Explicitation in translation, Part 2

TL;DR

This content discusses the concept of explicitation in translation and challenges the idea of it being a universal phenomenon.

Transcript

it was thought that this kind of generative transformational linguistics would actually help translation happily chomsky said early on in aspects that it would not help translation anyway so that was cut short as a project but the term universal has got to say well universal is deep seated underlying you know explain able to explain many other thin... Read More

Key Insights

• 🖤 Generative transformational linguistics was not found to be helpful in translation due to the lack of deep explanation and psychology behind it.
• 🍵 The concept of universality in translation is subjective, with no agreed-upon definition or criteria.
• ❓ Explicitation in translation is highly context-dependent and may not be a universal phenomenon.
• 🧑‍🏭 The reasons behind explicitation in translation could include factors such as risk aversion, the desire to relay the fruits of interpretative processing, or the assumption that readers need more help due to unfamiliarity with the source culture.
• 👨‍🔬 More research is needed to explore the potential causes and implications of explicitation in translation.
• ❓ Comparative perspectives and psychological studies could provide valuable insights into the phenomenon of explicitation in translation.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main problem with generative transformational linguistics in aiding translation?

No research has been done to explain why certain phenomena occur and there is no deep psychology behind it, making it surface-level and unhelpful.

Q: How is universality defined in the context of translation?

Universality is often used to describe something that occurs in most translations but there is no agreed-upon standard for what constitutes a universal phenomenon.

Q: Why is explicitation not considered a universal phenomenon in translation?

Different translation contexts, such as exams or software localization, have constraints that discourage explicitation, making it a case-specific occurrence rather than a universal one.

Q: What are some potential causes of explicitation in translation?

Possible causes include translators feeling the need to add information based on their own interpretation, a potential lack of familiarity with the source culture among target language readers, and translators being risk-averse and preferring to make relations clear.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content discusses how generative transformational linguistics was initially believed to aid translation but was ultimately deemed unhelpful.

• The concept of universality in translation is explored, with a focus on surface-level comparisons rather than deep explanation and psychology.

• The content highlights the limited research on what universal means in a philosophical sense and the lack of basic statistics to identify universal phenomena.