Lesson 5

P20115 : Principles of Translation

This lesson discusses the principles governing translation. Translation has a long tradition and there are several theories regarding the art of translation.

    Though there are no rigid rules for translation, experts in this field refer to 6 basic principles. They are: the ideas in the original must be intact in the translation without changes of any kind. Simplicity of style is essential for translations. Clarity is very important and translations must be free of ambiguities. Translators must be especially wary of idiomatic and figurative expressions exclusive to a language. A translation should provide explanatory footnotes to explain terms that occur in specific socio - cultural contexts that may be alien to the target language. A translator keeping in mind the socio-cultural context of the target language, enjoys the freedom to make certain minimal changes in the original as far as, the names of the principal characters or the setting are concerned. Lastly it is the duty of a translator to provide information about the original text and its author.

    It must be remembered that translation is an art as well as a science. A good translation first attempts to capture the content and then the style of the original. An effective translation must read like an original.