultural information contained in SL into the TL. Thus, translation acts as a bridge of communication that links differing languages and cultures and helps to propagate the sharing of knowledge between these different cultures. The discussion in this paper revolves around a translation specifically produced for a translation project which represents a part of an MA. thesis requirement. An English cookbook was chosen as the source text to be translated into Malay because food has become a progressively fascinating subject in translation. Food related translations can be seen in most mass media communications such as in books, magazines, newspapers, on television and on websites. Furthermore, improvements in food production from all over the world have increased the need for the translation of information on food labels, thus, making these types of translation rather important (Chiaro & Rossato 2015). Translating cookbooks is one example of knowledge sharing between two cultures because food is all about identification and culture and that food has become the symbol of identity of a country's culture and politics (Kohler, 2001). In other words, cookbook translation can help to introduce new cultural aspects via styles of cooking and ingredients used as cooking features of every region can be vastly different. Thus, this helps decrease the knowledge and language gap that exists between diverse cultures and introduce target readers to a different food culture and other perhaps unfamiliar ingredients used in the cooking of meals from different countries and communities all across the world.


Based on the pre-translation analysis of the intratextual factors, issues such as the name of ingredients and dishes, the use of figurative language and cooking terminology constitute some of the main source of translation difficulties. As such, the communicative translation approach by Newmark (1981) is used to produce the TT. The communicative translation approach is used as the main approach because this approach allows the translator to produce a TT that is attuned and natural sounding to Malaysian readers, whilst at the same time help retain the function of the ST which is to introduce a different style of cooking to readers in Malaysia. According to Newmark (1981, p. 39), a communicative translation attempts to produce a translation that is as close as possible to the ST for the target readers. Thus, to help make this happen, procedures such as ( i) notes, (ii) couplets, (iii) reduction and expansion, (iv) modulation, (v) recognized translation, (vi) synonym and (vii) neutralization will be utilized.






This paper demonstrates that translating a cookbook is no easy task as cookbooks like any other technical texts have their own terms and expressions, narrative style and not to mention the culture specific elements associated with this particular lingo. Thus cookery texts cannot be translated simply without taking into account all the above as each element is complimentary to other elements that make up the whole writing style. The paper also shows the application of communicative translation approach and procedures used to translate a cookbook to produce a translated text that can give the reader a TT that is like the ST. As stated by Choong (2013), the translation of literary texts and technical texts is dissimilar from one to another because the translation of literary texts usually focuses on the translator's language and ideas while technical text translation is to accurately describe facts and concepts to target readers. Therefore, a translator will not be able to avoid from adding or omitting the information contained in the source text. The procedures and strategies applied during the translating process have shown that a cookbook cannot be translated merely using the communicative approach in order to produce a TT that has the same function as ST. According to Newmark (1981), the overlapping in translations between communicative and semantic translations may occur during the translation process. Thus, it is impossible to translate this cookbook using only one approach. In addition, illustration plays an important role in cookbooks as illustrations help in making things clearer and is a good complement to the additional notes procedure. In conclusion, a translation when done well, can accurately deliver the message contained in the ST and makes it easier for target readers to comprehend the content of TT.


Dorothy Sara Blair (nee Greene), a British, is a renowned femaletranslator who had earlier caught my attention since I have read translatedworks of African authors either from French to English or vice-versa. Amongher numerous translations are the Senegalese Birago Diop's Tales ofAmadou Koumba, translated in 1966, the Guinean Alioum Fantoure'sTropical Circle (1981), and the Beninese Olympe Bhely-Quenum's Snareswithout End (1981). But of paramount interest to me are her translations ofthe African female authors of which are notably three from Senegal: AminataSow Fall's The Beggars' Strike (1981), Nafissatou Diallo's ADakar Childhood (1982) and Mariama BA's Scarlet Song (1995). I haverestricted myself to only African authors.


Luise Von Flotow, a Canadian specialist on Translation and Gender(cited by McRae, 2006), attests to the fact that feminist translation ischaracterized by "the practice of prefacing and footnoting, among otherapproaches that increase the visibility of the translator". Flotow(1991) highlighted four major trends in feminist translation assupplementation, prefacing, footnoting and hijacking. I actually supplementbut to an extent the African audience can tolerate. Prefacing for me is awelcoming idea, as I plan to write a preface in the translation and possiblymaintain a repertory of glossary with explanations. A glossary takes theplace of footnoting, because I don't believe in distorting an originalwork to suit my taste. Hijacking is therefore completely out of the way. Muchas I believe in the translator's visibility, it does not call forhijacking of an author's creativity. Just like Gentzler (1998), Ibelieve in the documentation of the translation process.

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